(new to me ) old dogs with very bad teeth

sloopy · New member Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 2

Hi I have two little 3 pound long haired chiwawa's (yes I'm sure I spelt that wrong ) Anyways they are very old I would say 10 and up, They had very bad care and both of their teeth are rotton and some even missing. is there anything I could do besides putting them to sleep and having them cleaned. My mother did that with her 14 year old springer and he had a stroke and died. These are very little babys, is there anything I can do that is safe! I also have this problem with a poodle rescue I just brought home a week ago but he looks to be around 6 or so I will take him to get his teeth cleaned. I also having a bit of a money problem the vets are a joke in this small town....Very expensive!

Need help!

DeLaUK · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 10:03 am Post subject:

Bad teeth, especially if they are really bad can cause other problems in the long run, the bacteria gets into the blood stream and can cause heart and kidney problems. Theres always a risk when going under anaesthesia but precautions can be taken prior to it, blood tests should be done and usually with older pets we will put them on IV fluids, sometimes they need to be on anti-biotics for a week or so before if there are any abscesses. Bad teeth can be very painful, I know you said the money is an issue and Ive sent you a PM with some information you might be interested in.

There are some vets that are doing dentals without any anaesthesia, Im not quite sure how they do it though, I havent actually seen it done so I dont know if the dogs temprement is a factor or if it depends on how bad the teeth are, you might want to ask around in your area if anyone is offering this service.

Shineillusion · Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2005 3:48 pm Post subject:

My vet cleans my dog's teeth with just mild sedation, not general anesthesia. But their teeth aren't in bad shape, and aren't infected. So I don't know if it would be possible to do cleaning and possible extractions on dogs that have really bad teeth.

Another possibility would be to use one of the tartar control products you add to the dog's drinking water. Use this for several weeks before dental cleaning to loosen the tartar and make it come off much more easily. You're vet might also perscribe an antibiotic prior to cleaning to help reduce the infection in the gums.

After cleaning, keep using the additive in the dogs water to reduce plaque and tartar. You can also brush their teeth more effectively when using one of these products.

One word of caution; if there's any chance of infection being present, do not attempt brushing the dog's teeth at home. This could cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream and cause very serious infections elsewhere. Get a dental first, then start brushing.