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When should I get my dog's teeth cleaned? Is anesthesia safe?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 9 years and 10 months old | 4 lbs

Is this reversible? Should I get her teeth cleaned after Christmas? Or wait until February? She already has noticeable bad breath (if I intentionally try to smell it) but it goes away if I apply a bit of CET toothpaste on her teeth. Her last dental was in 2015. Also, would her going into deep REM sleep where her body will sometimes become limp affect anesthesia? She’s had bloodwork done earlier this month & everything was good. Also, would she be under long?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 20th, 2018

I would recommend having Precious’ teeth cleaned sooner rather than later. They longer you wait the more you risk having newer problems develop.

Your veterinarian will be able to create an anesthetic protocol that is most safe for Precious. Her quality of REM sleep should not in any way affect her general anesthesia.

The length of anesthesia depends on if issues are found during the procedure. If extractions are needed this will obviously prolong the procedure. A normal cleaning usually takes about 30-45 minutes.

I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on December 18th, 2018
Usually sleeping behavior does not indicate general health (unless it’s something like they stop breathing!!). I would tell her veterinarian just in case but in general she should still be ok to undergo the procedure. That is great that her heart and lungs sound normal. Any anesthetic does carry risks but the benefits will out weigh the risks for most healthy pet. Things that can be done to decrease risk are to make sure the veterinarian runs blood work within 2 weeks (or even better would be day of) the procedure. Make sure the veterinarian places an IV catheter, this gives immediate access to the blood stream in case of an emergency. IV fluids during the procedure helps maintain blood pressure, hydration and protect the kidneys. Lastly, ask about monitoring. Ideally pets will have an EKG, pulse oximeter and blood pressure to know if anything is changing in their bodies during the procedure.
Anesthesia times can vary but I would expect probably about 20-30 minutes for a routine cleaning for a dog her size. This would be a great question however to ask her veterinarian as they can give you a more accurate estimate!
I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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The answer to the frequency of recommended dental cleaning really depends on the dog. Most dogs would probably do best having their teeth cleaned every 6 months the way we do, but that often is not practical. Some dogs develop dental disease very quickly and need their teeth cleaned at least once a year while other dogs do very well not having their teeth cleaned for years. So, I would recommend following your veterinarian's recommendations for frequency of dental cleanings based on how quickly Otis develops dental disease. The anesthetic techniques and monitoring that we use now are very safe, so that is not a concern. It is much more likely that dental disease will cause more health problems. And there isn't any age limit as long as the dog is healthy. I just did a dental cleaning on my 14 year old dog last year. I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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