How Common is Tooth Extraction

    • Gold Top Dog

    How Common is Tooth Extraction

     We were recently shocked to find Peanut needed 5 rear lower tooth extractions, and Red needed two front grooming teeth extracted.  They are 6 and 7. 

     Our first two dogs, Happy and Sissy lived 10 and 12 years with their full set of choppers.

     They get rawhide dentabones weekly, but they resist brushing.  The dental tech recommended more dentabones and some spray for their teeth.

     (Peanut is not a happy camper coming off morphine), but she and Red love warm chicken and rice.

     Would appreciate any thoughts on this subject.

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    Schnauzers as a breed seem to retain a lot of tartar on their teeth (especially with kibbled diets), and Zipper and Shimmer have both had extractions during the one dental they each had. Since starting raw, their teeth are MUCH cleaner and I suspect they will not need another dental. Gaci is 7.5 and has never needed one, as she's always been a good chewer and has kept her teeth clean.

     

    • Gold Top Dog
    they are much more common than you think. Yorkies and dachshunds tend to have some of the worst teeth - the smaller the dog, the more frequent cleanings are going to be needed. When the tarter builds up to the point where the root begins to rot, there's not much you can do to save the tooth.

    The more they chew, the better off they'll be. Yearly cleanings may also be in order for them as well.

    I pulled 11 teeth from a small papllion last week, so 5 and 2 does not seem that extreme to me! haha
    • Gold Top Dog

     I'm learning a lot.

     

    What about switching from dry kibble to canned or raw or just vwatering their dry food?

     

    Is there a preferred dental bone?

    • Gold Top Dog
    they 'say' that dry food is better for their teeth... but I'm not sure exactly how much science is behind that. My two small dogs are fed dry food, and they're 5 and 2 years old. They've both had their teeth cleaned twice already. The older boy will not chew bones, the younger one does *shrugs*

    I think a lot of teeth problems are genetic...just like with people. Chewing bones with enzymes for tarter control seems to work for some people, and others have had good luck with raw foods... unfortunately, I don't think there's an easy answer for all dogs! Regular cleanings is the best advice I can give!
    • Gold Top Dog

     I just hate leaving our dogs w/ the vet all day.  This was their first time since we got them 6 years ago.  And after Sissy's first and only cleaning, she was petrified to be in the vets office thereafter.  I hope Red and Peanut react better than she did.

    • Gold Top Dog
    Bad teeth can lead to a LOT of other health problems - from minor ear and skin infections - to more serious blood, kidney and liver infections/problems. It's VERY worth it to leave them for a day for a cleaning. Most of the time they spend there they are sleeping/recovering from anesthesia. When they are 'waking up' they really don't know that they are alone and without you - just like people, they are in a dazed state... almost 'drunk'. By the time they know where they are, they are ready to go home!
    • Gold Top Dog

    More and more vets are recommending cleaning because it's becoming more well known that teeth health impacts the heart and every other organ in the body.  Bacteria from the mouth can be a leading cause of heart problems both with humans and dogs.  Keeping teeth clean is a HUGE help to longevity generally.

    Extraction is VERY common -- when we took Kee Shu almost 6 years ago my vet had to pull 14 teeth.  But they really get beyond that and she even crunched kibble/treats when she wanted to.

    I take my ever-present treat bag to the vet -- I make a small baggie for the staff (or take a toy if they have to be fasted) as well so they leave the dog IN a crate they get a treat or get a toy.  But my dogs at this point think the vet is the funnest place EVER and the vet and their staff love to be the "good guys" and dole out treats.

    Try recreational bones -- things like raw chicken backs ROCK for cracking off tartar from teeth.  Take off the skin and excess fat, and I generally plunge them into boiling water only for 5 seconds to kill bacteria and then store in the fridge.  (I don't like thawing frozen stuff because by the time it thaws bacteria can grow again).  You just DO NOT COOK bones!! 

    But even long marrow bones, or shortribs can be great recreational bones periodically and it cleans teeth.  Always a crate treat (you don't want grease all over) but it really reduces tartar.

    Then when I have a dog with a crappy mouth (Foxy the MOstlie Sheltie had the worst -- that narrow sheltie mouth was hard-wired for dental problems) I have their teeth done every year.  AT this point my vet doesn't sedate with oral meds.  He just masks them down as needed to do the dental.  The high risk of "surgery" comes with that combo of the sedative and anesthetic far more than just the anesthetic.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Try recreational bones -- things like raw chicken backs ROCK for cracking off tartar from teeth.  Take off the skin and excess fat, and I generally plunge them into boiling water only for 5 seconds to kill bacteria and then store in the fridge.  (I don't like thawing frozen stuff because by the time it thaws bacteria can grow again).  You just DO NOT COOK bones!! 

     

    Which bone? I thought chicken bones were very dangerous.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Cooked chicken bones are lethal.  Raw are very digestible.  The best ones are the non-weight bearing bones like backs, wings, necks.  Backs are *cheap* and so are necks.  You just want to discard the skin and fat that peels off easily.

     When I say plunge them into boiling water for FIVE SECONDS I literally mean just that.  That's ALL.

     I supervise this ALWAYS -- stand right there while they eat them.  But they are excellent for teeth.

    • Gold Top Dog

     I supervise this ALWAYS -- stand right there while they eat them.

    What are you on alert to see?

    • Gold Top Dog

    Good question -- but basic good mom stuff.  Luna -- You keep your nose in YOUR bowl and Tink -- YOU keep your nose in YOUR bowl!!

    I watch to make sure they are really crunching it up and not just trying to swallow massive pieces whole.  You will hear CRUNCHING.  I hold onto pieces if I think they will try to just swallow it whole.  And yeah -- you best leave my fingers in one piece too!!  Typically at first they don't know what to DO with these things -- I mean PA -- YOU DIDN'T COOK IT!!! -- *grin* -- but it sure smells good!!

    Marrow bones are great too (long shank beef bones -- you can scoop out some of the marrow if you want) -- but try to get them at least 2" long or longer.  They will work for HOURS to get that marrow out -- but keep these in crates.  Dogs can fight over raw bones so don't let it start.  But you can just freeze them to kill bacteria and then give them softened in the fridge for a few hours. 

    Now Florida is Bacteria Heaven so once they are in their crates for an hour or two I'm throwing them out.  But you *can* refreeze them or you can take an "empty" bone and run it thru the dishwasher (yeah, for real) and then stuff it like you'd stuff a Kong.

    But for a big dog you can even get big knuckle joints and those make good chewing too.

    I don't do a lot raw -- Amanda and some of the others feed raw and are a better source of wisdom for you. 

    • Gold Top Dog

     Thanks Callie.  I passed this info on bones to Martha. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    I thought I'd shake apart the first time I gave chicken like this -- first, because of where I live, I sweat just cooking chicken for David and I but those tiny bones in the ribs seem so sharp, but that's part of what helps it clean. 

     You will also want to decrease food when you give these -- probably by half if you give a back.