How often should my dog's teeth be cleaned, and is anesthesia safe for them?

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I personally don't think age is a major risk factor for anesthesia. Most of the problems or deaths under anesthesia are unpredictable and can happen to any age. Doing blood work and checking for any underlying issues like a heart murmur before surgery is great. Anesthesia is monitored closely by the veterinary nurses: blood pressure, oxygen levels, EKG, animals are intubated and are on oxygen and on IV fluids. There are health risks to leaving diseased teeth in the mouth as well. Overall if Angel is a healthy senior I think she will do fine! Good luck!

It is never safe to do a non-anesthetic dental, and it should never be preformed on a dog. I can understand your concern, but Daisy does need that loose tooth removed and her teeth cleaned. PetCoach has a great article about why you should never chose non-anesthetic dentals that discusses if anesthesia is safe, and what happens when a pet's mouth is cleaned under anesthesia. I will link the article below so hopefully some of your concerns will be alleviated. As for her breathing, dogs who have a short snout typically breathe better with an ET tube (endotracheal tube) which is used during a dental procedure. I would recommend having it done if your vet feels it's safe, as it will make Daisy so much more comfortable. https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-s-the-deal-with-anesthesia-free-dental-cleanings/0

Hi there. I'm afraid there is really nothing as effective as a proper dental cleaning under anesthesia. If your dog won't allow you to brush his teeth, then your options are even more limited. You can try providing things for him to chew on, such as bully sticks and natural rawhides, which can help some to keep teeth cleaner. A company called Healthy Mouth makes a water additive that has been shown to help reduce plaque, so you could try this also if you like. Honestly, though, I would strongly consider having the dental cleaning done if this is what your veterinarian has recommended. Anesthesia for routine procedures like this is extremely safe. Severe dental disease, on the other hand, can cause problems with the heart and kidneys as well as significant pain and discomfort that affects your dog's quality of life. The benefits of having his teeth properly taken care of far outweigh the risks.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Both of these drugs are commonly and safely used in anesthesia for dogs. Often they are combined with other medications or inhaled anesthesia. If you have concerns about anesthesia, I recommend discussing those concerns with Oso's veterinarian. Doing things such as preanesthetic bloodwork and fluid therapy while under anesthesia can help identify or minimize anesthetic risks.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Dental cleanings are very important as bacteria in the mouth can lead to many other problems in the body. At 12 years of age, Burt is not too old to have a dental cleaning and being a Dachshund, I would certainly recommend having his teeth cleaned before there are any problems. If you keep up with preventative cleanings, Burt will be under anesthesia less time since there will be less tartar buildup. If you wait and do not have any cleanings done, the dental disease worsens and he may require more extractions leading to more time under anesthesia. It is more beneficial and safer to have him in for multiple preventative dental cleanings to avoid being under anesthesia for long periods of time. My dachshund, when he was still alive, had dental cleanings up until he was 17 years old. He lived to be 20 years old but he was on oral antibiotics for dental disease for the last 3 years and was unable to undergo dental cleanings due to other diseases he was dealing with. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If there is tartar on your pug's teeth, and a bad odor coming from the mouth, he should have a dental cleaning under anesthesia. Dental cleaning without anesthesia is necessary as a lot of the tartar and bacteria are under the gum line causing severe gingivitis and the bacteria to enter the blood stream. I have not met a dog yet that lets us remove tartar under the gum line voluntarily, ie without anesthesia. During the procedure your dog will be intubated to keep water and debris from entering the windpipe and to enable us to deliver the anesthetic gas and oxygen directly to the lungs. So the nose problems do not influence the ability to breathe during gas anesthesia. Brachycephalic dogs such as pugs have a slightly higher anesthetic risk than other dogs, but overall the risk is very low nowadays. Once the teeth have been cleaned you should brush them regularly with a soft brush and enzymatic tooth paste to delay the formation of new tartar. It is not possible to remove existing tartar by way of brushing teeth which is why brushing teeth is useful only after the tartar is removed.