VET DENTAL CLEANING
I am conflicted about what to do with one of my dogs that is over 14 yrs old and has developed very bad breath.
The Vet checked her and said her teeth are not that bad and suggested rubbing her teeth with a peroxide-baking soda mixture. She is healthy and has no problem eating. Her breath however tells a different story and she sleeps right next to my bed. A doggie dental specialist offers a cleaning package for $ 575 (bloodwork, X-rays and cleaning) but also states this does not cover anything else that may show up on X-Rays. The possible cost escalation and the anesthesia risk at her age give me pause.... In the past I was always able to regularly scale my dog's teeth, so my older dogs were always in good shape, but this has not been possible for me to do in the last few years because my eyesight is such that I could inadvertently hurt the dog.
I would like to know what other people's experiences may have been with dogs of advanced age in regards to teeth cleanings and or anesthesia and cost.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on
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A suggestion for when Max comes home. Pixie did fine with the surgery and ate the soft food I had for her in the evening (chicken and brown rice I had cooked for her) but had diarrhea at night, so we had a big cleanup of carpets.... the vet said it can be a reaction to stress and even meds during anesthesia. I put a plastic table cloth under her bed, wish I'd done that earlier.....it was only her first night. They dispensed pain killers for a week, I gave a pill the eve she came home. She seemed fine next morning, so I opted to not give the pain killers. The liver has to deal with all the meds in the system, she probably had discomfort, but not pain. I also tinkered with the antibiotic, not knowing if the diarrhea could be a side effect of that. She had gotten a dose with the eve meal. I stopped them for a couple of days, until her stools were formed, then resumed them. Since she had no further upset, I went the full course with those, especially where one of her removed canines had been abscessed.
Also, because of Pixie's age and related weight loss (she weighs 28 Lbs, as compared to 42 Lbs in her prime) I put her on 3 soft meals a day until she could eat her kibble. The midday meal was simply a scrambled egg and sometimes I added bit of cottage cheese to that. She was back to all kibble by day 6.
I knew she was healing well when she started rubbing her face on the carpet, as the self dissolving stitches and the healing tissues must have produced some itching, or the desire to rub the area.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on
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you should not tinker with antibiotics. unlike pain killers which you should use when there is pain (which can be hard to tell in a dog) you should always use antibiotics exactly as prescibed and if there's a problem call the doctor before stopping them. even though they cause some diarrhea, they need to be kept at the same level in the blood to stave off infection. Stopping and starting can cause bacteria to become resistant.
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@Sarah, she had only had one dose and the Vet could not be sure she wasn't reacting to that particular one. Stopping and restarting in a couple of days allowed me to rule that out and give the full dose. The Vet had agreed to this course of action. There are many new studies now that question the standard use of antibiotics for the full course of 7-10 days, but I chose to play it safe since she had an abscessed tooth, although stopping and restarting them can indeed cause problems and would not be generally recommended.
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Permalink Reply by Linda on
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Katie had her teeth done 3 weeks ago. No antibiotics and no pain killers....they just told me to moisten her kibble with broth and only allow her a small amount at a time. Had to limit her water intake also since the meds make them thirsty and they can drink too much at one time and throw up.
I very strongly told them that they cannot but any pressure on his neck and that his head had to be supported. When she took him back she had his file and a huge green card attached to the file with the note about his neck plus he had a note attached to his harness. I have to call between 1:30-2 to see when I can pick him up.
I've been using the Pro Den for 2 weeks now, mix it in breakfast for all 5 critters and they don't even notice it.
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We're home. He’s wobbly, picked up his leg to pee and sat down. I had to help him up the front steps, he doesn't trust his hind legs. He’s under the kitchen table now and looks confused. Poor boy....Katie was totally fine when she came home, looks like it hit Max a bit harder.
We actually made it home before the school buses hit the roads and the grade school around the corner gets out. The kids aren't the problem crossing the street, it's the damn adults that figure they can just walk wherever and whenever they want. :gaah: So if you are trying to turn down our street you wind up sitting there till you can get a break. Sorry...I just needed tp vent on that.
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Glad you have him back, he should sleep it off and be alert by morning....
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Thanks Anna. He is more alert, ate his dinner a good 5 hours ago but threw up about 15 minutes ago. I know those meds can upset tummies...had my share of it...so I am just keeping my eye on him.
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