My senior dog has seizures & bad teeth. Is dental anesthesia safe?

There are certain preanesthetic medications that your doctor will avoid if he knows Casper has seizures. Definitely be sure to mention it to the vet when you drop him off. I would also recommend having your vet do some preanesthetic blood work to make sure there is nothing to worry about. If anything shows up in the blood work your vet can make changes to the anesthetic protocol to make sure it is safe for Casper.

That is true that anesthesia is more risky in older dogs, but it still can be done safely. Frida will be in a lot of pain from these problems with her teeth, and it will likely lead to a decrease in appetite. I think you have to weigh the risks of the dental vs the benefits to her. Having her teeth treated will help her so much and keep her from being in pain, but only you can decide if the risk is worth. The vet has to tell you the worst case outcome, but they wouldn’t have suggested a dental if they didn’t think it was ok to do. I hope this helps.

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

I recommend a veterinary exam to check how infected the tooth is. If they listen to her heart and it is fine and her blood work is stable they may be able to do light sedation only and remove the infected tooth. Bad teeth are very painful and also the dental infection can worsen the liver problem so extracting it if it can be done safely would be my recommendation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Daisy.

No, not at all - especially in a toy breed dog like a Pomeranian, it's far more dangerous to leave the damaged and infected teeth in his mouth. Anesthesia for routine procedures like this is extremely safe, and should not be anything to worry about as long as Poseidon is otherwise healthy. Rotten teeth, on the other hand, are quite painful for him and can also lead to severe bone loss, a fractured jaw, or heart and kidney disease. I would definitely suggest discussing any specific anesthesia concerns that you may have with your vet, but don't let this keep you from getting Poseidon the dental care he needs.

The answer to your questions depend on the health status of the dog and the procedure needed to be done. If the dog is in a good health status, either anesthetic can be fine, even for senior dogs. Only your vet can make the risk assessment for anesthesia.

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.