Is dental cleaning safe for my senior dog with kidney disease?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Buddy. My concern about his bad teeth is that they can become very painful causing him to have a loss of appetite. Without seeing him in person, I can't say what his anesthetic risk is, but if it's not bad, I would recommend having the dental work done. Have him seen by another vet for a second opinion. Best of luck.

I do recommend to discuss this with your regular veterinarian as they know Cookie best. However, if things are stable now, it is generally best to take care of her teeth while her body is in good condition. You never know with those liver or kidney issues could creep up again and would not allow her to get her teeth cleaned. Preventive care is best when it comes to dental health. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!

Without seeing the condition of Sookie's teeth it is not possible to give you my opinion on that. Generally, if you see lots of tartar, and if she has a bad smell coming from her mouth, she will need a cleaning under anesthesia. Dental disease can cause heart disease and kidney disease, as bacteria from the mouth can enter the blood stream through inflamed tissue which then gets transported to the heart and kidneys and causes infection there. Anesthesia is very safe nowadays and, provided your dog is otherwise healthy, there is just a small risk involved.

It can be very scary to consider anesthesia in a dog with heart and kidney issues, for sure. But rotten teeth are also a very significant health issue. They become easily infected, and bacteria can get in the blood stream and will stick to areas that aren't functioning normally, like heart valves and kidneys. So by leaving the rotten, loose teeth in the mouth, you are at an increased risk of causing damage to the heart and kidneys. There are many precautions we take when considering anesthesia in these patients, but ultimately we do it to prolong their lives.

Talk to your vet about doing pulse therapy antibiotics. That is where oral antibiotics are given daily for one week each month. What you are already doing is fine but the antibiotics are what will keep the infection down. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I’m sorry to hear about the tooth loss. It sounds like you are trying hard to maintain good oral health and you should continue this. Definitely try to brush the teeth every day, even twice a day if possible. Pet tooth paste helps but the main benefit is the physical brushing. They also make dental diets which can improve oral health. Some pets also go on pulse therapy antibiotics to help control bacterial populations in the mouth. Unfortunately despite best efforts, dental disease can progress resulting in a he tooth loss. A fair amount of dental disease is found under the gumline and so it is hard to address without a proper dental cleaning. You may ask your veterinarian if there is an option to have you pup cared for by a specialist who may be able to preform a dental cleaning. If this is an option. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.