How often do your dogs have their teeth cleaned at the vets?

[Pam]

After viewing Anna's thread with Simba and his recent dental visit, it got me thinking about starting a thread on dental visits. I took Ripley to the vet recently to have him look at two small bumps on his tail. It turns out that they are just cysts and he wasn't concerned at all but did offer to remove them if it concerned me. He said he was way more concerned about his teeth. :o

He said that Ripley, and most small dogs, have a tendency to build up tartar very quickly and he was concerned that Ripley might have tooth loss if we let it go too long. That all said, I made an appointment for Ripley to have his teeth cleaned and cysts removed next Friday. It has only been 18 months since his last cleaning at the vet's but he does need it. :o Bella, on the other hand, doesn't build up tartar that quickly so she is in good shape.

So, how often do you have your dogs' teeth cleaned at the vet's?

[Glacier]

Never, unless there is a problem. Hobo had his done about a year ago, but he had one that needed to come out. Ended up being 6 that needed to come out! They get lots of bones and chewies. That seems to keep their teeth shiny clean. Heyoka has a note on his vet file that his teeth are "abnormally white". He looks like he uses Crest Whitestrips every day!

Dental work is so ridiculously expensive that I am very glad they don't have on-going teeth trouble!

[IRescue452]

We did Pepper every other year or so when she was alive. We probably should have done it more often, but we got her before the big changes in how people take care of their dogs' teeth.

Wallace is only a year old. He's a cocker so we expect horrible teeth.

Autumn has good, clean teeth. Her teeth would be the last way you'd want to guess her age. In my experience, retrievers usually have good teeth.

[Taz_Zoee]

Zoee is three years old and has never had her teeth cleaned. My niece brushed them once. :p
I'll do it if there is ever a problem or my vet recommends it. Or maybe if she has to be knocked out due to something else.

[anna_66]

I have to say Simba is the first dog I've ever had that had dental work.

I never brush their teeth, they just get plenty of good meaty bones. That seems to do the trick. They have nice bright white teeth:D

[caseysmom]

Casey has gone in every year for a dental for the last three years and she is due again in April, the first time she was really out of it so I have asked for the mildest anathesia they can give her. Her teeth get really dirty, I should give her a bone or something here and there but her stomach is so sensitive I am afraid too.

Bubba had a checkup last week and they said his teeth look real bad, he is 3 and a half, I am going to get his cleaned next month when casey goes in. I do have insurance and it is covered.

[Pam]

Bubba had a checkup last week and they said his teeth look real bad, he is 3 and a half, I am going to get his cleaned next month when casey goes in. I do have insurance and it is covered.

Yep the little dogs do have a problem with dirty teeth. I had two toy poodles and it was the same with them. One of my toy poodles began losing teeth even though we did have them cleaned periodically. I can remember even finding one on the floor one day! :eek: Oh boy, insurance would be great! Good for you!

[RobiLee]

I've never had my dogs teeth professionally cleaned. I never know if I should and I hear it is so expensive.

[vinjashira]

I've never had Snowy's teeth cleaned at the vets.
How much does it generally cost? do they put the dog under anaesthetics when they do that?

[caseysmom]

They do put them under anasthesia, I have Casey's nails clipped at that time since she hates to have that done. It is around 300 dollars.

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

Duke will be 8 this August and he has never had his done. The vet told me for his age he has very good teeth and he did not see any need to do it, there was such a small amount of tartar he felt that for his age that he said he would probably never need it done. Duke loves to chew so it helps keep his teeth really clean. The vet said Champs look really good too. Well Chopper doesn't even have all his adult teeth in yet so I will have to keep an eye on his being a small breed and all but he loves to chew things too so hopefully that will help keep his clean.

[pitc9]

Both of my pups are 6 years old and have never had their teeth cleaned, but last Spring when we went in for shots the vet said they both need their teeth cleaned. It's going to be around $230 per dog! :eek:
So when I get tax money back they're both going in.

[Glacier]

I've never had Snowy's teeth cleaned at the vets.
How much does it generally cost? do they put the dog under anaesthetics when they do that?

They do have to be put under for it. Hobo's dental cost 600 dollars, which has been about what most of the dentals I've had done cost. That's with a 10 to 15% musher's discount. I could go a bit cheaper, but I refuse to put an animal under without pre-anasethic blood work and that costs 110 bucks.

Sophia, one of my cats, had a dental earlier this week. She ended up loosing most of her teeth. The estimate including bloodwork was around 600 bucks. The actual bill was just under a thousand.

[caseysmom]

Yep they always do full blood panels before they do casey's dental.

[Ginger's Mom]

Ginger has never had her teeth done, but she is now five years old, so I am sort of preparing myself to hear that she needs to have them cleaned when I take her in on Saturday. We will see.

[GiantSchnauzer]

Never. They get adequate amounts of bones/chewies. I've always been told by the vet that their teeth were in good shape.

[wolf_Q]

So far...never. Nebo will be 6 in May and his teeth/gums look good. I brush them several times a week, sometimes every day if I'm doing good. A few months ago I had a free exam at a vet I hadn't been to and I took Nebo in. She looked at his teeth and guessed he was about a year old lol. I have a scaler and have scaled his back teeth a couple of times myself, he just gets a little bit if build-up there. His teeth aren't as white as I'd like, but thats ok, they've just yellowed a bit with age. I may get a dental done on him in a few years.

Keva is only a year old so her teeth are white, I brush them when I brush Nebo's so I don't expect to have a problem with her teeth either. I'm not sure she'd let me scale them though, she's not as cooperative as Nebo. Luckily she's always chewing on something so that helps.

Sydney will be 6 in June and she could use a professional teeth cleaning. Her teeth look pretty good on the outside because I've scaled them and my mom brushes them fairly often. But the inside edges of her teeth that I can't get to need to be cleaned, she has stinky breath. But that's up to my parents to get that done.

We learned the hard way that teeth need to be taken care of...we never did anything with Reggie or Smokey's teeth until they were so bad that most of them needed to be pulled. I won't let that happen again.

[Seravieve]

Havent ever had our three's teeth done either. Zeke has some build up, and we've contemplated it, but the Vet's never suggested having it done during the yearly check ups.

They have LOTS of rubber bones, balls and such so they do lots of chewing. Bunny has always had pretty white teeth, and Eli is just a baby.. lol. His teeth are very clean as well.

We have brushed them once or twice with Beef toothpaste.. lol

[chocolatepuppy]

Lacey is the only dog whose teeth I ever had cleaned. She just turned 7 when I had it done. Her teeth are good, but she was missing a few. I brush Layla and Jake's teeth a couple times a week (no way I'd brush Lacey's, I like my fingers too much ;) )

[K9karen]

Logan had her teethies cleaned last winter. They weren't bad, but I noticed discoloring, despite all her hard chew toys and was concerned. I just asked the vet, Pam, and she didn't seem concerned, so I'm going to wait before I do it again. . Logan's mouth structure is different than Cody's and it seems to me she collects food in her back molars. She hates the toothbrush but lets me use my finger to clean her mouth. She never has bad breath, though.

[cali]

never, their teeth are sparkling white. however Happy may need one of her front teeth pulled when she is older, its one of her very front bottom teeth, the vet said its fine now, but will likley need pulled in a few years.

[cyber-sibes]

Once. Star has always had very clean teeth, almost no tarter buildup. At 10, she finally had to go in to have a cracked molar & a cyst on her paw pad removed, so I had her teeth cleaned, too. the vet told me he might take up to 5 out, so I was glad she only needed one removed. Jack has not had his done yet, but will have a broken tooth removed when he does go in. Vet said he doesn't like to do it unless he really has to because of the anesthetic.

[kallisto4529]

When Mousse and Ginger were alive I had to have Mousse done 2 or 3 times and he was 13 when he passed away, Ginger I only had to have done once, the vet said for Cockers they had really good teeth, but they liked to chew alot and I kept them up on there chews and stuff so I think that helped. Reilly is only yr old so hopefully his will not be needed done for a while, he is still a huge chewer so there still pretty and white.

[Giselle]

Giselle came to me with already bad teeth and receding gums. Once periodontitis begins, it's only a matter of management, so she gets her teeth cleaned every once in a while.

It's very expensive. Around $400-500, if I recall correctly.

[Spiritwind]

I've never actually had any of my dogs get dentals done, however I scale their teeth pretty frequently. They are very good about it, I just lay them down on the ground a put their heads in my lap and scale the tarter off.

Collies tend to have pretty bad teeth.... and as long as I keep them scaled every few months - I have had 6-9 month old puppies with tarter build up on their back molars - as long as I scale them ever few months and/or give them knuckle bones to gnaw on they tend to be ok..

However, Ben, my 7yr old smooth collie male who lives in Ohio with my mom is having a dental done on March 20th. I was up to visit them after Christmas and was planning on scaling his teeth while I was up there, however they were to bad to work on.. he needed a full dental.. so its finally being done.

The estimate I got from my vet in ohio who is doing the dental is ~ $256. This includes everything - pre op bloodwork, IV cath., the anasethic, antibiotics if needed etc... I am HOPING no teeth will need to be removed, but we shall see... he has one incisor that might need yanked out, but other than that I THINK the others should be ok... HOPEFULLY! This will also be the first time he has ever been under any kind of anasethic so I'm kinda worried about it, but i'm sure he'll be fine.....

[slleipnir]

Mine never get theirs cleaned :o I recently had Zeke in for an appointment, and 2 of his molars at the back of his mouth had quite a bit of buildup. I asked if he should get a cleaning and the vet said he only has the 2 teeth needed to be cleaned and it doesn't make sense to put him under for that. So he decided to try scraping them while he's awake to see if he's tolerate it...Zeke didn't seem to mind at all. He was such a good boy. Most of the stuff to scraped off and saved getting them cleaned. I don't think he even charged me for it!

[buttercup132]

If your dogs chew lots of bones won't they not need their teeth done?
I thought I heard that when reading about raw somewhere.
I know .Sara's dogs teeth are gorgeous!

[Catlady711]

The American Veterinary Dental College has a great website. It has some terrific info on pet dental health, particularly this article here.

http://www.avdc.org/position-statements.html#cadswa

The also have links to find a certified veterinary dentist in your area and they can do things like crowns and fillings like human dentists can do for the owners that don't want teeth pulled if they can be saved.

[shepgirl]

We feed raw and the dogs chew plenty of bones so I've never had any dog's teeth cleaned, they don't need it.

[gardengirl]

After losing a dog while under, and because of the anesthesia, I try never to do anything under anesthesia unless it's absolutely necessary. So, I brush Bailey's teeth everyday, religiously. If there is ever a need for surgery, I always ask the vet to clean his teeth as well. That way, I don't put him under for just teeth cleaning. Bailey has teeth that build up tartar very quickly, and brushing them daily really keeps it under control.

[caseysmom]

After reading about the chewing helping I came home with bully sticks for both the dogs...they looked at me like what the heck am I suppose to do with that....

I thought anasthesia was a lot safer now, gardengirl how long ago did you lose your dog from anasthesia? I am sorry you went through that how sad.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Winston had his first cleaning last year, and second about a week ago. He has weird pockets behind his back molars though that need to be cleaned out professionally. None of our other dogs have ever had to have theirs cleaned.

[IRescue452]

Just picked up a soup bone for Autumn today to shine up her chompers nice for her annual visit next week. The butcher gave me a real nice cut too for cheap. She'll get her treat in the morning though, don't want her having to go potty in the middle of the night.

[micki76]

I thought anasthesia was a lot safer now,

ANY time any living thing goes under, anything can happen. Our vet is fairly state of the art and is a major diagnostic center for the Dallas area. They give IV fluids for all surgeries, even dentals.

We just had Chester's teeth done 2 weeks ago for the first time and he's nearly 9. He lost a couple of teeth due to them being broken off. Not decay or anything, just broken from chewing hard things. My dogs always get lots of chewies, so they don't build up much tartar, but I could tell his teeth were bothering him. His vet did xrays and sure enough, the crowns were broken off with just the roots left.

We had Millie's done yesterday and it had been almost 6 years. Hers didn't have much build up either, but after Chester's issues, I just wanted to make sure.

Chester also had a few growths removed. He is acting like a 6 month old puppy now that he feels so much better. It's a hoot to watch him and Tucker actually playing!

[caseysmom]

Micki....my question remains, is it safer now. I weigh the risk of anasthesia versus the risk of gum disease. I think I am asking a valid question and I realize "anything can happen". The vet my daughter interns with told us that anesthesia is a lot safer now, hence my question.

[Giselle]

I would have to agree. Anesthesia is much safer now. There are new protocols and even highly susceptible breeds (i.e. Collies and Greyhounds) can undergo modern anesthesia safely.

IV fluids should definitely be used with dental patients. Of all common medical procedures, I would say that dentals usually take the longest time. Now, I'm talking about common medical procedures like spays, neuters, minor cyst/skin tag removals, etc. Dentals on a dog with bad teeth could easily run up to an hour or more, especially if you're removing molars or canines. Spays and neuters, on the other hand, merely last around 15-20 minutes at most and some clinics offer IV fluids as an option.

[caseysmom]

I would have to agree. Anesthesia is much safer now. There are new protocols and even highly susceptible breeds (i.e. Collies and Greyhounds) can undergo modern anesthesia safely.

IV fluids should definitely be used with dental patients. Of all common medical procedures, I would say that dentals usually take the longest time. Now, I'm talking about common medical procedures like spays, neuters, minor cyst/skin tag removals, etc. Dentals on a dog with bad teeth could easily run up to an hour or more, especially if you're removing molars or canines. Spays and neuters, on the other hand, merely last around 15-20 minutes at most and some clinics offer IV fluids as an option.

Thats a good point I didn't think of the time issue, of course the risk of them waking would be less so the dose could probably be lower, or at least not as devastating during a dental.

[bckrazy]

Never... so far. : )

Gonzo is almost 7, and his teeth are pretty much spotless since he's been eating Raw. Fozzie has unbelievably white teeth, but he's just now turning 2.

Knuckle bones are FANTASTIC, and that's all I gotta say.

[Spiritwind]

Thats a good point I didn't think of the time issue, of course the risk of them waking would be less so the dose could probably be lower, or at least not as devastating during a dental.

At both vet hospitals I have worked at, the animals were kept on gas (ISO) while the dentals or surgeries were done.... so if the animal would start to wake or start to move alittle they would increase the ISO... and wait till the animal was back down (usually just a few seconds) and start up again...

[Ginger's Mom]

Well, as I expected, when Ginger went for her yearly check up today they said she needed a dental. :rolleyes: I will be making an appointment for her to have that done sometime in April. She doesn't like to chew bones, no longer enjoys bully sticks unless a visiting dog has one, and is such a timid dog I never bothered to get her used to having her teeth brushed. :o :( Maybe I will try to get her used to it after her dental cleaning.

[Jessika]

I've had two vets tell me my pups are both due for a teeth cleaning, but it's just so expensive... though the vet we go to now is a really cool guy and relatively inexpensive, it's such a relief, my in-laws have a personal relationship with him so he doesn't even charge us for office visits, just for meds or stuff used during a check-up. $13 total to get Double-Oh his shot for worms. :)

When Jamie goes in for her spay she may get her's cleaned, but Charlie's are really bad, I think his gums are actually infected; I need to start giving them bones more often than I already do :(

I feel so bad but... it's SOOOO expensive, hopefully it isn't so bad at our new vet (I haven't asked him about quotes yet).

[Catlady711]

I've had two vets tell me my pups are both due for a teeth cleaning, but it's just so expensive... though the vet we go to now is a really cool guy and relatively inexpensive, it's such a relief, my in-laws have a personal relationship with him so he doesn't even charge us for office visits, just for meds or stuff used during a check-up. $13 total to get Double-Oh his shot for worms. :)

When Jamie goes in for her spay she may get her's cleaned, but Charlie's are really bad, I think his gums are actually infected; I need to start giving them bones more often than I already do :(

I feel so bad but... it's SOOOO expensive, hopefully it isn't so bad at our new vet (I haven't asked him about quotes yet).

I'd recommend calling Monday morning and get at least a price quote. Bad teeth can cause a bunch of other health problems, although you probably already know that. I'd just hate to have anything bad happen to your pets because of bacteria in the bloodstream from bad teeth.

Can't hurt anything to call at least. Keep us posted.

[Danegirl2208]

never..my dogs get enough raw meaty bones in their diet that their teeth stay nice and clean.

[bckrazy]

I need to start giving them bones more often than I already do :(

It won't hurt to try!

Knuckle bones are the absolute best for teeth cleaning. Make sure you buy the ones that are meaty and covered in cartilege. The shape of it, and the cartilege, are really perfect for cleaning all of the teeth... even the incisors and canines. Your dog has to rip with the front teeth, and gnaw the cartilege with the molars. It definitely works better than any other bones I know of, but be VERY careful, supervise, and remove the bone if either of your pups seems to be chewing too vigorously or they get down to a small piece of bone.

Here's a picture, for an example of one. Not to be confused with marrow bones - ugh. I really don't like that marrow bones are so bare, and Fozzie once got a marrow bone stuck over his teeth! Never again.

[Jessika]

It won't hurt to try!

Knuckle bones are the absolute best for teeth cleaning. Make sure you buy the ones that are meaty and covered in cartilege. The shape of it, and the cartilege, are really perfect for cleaning all of the teeth... even the incisors and canines. Your dog has to rip with the front teeth, and gnaw the cartilege with the molars. It definitely works better than any other bones I know of, but be VERY careful, supervise, and remove the bone if either of your pups seems to be chewing too vigorously or they get down to a small piece of bone.

Here's a picture, for an example of one. Not to be confused with marrow bones - ugh. I really don't like that marrow bones are so bare, and Fozzie once got a marrow bone stuck over his teeth! Never again.
We usually pick up a pack of uncooked "soup bones" when we go to the grocery store, which contain some marrow and they're relatively cheap, around $1.50 a pack for two larger to four smaller bones. What are your bones "labeled" as because I have the hardest time finding UNCOOKED bones in my area...

[caseysmom]

We usually pick up a pack of uncooked "soup bones" when we go to the grocery store, which contain some marrow and they're relatively cheap, around $1.50 a pack for two larger to four smaller bones. What are your bones "labeled" as because I have the hardest time finding UNCOOKED bones in my area...

My dad always asked the butcher for bones for the dogs, they were usually free. I haven't done this since my dogs don't go outside I wonder where they will eat the bloody bones,,,,on the sofa :eek:

[Jessika]

My dad always asked the butcher for bones for the dogs, they were usually free. I haven't done this since my dogs don't go outside I wonder where they will eat the bloody bones,,,,on the sofa :eek:
Yeah that was my "fear" too -- I usually put them on the back porch, but Charlie would probably knock them off and then try jumping after them, and Jamie doesn't care how many bones she has, she wants the one Charlie has...

I'll have to ask about butcher bones next time :)

[bckrazy]

We usually pick up a pack of uncooked "soup bones" when we go to the grocery store, which contain some marrow and they're relatively cheap, around $1.50 a pack for two larger to four smaller bones. What are your bones "labeled" as because I have the hardest time finding UNCOOKED bones in my area...

They are usually labeled soup bones or knuckle bones, sometimes marrow bones. But, when I actually think of marrow bones, I think of the bare round leg bones with marrow in the middle. The knuckle is on the end of the front shank bones. It's the "knee", which is why it's covered in cartilage.

You might need to ask the butcher. If your local grocery store doesn't have good knuckle bones, a butcher's shop definitely will... and they might even be free. C:

As far as where to feed them, I do usually feed them outside, but they can be fed in a crate inside too. I know plenty of people who would feed them in the house, where ever... but ugh it just grosses me out. I'm way too parenoid about the bacteria getting into the carpet, and I'd be too lazy to clean the hardwood every time. If you feel like sitting there and keeping an eye on them, you can feed it on a towel on the floor.

[.sarah]

If your dogs chew lots of bones won't they not need their teeth done?
I thought I heard that when reading about raw somewhere.
I know .Sara's dogs teeth are gorgeous!
Thanks Alicia :) I've been feeding raw for more than two years now and my dog's teeth are gorgeous as ever. Mandy had her teeth cleaned shortly before I started raw because she needed one pulled, and they still look like they were just cleaned. Luka has some staining from her kibble days, but no tartar build up. Buck (besides a little staining) and Nova have very white teeth since they've been eating it since they were young (Nova was 11 months and Buck was 7 weeks when I started feeding it).

I still remember my vet-tech friend watching Buck when he was around 3 months and saying "well have fun paying for a dental when he's one" :confused: Uhhh, no, the bones do a great job of cleaning his teeth. He has a little bit of staining from when I had to feed him canned food for 2-3 weeks after an obstruction surgery at 10 months old. If I had brushed his teeth during that time, he would still have bright white teeth. They got some massive tartar build up in only those few short weeks but the bones knocked it right off when I started feeding them again. The stains stayed though, unfortunately.

I never feed bones (hard ones like marrow and knuckle) as recreation, because I'm too afraid to. I did it twice and both times one of the dogs chipped a tooth (not bad, just a little chip). It was enough to scare me to not feed them again. Those bones are too hard for aggressive chewers, in my opinion. I feed meat-covered bones 2-4 times a week - usually chicken, turkey, or pork (and beef ribs for Mandy, but she doesn't eat them, just cleans the meat off of them) - and that is enough to keep them sparkling white. :)