# Tartar on Teeth



## leena365 (Sep 17, 2009)

My dogs have tartar on their teeth. The Vet suggests I put them under anesthesia and have them cleaned. I am leery about putting them under just for a teeth cleaning. What does the forum recommend?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

leena365 said:


> My dogs have tartar on their teeth. The Vet suggests I put them under anesthesia and have them cleaned. I am leery about putting them under just for a teeth cleaning. What does the forum recommend?


Gum problems and tartar on teeth can cause HUGER health problems, not limited to the decay and eventual loss of teeth. If it's not TOO bad, there are a few vets who offer a non-anesthetic for of tooth cleaning. But this is only appropriate for dogs who are willing to sit still for the procedure, who won't get too stressed and whose teeth are not too bad to start with.

If your vet says your dogs teeth need to be cleaned, they probably do. The anesthesia they use is light (more like sedation dentistry in people) and the dogs wake up quickly. Then, after a good cleaning, you can start brushing their teeth regularly with a good enzymatic tooth paste, so that, hopefully, it will be a really long time, if ever, that it needs to be done again!

The risk of anesthesia is very small in comparison to the risk of gum disease and rotting teeth.


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## wanna_be (Aug 12, 2007)

I had my oldest dog's teeth cleaned under anaesthesia at 10 years of age. It lasted for approximately 2 years and they said he was ready to have it done again. It was an expensive procedure and I'm not sure that I would do it again if I am being honest.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yep get em cleaned. The worst part besides the bill was the two days of diarrhea . Don't let them get bad or you're really looking for problems. I'm trying a new suggestion called Zymox paste and a water additive. But get them cleaned first. Like Karen mentioned. , anesthesia is more friendly than ever .


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