Clean Teeth

[dragondawg]

Winston is the only one of my dogs who has ever had his teeth cleaned by the vet, and only because he had a bad one that we thought might need to be taken out (it didn't, fortunately, and it's in good shape now) due to conditions previous to living with us. The others have no need for it and probably never will with good upkeep and such. I don't believe most dogs should have to get their teeth professionally cleaned ever as long as you take care of them.

The day I will have such beliefs will be the day I call my dentist and tell him, I no longer believe my teeth need cleaning. Not that I consider going to the dentist ever an event of joy.

Until that time, I will take seriously any recommendation by the Vet that one of my dogs needs its teeth professionally cleaned:

Association of periodontal disease and histologic lesions in multiple organs from 45 dogs.

DeBowes LJ, Mosier D, Logan E, Harvey CE, Lowry S, Richardson DC.
Department of Clinical Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506, USA.

J Vet Dent. 1996 Jun;13(2):57-60

In the forty-five dogs studied, an association was found between periodontal disease and histopathologic changes in kidney, myocardium (papillary muscle), and liver.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Dragondawg, don't think it hasn't been brought up at the vet's office. We've asked him many times if he thinks they should have their teeth cleaned, and each time he's said no. If they needed it done and our vet agreed, of course they'd have their teeth cleaned.

[kallisto4529]

mousse and ginger both had there teeth cleaned by the vet, only twice for them both and i had it done when they were having other surgical things done so they were only put to sleep once. The vet and I both tried to keep that down. They always had things to chew on and it helped alot, only when they started getting a little bit of inflamtion was it time to be cleaned.

[Catlady711]

Dragondawg, don't think it hasn't been brought up at the vet's office. We've asked him many times if he thinks they should have their teeth cleaned, and each time he's said no. If they needed it done and our vet agreed, of course they'd have their teeth cleaned.

I think she was responding more to this comment...

I don't believe most dogs should have to get their teeth professionally cleaned ever as long as you take care of them.

rather than your own dogs needs based on your vets recommendations.