Anesthesia free teeth cleaning

[hbmama]

While I was at the vet getting Dotties glands checked, I noticed a flyer on doggie teeth cleaning without anesthesia. Dental technicians from "Animal Dental Care (ADC) come to my vets office twice a month for this service. I signed her up for a visit in May and she will be 10 months old.

Just curious as to how many of you have used a similar service (no drugs) to keep teeth clean. I do brush her teeth at night but thought it would be a good idea to have this done once or twice a year also. They claim to perform a complete cleaning, including subgingival scaling as well as machine polishing without any drugs. They state that they are gentle and patient with each dog. Anyone had experience with this? If so, how did your dogs handle it?

[Caraline]

I'll be interested to hear how this goes.

[Barbara Nixon]

My previous, now retired, vet used to desacle Izzy's teeth, using sedation and not the usual anaesthetic, because he was in last stage mvd. However, the present vet did Monty's using full anaesthetic as he said it's actually safer, being instantly reversible, whereas sedation carries a risk of choking, because of the irrigation used.

The abob=ve were for essential descalling, because of threatened infection. I wouldn't expect any anaesthesia or sedation for ordinary cleaning.

[simonrickell]

We are very pleased with our 3's pearly whites.

Even at 12, Guinness has lovely ones.

None of them have anaesthetic, mind you none of them go to the vets.

We find that they will entertain the best method of cleaning their own teeth. Approx once a day - after their meal XXXXX no actually it is usually their meal - of chicken wings or necks.

We ALL love BARFing.

[CavyMom]

We are very pleased with our 3's pearly whites.

Even at 12, Guinness has lovely ones.

None of them have anaesthetic, mind you none of them go to the vets.

We find that they will entertain the best method of cleaning their own teeth. Approx once a day - after their meal XXXXX no actually it is usually their meal - of chicken wings or necks.

We ALL love BARFing.

That's how I feel! I feed raw, and my dogs' teeth all look fantastic - Even Amber who's teeth where pretty nasty when I first got her, a couple months on raw has cleaned them up nicely, and I didn't even have to do a full dental on her like I was expecting!!!

[Caraline]

All mine are BARFing now too, but it is still early days for us to know of the long term effects on teeth. I am sure hoping that it will be helpful. We adopted Sonny when he was 2 and he did have a bit of tartar buildup which has now been removed. Beau has a significant overbite & the vet has recommended lots of bones & rawhides (that I admit I was a little nervous of at first - the rawhides that is). He did say that with such an overbite, he probably will still need more dental attention than most, regarless of how vigilant I am. Sam the Boxers.... well he was on primarily kibble up until that past 12 months and old Boxers are renowned for their terrible teeth. He is no exception, but I do wonder if we'd have had him on a different diet for all those years, perhaps things would have been different for him.

I guess time will tell, for the younger ones. Beau will be the only one that we currently have who has BARFed for his entire life.

[hbmama]

There is something VERY wrong about whoever lined the letters up to make it a "BARF" diet....or having to say, we are now "BARFING" with our dogs ..........I grew up with the meaning that "BARFING" was something you did when you had an upset stomach and you lost your meal (if you know what I mean)

Wish they would call the diet something more like "SIRF" (Simply Irresistable Raw Food), or "HERD" (Healthy Eating Raw Diet).....

[Cathy Moon]

There is something VERY wrong about whoever lined the letters up to make it a "BARF" diet....or having to say, we are now "BARFING" with our dogs ..........I grew up with the meaning that "BARFING" was something you did when you had an upset stomach and you lost your meal (if you know what I mean)

Wish they would call the diet something more like "SIRF" (Simply Irresistable Raw Food), or "HERD" (Healthy Eating Raw Diet).....

My nephew called barfing 'hurling'! I wonder what the kids call it now?!

[Caraline]

There is something VERY wrong about whoever lined the letters up to make it a "BARF" diet....or having to say, we are now "BARFING" with our dogs ..........

Yes, in Aussie land to barf means to throw up too. If I am not wrong Ian Billinghurst the Aussie vet who wrote "Give Your Dog A Bone" was the person responsible for the acryonum (someone correct me if I am wrong), and Aussies often have a very warped sense of humour.