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Teeth cleaning

Annie28

Member
Hi, my dog is 12 years old and has just been booked in to have his teeth done for the 3rd time. He is only booked in provisionally as he had a heart blood test done today which we are waiting for the results from before him having his teeth done for definite. It is mainly precaution for his heart as his murmur has been the same since he was diagnosed at age 5 (grade 2 one side and grade 3 the other). Once this comes back ok as I believe it will hopefully he will have his teeth done next Monday. My worry is that the first time he had his teeth done was a year after I got him (I got him at age 4), and he had to have 4 teeth removed. Then 3 years ago when he was 9 he had to have 19 removed, between first and second time it was 4 years but I am worried that as he only has 19 left now, that if he has many more removed he wont do very well. I know for certain he will have to have two out, but he wouldn't let the vet look in his mouth properly as he hates it so much so the vet only got a glimpse on one tooth which he said has a root exposed. Later at home I got a better look as he is better with me looking and saw that he has a wobbly tooth as well at the front, so guess this will also be removed. I feel so guilty and like im a terrible mother to him as his teeth get so bad but cleaning them is nigh on impossible, I try and do it but I only have one pair of hands and trying to keep him in the same place and get his mouth open and clean them is very difficult. Did try bones for a while but he used to hurt his teeth on them and yelp and then not go near them. I have just ordered petzlife gel and spray to use after he has them cleaned, providing he can get them cleaned in the hope that I can then just put the gel round his teeth might be easier than with a brush, but even when I have tried that in the past with toothpaste it hasn't worked well. Also for the spray but then find it difficult to spray on those back teeth as cant get his mouth open enough! Not really sure what i'm asking I guess other peoples experience and whether anybody else's cavalier has lost that many teeth or if i'm the worst mum ever. He has 19 left, and if just 2 are removed still has 17 but if has more worried how he will manage. I really have tried with keeping on top but they just get so bad and he gets in such a state. He is a brilliant dog its just his teeth are our main problem. Thank you in advance for any advice or idea's/thoughts. Sorry its so long. Annie
 
Gracie was 3 when I got her and already had pretty bad damage to her teeth. She had teeth cleaning by a vet a couple months before I got her and I wasn't brushing either hers or Lady's teeth often. I recently brought both girls into my vet, she said Gracie had a few pulled teeth, some bad chips and already some pretty heavy build up. This was only about 6-8 months after her teeth cleaning, and I use a water supplement called Healthy Mouth. I stopped giving bones because of it. Like you, it made me feel really bad!!

I started brushing their teeth every single night a few weeks ago. The flavoured toothpaste really helps!! They both think it's like a nightly treat now and come get their teeth brushed no problem. I bought them each their own kids toothbrush with the big grippy handles so it's easy for me to hold and it's small enough for their mouth. With Lady it's more of a challenge, she doesn't really want me in there but she likes the chicken toothpaste it's just getting her used to the brushing. Even with brushing every day they still have build up on their back molars so I bought a gel called Tropiclean and I'm hoping that combining brushing with the gel will help.

Maybe you could start slowly by introducing him to a toothbrush with a little bit of the toothpaste, and gradually work your way into his mouth and he may get used to it. Just be patient and make it an enjoyable experience. I know I can get frustrated with Lady sometimes but I think it will be worth it!

If he really really really wont let you in his mouth to brush then I think gel and a water supplement will be your best bet and have annual teeth cleanings at the vet.
 
Hi,
My Leo had 15 teeth removed last month ! That was his first dental. He is 6yrs old. Cleaning his teeth is the most exercise the both of us get somedays as its a chase and a struggle so I feel for you :sl*p:

I was given some special dental Royal canin food and some enzyme toothpaste that the vet said even if I put it on his paw and he licks it off the enzymes break down the plaque. I am also now using "plaque off" which I sprinkle on his food each night.

I am persevering with cleaning his teeth everyday, He isnt happy about it but is allowing me to do it better now...I think he's realised Im doing it so resistance is futile !

Good Luck
 
Thank you both for the advice. Cpell009 I have a little baby toothbrush I used occasionally as found with that sometimes I could get it in his mouth a bit. Maybe when he has had his teeth done on Monday and I give it time to heal I can graudually start the teeth cleaning process from scratch, if the bad teeth are gone then hopefully it wont hurt so he can start to see it as a good experience, or at least tolerable! Meljoy, we tried the foods a while ago, after his first teeth clean, the royal canin ones he just swallowed whole, jd seems to think chewing is just a waste of time he swallows half a gravy bone whole! So that didn't work well, and we then tried t/d food, think by hills they were really big but they had so much fat content in them and he just the piled on the weight so we have gone back to burns. I will ask my vet about that toothpaste enzyme one as sounds quite good, if can't get toothbrush in at least can use that. Have also ordered some plaque off so hoping that will arrive soon. I think I have to be persistence in past have given up because he doesn't like it, but will start gently with toothbrush and work up to doing it properly and hopefully if I persevere he will tolerate it! I will let you know how we get on on Monday, hoping just 2 teeth come out so he will have some left to eat with! Thanks
 
Well Jd is definitely booked in for Monday now. His heart blood test came back with a score of 703, they said anything under 900 means they are ok to have a general anaesthetic. I did ask what the normal score is but they said they don't know what "normal" is as have never done the test on a dog with a healthy heart! Don't suppose anyone on here has had it done on their dogs heart? But as it was fine he is definitely booked in tomorrow for his teeth. He started antibiotics on Friday night and then last night poo was a bit runny this morning full blown diarrhea so have called the vets and waiting for a call back to see whether need to take him in or change antibiotics or what poor Jd has been to the vet twice already in the last week and looking at another possible 2 visits so he wont be impressed. Hopefully we can sort the antibiotics this morning and after tomorrow he will be pain free with his teeth and left with hopefully some teeth!
 
Oh Bless him....he will feel so very much better when its all over.....its just really hard because you cant explain that what you're doing is in their best interest.

I did try to explain to Leo why we were doing what we doing but he didnt seem impressed :roll:

Fingers crossed for tomorrow

Mel X
 
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