Cleaning Teeth

Our holistic vet recommended a product called "Plaque-off".  It looks like ground algae and depending on the size of your pup, you sprinkle some into their food 2x/day.  Ours have been using it for only a month or so, and it looks promising, but really too soon to tell for sure.  Like you, I didn't want to put my dogs under to get their teeth cleaned, and am very nervous about feeding raw bones because of the fear of blockages and other complications (and besides, with raw bones my sweet angelic little poodle becomes Cujo), so this was the next best thing.  I do brush their teeth 2-3x/week, and Plaque-off is supposed to make the saliva more slippery so that food doesn't stick to the teeth as much. 

 Edited to add that I did have our dogs' teeth cleaned under anesthesia a few months ago, and then have been brushing with an enzyme doggy toothpaste and recently added Plaque-off to try to keep them that way.

Honestly - if they are at the point where they NEED to be cleaned - they NEED to be cleaned. In my experience, you're not going to get all the tarter off - and it will just continue to build. If you start with a clean palate - you can maintain. Bad teeth can cause MAJOR issues.

A dental cleaning usually is a short process, they are not under for long. I did Casey's in less than 10 minutes, which is less time than it takes for a spay/neuter.

How old is your dog?

 We have four small dogs and, aside from the smallest, who we cannot get to chew bones yet, everyone chews various bones. Marrow bones and turkey necks for the more powerful chewers. That said, if there is a lot of tartar on the teeth, you're probably not going to get all of the plaque off without a thorough cleaning. I would have them cleaned and then encourage chewing on bones to keep the teeth nice.

I've not found that having teeth cleaned  encourages more plaque, any more than it would for humans who go to the dentist.

No one wants to put their dog through a procedure for nothing, but sometimes it is necessary. Small dogs are not necessarily more fragile under anesthesia (assuming there are no health issues). I think people mistakenly assume that dogs are just given full out gas the entire time..in reality, the level of gas anesthetic used is as low as possible. And dentals are very short procedures.

My 4 lb dog just had her teeth done, as when I adopted her her teeth and breath were horrible. She came through just fine and that was with having a few teeth pulled. Bad teeth can cause a lot of health issues over time.  My 13 yr old poodle mix has had two dentals (once when I adopted her...she'd been fed Pedigree and her teeth reflected that..and again last year as she has a jaw wire and sometimes things build up there. We're using a mouthwash now, which is helping.  

I also have PetzLife gel.  It's at Petsmart now.  It's not a paste so maybe your dog will tolerate it a little better. 

what about searching for a vet in your area who cleans teeth with laser? It does not require {well, edited to add all vets have their own prefernce} putting the dog out cold. Most vets that use laser for orals use twilight anesthesia - or what we in this house call a "doggy downer" that you give at home before appointmnet, in fact the same Rx often used for storms.

Hope you find a solution! I admire you for doing waht you feel is in your dog's best interests

  Laser dentals??? I had no idea! I WANT! I'd love to do dentals 2-3 times a year on Jewel, but the full anesthesia just makes me uncomfortable, with a sighthound. I do it yearly.

I have been present for many dentals, and they really don't take long, especially if they're routine. I was there when Jewel was spayed and had her first dental. Took 25 minutes, and 5 to wake her up enough that I was comfortable leaving (temp rising, responding to voices, wobbly walking). She was 8 years old, and is a breed known for being sensitive to anesthesia.

jprinz99

what about searching for a vet in your area who cleans teeth with laser? It does not require {well, edited to add all vets have their own prefernce} putting the dog out cold. Most vets that use laser for orals use twilight anesthesia - or what we in this house call a "doggy downer" that you give at home before appointmnet, in fact the same Rx often used for storms.

Do you have any literature on laser dentals?  I did a dental meeting as part of CE this year, & there was no mention of laser dentals.  You have me curious.  I did a quick google search & could find nothing on them.

 I've not heard of it either (which is not to say it doesn't exist)..but usually the vets I work for at least somewhat keep up on the newer things (even if they aren't going to do it themselves).

I've never heard of them either....

 I tried brushing my dogs' teeth and although it helped it wasn't really getting them that clean because I couldn't do a thorough enough job.  I tried Nylabone dinosaurs and really started to see a difference. They loved to chew on them and their teeth were getting really clean. But then Patty broke a molar chewing on them!  I'm afraid of tooth breakage on bones too.  So then I tried PetzLife oral care spray.  I think it's similar to Plaque Attack.  Anyway, it really works on my dogs.  On Patty, who is 7 years old, I started really noticing a big difference after a couple of months. Now that they're clean I only use it a couple of times a week to keep them clean. Abbey is only 3 so her teeth were already clean but I use it on her a couple of times a week to keep them clean. I'm very impressed with this product and it lasts a long time even when using it every day.  I prefer the spray to the gel. 

Michele and the Crew