Dentals in senior poodles - Poodle Forum - Standard Poodle, Toy Poodle, Miniature Poodle Forum ALL Poodle owners too!

Poodlemama99 · 02-09-2013, 09:29 AM

Omar will be 14 in April and has horrible teeth that really need to be scraped. I am worried about him going under anesthetic at his age. What so you think? Does anyone have a senior who has had dental cleaning? How old is too old?

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CT Girl · 02-09-2013, 12:31 PM

When my Aussie was 13 almost 14 they wanted to put him under for this but I would not allow it. I felt he was too old to take the risk if being put under. I would try several different things. Naw bones work great.There is also a dental rinse that I have heard good things about. It was on a recent thread or you may want to check with your vet. You can also buy a doggie dental pick and scrape the tarter off. Just do a little bit at a time. The picks are very inexpensive. I know I paid less than 5 bucks. It is more work but safer for your little guy.

Abbe gails Mom · 02-09-2013, 01:28 PM

Well I see it this way. He has had his teeth now for 14 yrs.and has ben just fine with them, so no i just think that he is doing fine,the way he is, it's too late to say sorry, if he should die,so what then if he has cleen teeth.

Fluffyspoos · 02-09-2013, 01:47 PM

I've watched a few dental were teeth were so rotten, the plaque on them was the only thing holding them in the mouth. I imagine this is quite painful, and not to mention all the bacteria that builds up because of it. Try raw bones, but if it's really bad there may not be an alternative to a proper cleaning. You could call around vets, asking for one that specializes in geriatric pets?

N2Mischief · 02-09-2013, 02:01 PM

I think it really depends on how bad the teeth are. If there is tarter but the gums are pretty good and no infected teeth it would probably be your best bet to leave them. If however there is infection, it can get into the blood stream and actually damage other organs, especially the heart.

There is the option of anesthesia free dog dentists. I have used them and the dogs seemed comfortable and the teeth came out beautiful. But my vet lectured me after saying that this could have introduced bacteria into the blood stream and caused problems. Now, I don't see how that would be any different then cleaning under anesthesia, wouldn't the bacteria still be introduced into the blood stream while the dog was sleeping? But this might be another option.

It is a hard call, anesthesia is scary even under the best circumstances!

CT Girl · 02-09-2013, 02:02 PM

Great point Fluffyspoos. MyAussie had tarter but his teeth were sound. If your dog's teeth are rotten some will probably have to be pulled and he would of course need to be put under and at that point he should have his teeth cleaned. I would try the whole gammet if his teeth are basically sound but caked with tarter. Bones are easy and work great but to speed up things the dental rinse would probably get the bacteria in check quickly. Don't be afraid of the pick. My niece has done this with her labs and two older rescue rat terriers and they are great about it and they are wild ones. The tarter just flakes off. The vet was shocked when she saw the rescue's teeth. All my niece had done at that point was the dental pick.

liljaker · 02-09-2013, 04:57 PM

Try the spray Leba III --- I should own stock I have recommended to so many people. It works wonders and I would bet within a month you will see great results. I used on Sunny.

CT Girl · 02-09-2013, 06:29 PM

Liljaker, where do you get this? Swizzle's teeth look good but I wonder if I should use this as an added measure of protection. It seems like so many toys have teeth issues. Anesthesia free dentist may be a great alternative for any dog that needs a professional cleaning.

liljaker · 02-09-2013, 07:03 PM

My vet was amazed when she saw his teeth. They were white and tartar mostly gone. However, I got lax and didn't keep up maintenance, and now even with brushing a few times a week, he has some tartar. Odd, since he is on mainly premade raw and Honest Kitchen now, but I guess even the grain free Acana kibble, occasionally, is an issue. Oh well, I need more too. Google it and you can read about it. I got it on Amazon last time; it's around $50, but it lasted a good 5 to 6 months.

Poodlemama99 · 02-10-2013, 05:01 AM

He has 2 at least that are loose and need to come out. My best friends next door neighbor is a vet who does teeth cleaning with twilight rather than general anesthetic. I am talking to him tomorrow to see if he can do this with Omar and pull the teeth too. If not I may have to take him to our regular vet and get them done. I am concerned about the loose teeth introducing bacteria and getting him sick.

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