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Ooh, sore subject. My poodle is at the vet right now having his teeth cleaned; I hate the idea of him being under anaesthesia, but yes, I think it needs to be done.Have any of you had this done? Is there anything else I should try? I don't mind spending the money if it's really a worthy cause but sometimes I can't help but think the vet might just be trying to make some extra money... Of course I don't want to end up with a rotten-tooth dog but Bauer doesn't seem to be in any pain and if there is an alternative I'd love to hear about it!
Here's the background:
First of all, dog teeth are not so different from human teeth. They get plaque and tartar, and with too much build-up, they get gum disease. Humans brush every day... dog's teeth need to be brushed, too. My vet told me that poodles are particularly susceptible to gum disease. Anyone know if that's true?
When we adopted our poodle a year ago (at age 3) his gums were pretty bad, and we had the procedure done. His teeth were definitely cleaner, gums were healthier, and breath better. But it doesn't stay like that forever. We tried "dental chews" but they didn't seem to help much, although one made him choke once and that was the end of the dental chews. We tried brushing, but didn't stick with it. So, here we are a year later, having the procedure done again.
My advice: get your dog's teeth cleaned now, and then brush regularly, and hopefully he won't need another procedure for awhile. That's what we're going to try this time around, anyway.
-- waiting for the call to pick up my dog from the vet!