February is Pet Dental Month in the US!

In case you didn't know, February is Pet Dental Month (at least in the US...not sure about the UK or other countries). So get your furbaby's teeth checked and cleaned if they need it! Most vets are giving a 10% discount during Pet Dental Month so if you think they need to be cleaned you should call your vet and ask about any special discounts for February.

I'm taking Chester in to have a regular checkup and have his teeth looked at closely to make sure I'm caring for them properly. I brush them every other day but he has some staining on the back molars and I want to make sure it's just staining and NOT plaque or something else that could cause a problem.

FYI, I suggest you shop around for teeth cleaning. The vet I usually go to told me that it would be $430 for my 20 lb Chester and that includes the pre-op blood work. I almost fell out of my chair when they told me that price. So I asked a couple of my friends where they go and after calling a couple places I have decided on another vet practice that has a much more reasonable price for cleanings AND has been around for 32 years and is highly recommended. I really like my former vet, but they are a new practice in a fancier part of town and I guess people are willing to pay $400+ for teeth cleaning. I was honest and told them that I am not willing to pay that much and I was going to go somewhere else. They didn't seem to bothered by that. I guess they have plenty of rich folks that will pay that much!

So needless to say, it pays to shop around! The vet with the more reasonable prices is only 4 miles from the expensive vet and it's still very close to my house so it's a win/win situation for me!

Take advantage of Pet Dental Month and have your puppers' teeth checked and cleaned. If you don't normally brush them now is a great time to start!

Later!

Monica & Chester

I agree totally, but beware and check out the "cheaper" ones fully.

Our usual vet is pricey too and I decided to use a "cheaper" guy for dental.
When we got there, the receptionist was also the anaesthetist (not even a vet technichian, just reception...the vet showed him how!) and they didn't use the safer drugs for seniors with heart trouble.

Not to say that's always the case, maybe just bad karma...but please do make sure that they do a "quality" job for the discounted price!!

...but please do make sure that they do a "quality" job for the discounted price!!

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I will definitely ask which inhalant anesthesia they use and I will ask about antibiotics too. I have been told that isoflurane or sevoflurane are the safest and best inhalant anesthesias and hopefully they use them. The vet practice I'm going to tomorrow has been around for 32 years and has a HUGE local clientèle and I have always heard good things about them. Plus they see quite a few Cavaliers which is extra good!

At this point I'm just taking Chester to get a checkup. He may not need to have his teeth cleaned at all so keep your fingers crossed that he has good clean teeth and that my brushing has been effective. I have to admit that I'm a bit obsessed about his teeth because I know how dangerous it is for a dog to have any sort of teeth or gum problems. I've even started flossing my own every day as a result!

That's it, I couldn't remember the name, isoflurane!

Yep, dental bacteremia is very dangerous, especially for heart patients.

I know of one person who thought the antibiotics were "silly" and needed two new valves within ten days of having dental work without them! :shock: :shock: