Dental For Bailey - 13 Years Old

[LadyBailey]

Hello all,

I haven't been on here in forever ;( I am looking for some sound greytalk advice

Bailey will be 13 in October and her mouth is rotten. The last time she had a dental was when she was 4 years old and she and we, managed to keep her teeth super clean up until about 1 year ago. We stated to notice that regardless of brushing her teeth were starting to look terrible. We even started incorporating the Leba Dental spray, but after looking at her teeth this weekend, we know we have to so something. They are green on one side of her mouth and she has a loose tooth.

She had a full blood panel done in May and it came back perfect. For her age, she is doing well overall. She has been becoming more picky with her food, so we are thinking her teeth may be starting to really bother her.

We are afraid to put her under given her age, but we are completely aware of the other problems that can arise due to a rotten mouth. She had bloat surgery two years ago and it took about a week and a half for her to recover from that... mind you that was may more serious than just going under for a dental, but regardless she was under.

 

So my question is should we do the dental give her blood is good and overall she is pretty vibrant for a 13 year old?

Are there any other precautions we should take?

 

Thanks.

eva

[Guest ChasesMum]

pre/post dental antibiotics would likely be a good idea, but if your vet thinks she is healthy enough to handle it, and the benefits outweigh the risks, she would likely be more comfortable.

[ivon]

I would do it, a painful tooth is no picnic, and she will feel better afterwards, and probably be better at eating too, once her mouth has healed.

[5blackgreys]

My 14 1/2 y/o just had a dental and other then being quieter post anesthesia she did just fine. I'm assuming you have a greyhound savvy vet who would do the procedure and who knows the various reactions greyhounds have to anesthesia.

[Guest mcsheltie]

If her blood work is good I would do it. Those rotten teeth are taking a toll on her heart, liver & kidneys. Not to mention the discomfort.

[robinw]

howdy stranger!!!!

 

i would probably do it after asking the vet every question i could think of.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I just asked this same question as I got a senior in with horrible teeth. As it was, I decided I was either going to do the dental or put her down. I could not let her live like that. So, it was an easy choice to make once I saw it that way. She did wonderful, by the way!

[kudzu]

Sounds like you are trying to do the right thing & are already aware of both the risks of anesthesia from the dental but also the many & very likely risks of not doing the dental, ex. chronic mouth pain, picky eating, weight loss, damage & disease to internal organs like heart, kidneys, liver, etc. The worries go up as they get older & I went through these same concerns for before my 12 yo had his dental.

 

If it were my dog I'd do the dental. Try to find a vet a really good reputation for safe & thorough dentals. I actually chose a canine dentist because several folks who used her commented that their dogs teeth stayed cleaner for longer with her as compared to their regular vets. My 12 yo breezed through his dental which included an extraction because of an epilus attached to the root ligament. When I picked him up he acted as if nothing had happened... until he tried to jump in the car. Poor dude needed a boost then but by the next morning you'd never have known anything had happened.

 

Most importantly, he acted like a much younger dog afterwards. It was great to see but sad to think he had been suffering for the year I spent trying to decide if it was really good to do a dental on a senior dog with CLL.

[RobinM]

Ask your vet to go light on the gas- when they do, it makes a big difference coming out of the anethesia.

[tbhounds]

If her blood work is good I would do it. Those rotten teeth are taking a toll on her heart, liver & kidneys. Not to mention the discomfort.

However, one thing I would make sure your Dr does is run lots of IV fluids.

[LadyBailey]

Thanks everyone! I spoke to the vet and we talked about everything that you have mentioned here. We are all set for August 19th. Will let you know how she makes out.