I adopted a small spaniel on 29th January who currently weighs around 24 lbs.
She turned 12 yesterday.
Ever since her first visit to the vet, they've been constantly encouraging me to get her teeth cleaned (a scale and polish).
I’m really worried about the general anaesthetic, so I keep saying no.
But at the last visit, he almost convinced me, saying there were more risks with tooth loss and dental infections than with the anaesthesia itself.
I’ve booked the appointment for Thursday, but my fears have come back and I’m ready to cancel again.
I’d like to know if there’s any other way to clean my little dog’s teeth without a general anaesthetic that’s still effective enough to prevent dental problems.
I also know the risks involved if the tartar stays because I had another little dog who suffered from lots of dental infections and lost her teeth... so I know that doing nothing can also be dangerous.
I feel so lost and I'm scared for my little girl.
Does anyone have any advice or know of any less risky but effective methods?
Translated from French
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@Piotr06 No worries about the link, Fortan really does work wonders. My dogs are poorly and their condition causes a lot of tartar build-up. I had a scale and polish done once; my girl wasn't even 7 yet and they had to pull 7 of her teeth. Since I'd like her to keep the rest of her gnashers, I had a look online and tried Fortan—I definitely recommend it! Chewing on bones works too; I had another pooch before who had a Dentastix every day and she hardly had any tartar at all. Rawhide or other chews work great as well! I can't give my current dogs chews because of their illness (they just can't digest them), but there's no issue with a healthy dog—just no rabbit bones, only big ones.
Thanks for the comment. I’ve just been looking up Fortan and it seems the reviews are a bit hit and miss, but if it helps avoid a general anaesthetic, it's worth a go. Is it okay to use Fortan and PlaqueOff together?
Every time my dogs have had to be put under, they’ve had a post-op check-up. Also, the length of the anaesthesia seems a bit long to me.
I know every vet works differently, but the bare minimum should be a pre-anaesthetic appointment to reassure the owner and explain the process.
Anaesthesia is never risk-free; as for the risk-benefit ratio, it all depends on how much tartar your dog has. Mind you, my girl’s teeth were absolutely caked in it and I managed to shift almost all of it using Fortan!
If you aren’t getting a good vibe from this vet, nothing is stopping you from going elsewhere. At the end of the day, you’ve got to go with your gut!
If you don’t feel right about the vet or the procedure, cancel it!!
What’s adding to my worry is that the appointment is scheduled for Thursday morning, without any prior consultation or blood work. Basically, I have to drop her off on Thursday morning for the op and pick her up that evening at 7 pm.
I’m also aware it could be a breeding ground for bacteria, but I’m just wondering if the risk is worth it given her age. Especially since she’ll be under anaesthesia for an hour and a half. If anything were to happen to her, I’d never forgive myself and the vet had better watch out.
@Christelle I descale my dogs' teeth myself with this product: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00E6JATM0. It works brilliantly, though you'll have to see if you think your dog will let you do it. My lot didn't get on with PlaqueOff at all.
What’s adding to my worry is that the appointment is scheduled for Thursday morning, without any prior consultation or blood work. Basically, I have to drop her off on Thursday morning for the op and pick her up that evening at 7 pm.
I’m also aware it could be a breeding ground for bacteria, but I’m just wondering if the risk is worth it given her age. Especially since she’ll be under anaesthesia for an hour and a half. If anything were to happen to her, I’d never forgive myself and the vet had better watch out.
To account for the risks of general anaesthesia and provide some peace of mind, it’s standard practice to perform a pre-operative blood test. This checks red blood cell counts and protein levels, as well as kidney function (urea and creatinine), which helps identify any underlying health issues that could make anaesthesia more risky.
Unfortunately, once tartar is heavily established, manual tooth brushing and "dental" specific foods are no longer effective. You need to have the plaque professionally removed first before these preventative measures—which are designed to limit further plaque development—can actually work.
Lastly, dental plaque is a major breeding ground for bacteria, which thrive and form a biofilm. This can lead to conditions like gingivitis (gum disease) or even dental abscesses. This is why a professional scale and polish is recommended.
Have a nice day.
Caroline – Vet student, representative for ProVéto Junior Conseil
No worries at all about the link, Fortan really does work wonders. My dogs are poorly and their condition causes a lot of tartar build-up. I had a scale and polish done once; my girl wasn’t even 7 years old and they had to pull 7 of her teeth. Since I’d like her to keep the rest of her pearly whites, I did some digging online and tried Fortan, and I definitely recommend it!
Otherwise, gnawing on bones does work. I had another pooch before who had a Dentastix every day and she never really had any tartar, or very little at least. Rawhide chews and things like that work really well too!
With my current dogs, I can't give them chew bones because of their illness (they just can't digest them at all), but with a healthy dog there’s no problem. No rabbit bones though, only large ones.
Thanks for the link. I only found out a few days ago that you're supposed to get a dog's teeth descaled 😲 I was completely unaware of the potential consequences. Mind you, no vet has ever mentioned it to me. I was wondering if chewing on bones would be enough to get rid of the tartar? If anyone has any info, I'm all ears.
