Dentals

[DustysMom]

Just wondering - Dusty will be 12 in January. He's had a yearly dental since he came to us at 5 with no problems. He's not been his usual perky self for some time now. We've been to two vets. Nothing has shown up in any of his tests but I know this boy. He's just not himself. Guess some of it is natural aging but still...

 

Should I subject him to his dental ? I thought I would have some x-rays taken of his back end (it's weak) and his "throat area" because his breathing is different when he's walking around. My vet always does blood work before putting them out.

 

So what do you all think?

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

My grey is only 8 and a half and I was a little concerned when my vet recommended a dental. I have never had this hound under anesthesia (although he came thru his neuter fine so far as I know, that was many years ago...) I decided to try some things at home fisrst, changing the diet to a partially raw with plenty of bones, and being religious about brushing a few days a week. We also used the Wysong denta-treat at first and I do believe it was helpful in loosening some of the tartar accumulation. His last vet visit I had them take a look, and the vet no longer thought a dental was needed.

 

However, my hound had overall sound teeth; if there is decay or gum disease it can affect their health and you have to weigh that risk with the risk of going under. How is the overall health of his teeth and gums? If it is good, maybe you could skip the dentals and opt for brushing, etc...

[Burpdog]

Nothing has shown up in any of his tests but I know this boy. He's just not himself. Guess some of it is natural aging but still...

 

Which tests have you done? Has he been checked for TBD and Valley Fever?

 

edited to add: how bad are his teeth?

Edited September 3, 2008 by Burpdog

[GeorgeofNE]

I think you should ask the vet who has been treating the dog!

[Guest KennelMom]

Grandpa had his last dental at 13. With him, it was "now or never" because his health is declining due to some other issues. He did really well. Make sure you have the bloodwork done before hand.

 

For an otherwise healthy dog, I wouldn't worry more than normal having a dental done at 12. Esp if you've regularly had them put under for previous dentals with no problems.

 

I'm going through the same thing with our 12 year old Elvis. My 'mommy radar' is telling me something is off, but physical exams and bloodwork all come back normal. Short of a full body scan (I'm tempted), there's not much else for us to do without (as DH puts it) "actual symptoms."

[Chicocat]

Chico was 12 when he had his last dental - took all the rest of his teeth. While they were doing his dental they noticed how large his spleen seemed to be. Two weeks later he went back under for removal of his spleen (it had partially torsed). He did great with both surgeries!

 

More than anything, I think their general health going into surgery is more important than age.

[NevadasMom]

Nevada had her one and only dental at age 12. I was lucky in that she had exceptionally beautiful teeth. The Vet was amazed & said she really didn't need it until then. She did well with the anesthesia.

[Sorcha]

From a personal experience, I will never subject my greyhound to another dental again. She had one a few months ago, at age 12, and has not been the same ever since. Despite my telling the vet to be sure and not let her neck flop around while she was out (she has problems with discs in her neck), and even giving them a Bite-not collar to use on her has a neck brace, they took no precautions and she has had issues with her neck ever since. That, plus she did not come out of the anethesia well at all and could not stand up on her own 4 legs for nearly a week afterwards and has been having problems ever since.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I've had a dental done on one of my boys who was 12. I was a wreck about it but his teeth were hurting him. As long as the pre-blood work is okay there shouldn't be problems. I would ask the vet and see what he/she has to say. They may be 12, but you don't want them hurting because of their teeth.

[Guest gmangel12]

While I don't have any actual medical advice on this I can tell you my experience.

 

My grey is almost 14 and needed teeth pulled. We debated on this and went back and forth and finally found a great vet. They used human grade anestheia and had a IV in just in case anything went wrong during surgery. They also said they could have her awake in seconds if anything went wrong.

 

I had hers done 2 weeks ago and the first two days were really really rough and I was regretting my decision but every day after that she got much better and now she is better then ever!! It was a really hard decision but Im glad I did it.

 

I would follow the advice given about all the pre blood work and anything else the vet recommods as extra precausions like a just in case IV. Also make sure you are really comfortable with your vet.

Good luck!!!!

[iluvgreys]

Phoenix had her last dental at age 15. Her bloodwork was fine and she tolerated the procedure well. I think that good dental care contributed to her longevity.

[Guest RICHandJUDE]

I would do what my vet recommends. If his or her opinions can't be trusted, then we would probably change vets.

 

I had a greyhound that lived to be 15 1/2. She was and is our 'heart baby'. She had some health issues for the last year or so of her life. I could see that her teeth were getting bad the last few months. We were going to do a dental ceaning but with her other problems she would have probably never walked again. She had a very bad back. I honestly think that the teeth were a small contributing factor of her havng to be put down.

 

I have two greyts now. As long as they are in good to great health, I will have dentals done if and when the vet thinks it to be necessary. Just my two cents worth.