Yep! He does!
OK, then. See you next time! (:
Just kidding… but, yeah, your dog probably does need a dental cleaning.
Today, Cooper goes in for his first full dental. The crazy thing is that Cooper will be 7 years old next month, and this is the first time he’s truly needed one.
(OK, that pic is from a couple years ago… Cooper SMILES when he’s happy to see you. Our pet sitter friend, who he loves, snapped this gem!)
When Coop had his annual exam in October 2015, his vet said that he’d need a dental the following fall. Same thing with Newt. So, when I took them both in October 2016, I was surprised to hear her say that, actually, his teeth were still in pretty good shape, but we might as well schedule one within the next year. (Newt, on the other hand, needed hers ASAP and ended up discovering a cracked tooth.)
So, we put it off since we were dealing with Emmett’s myriad health issues, followed by Violet’s arrival.
But, I constantly flip his lip.
Do you do that?? You totally should! Every so often, flip up your pup’s lips and check out his teeth and gums. If you know, generally, what they look like, it’s easy to tell when something isn’t quite right.
And that’s exactly what happened.
His front left canine had some serious gunky discoloration along the gum line. And, while we were poking and prodding his other teeth, we noticed a small, hard lump just on the inside of his upper lip. Hmm. So, we called the vet and got his appointment scheduled ASAP. Today.
The plan: A full dental cleaning, along with an aspiration and possible removal of the lump. (trying not to panic… trying not to panic… trying…)
Cooper’s never been under anesthesia before, so they’re doing a full work-up first to make sure he’s a good candidate.
Our animal hospital is AAHA accredited–one of the reasons we chose it, to be honest–so there are a few things I know and feel comfortable with him going through this for the first time.
AAHA hospitals have to meet a series of mandatory standards, then earn points beyond what’s required. So, for today, I know that for the anesthesia, a trained tech will monitor Coop with required equipment throughout the entirety of his anesthesia. That allows for him to be closely monitored while he receives a thorough clean under the gumline, plus any extractions (which I reallllllly hope he doesn’t need), and then the aspiration and possible removal of this mystery lump. So, the whole time, he’s carefully monitored by focused, well-trained staff. They also have mandatory procedures for surgery, pain assessment and management, and protocols for recovery, like delivering oxygen in a number of different ways, if it’s needed.
These are the types of things I focus on when I’m trying not to panic…
It’s recommended, of course, that dogs get a full dental once a year. You and your vet will have to decide if that’s the best course for your pup. With Emmett, he had a dental every other year and definitely needed it each time. Lucas got one every two or three years because his teeth were in better shape than Em’s overall. Cooper truly hasn’t needed one until now, and he’s almost seven.
Every dog and every situation is unique.
So, does your dog really need a dental cleaning at the vet?
Probably.
According to the American Veterinary Dental College, “Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition occurring in adult dogs and cats, and is entirely preventable. By three years of age, most dogs and cats have some evidence of periodontal disease.”
If nothing else, take a couple minutes this weekend to flip your dog’s lip. Look at his teeth and gums. If you spot anything off or gunky or smelly, call the vet. If all looks well, add it to your calendar to check again in a couple weeks.
As for me, I’m going to go pour over the AAHA website again to refresh myself on their anesthesia, dental, surgery, and recovery standards so that I can focus on the good care he’s getting rather than all the worries…
Happy Friday, y’all!
My girls both had their denials done in February, during Pet Dental Health Month. Our vet is also AAHA Accredited, but I’ve been taking them to the same vet for 17 years so I don’t stress much over routine care like dentals. I have complete confidence in our vet and the staff. And even more so since I’ve been doing my course externship hours with them.
Try not to worry too much. Cooper will be fine. The vet and staff will take good care of him. Sending positive thoughts, energy, and POTP!!
* dentals, not “denials”, you stupid auto correct. ?
HAHA! It sort of hilariously works. 🙂
And thank you for the good thoughts!! I’m sure it’ll be fine, too. He’s just my little baby AND I’m a worrier. 🙂
Daisy’s most recent checkup was the first time we didn’t hear, “Wow! She’s got great teeth!” but the vet was able to knock off most of the plaque in just a couple minutes while she was sitting on the table. She was….not a fan, but was a trooper.
We condition our dogs to having their teeth checked with the phrase “Let me see those choppers! Oh, you’ve got NICE choppers.”
Yay for clean teeth, Daisy!!! What nice choppers! 🙂
Also, I ADORE that conditioned cue. So cute and funny!
Our vet is always surprised that our boys have such good teeth. I think we are just lucky because my dogs have other problem areas….ears!
They chew lots of bones – that seems to help too 🙂
Funny you should mention that right now! Actually NOT funny, but timely, for sure.
We’ve had Freya for 3 years this Sept, and she’ll be 4 then, also. Sometime in April she started getting picky about her food after being a total shark from day1. Changed her flavors, her brand but she was still not finishing her dinner, nor chewing her Nylabones. Vet found a broken canine tooth and a molar that was ground down BELOW her gumline that was obviously causing her pain when she chewed. She’d had a ‘dental’ and 2 extractions before I got her; I was not expecting more problems at such a young age, and definitely NOT expecting the cost.
Last Monday, Freya had surgery to remove the 2 bad teeth.
With blood work, x-rays, a little scraping, antibiotics & pain meds, the bill was $573.00.
This was NOT even considered a ‘full dental’, and was NOT the most expensive estimate we’d received. I was shocked that the estimates STARTED at $400-$600 and went UP from there.
Told my dentist, he said he is in the wrong business.;)
Yikes.
I’m glad that your vet has such good accreditations. I sincerely hope that Cooper has no complications and that the dental services are less expensive in your area.
Having had no serious animal problems in the last 11 years, I had forgotten that:
whatever services my dogs or cat require, I should be prepared for the cost to be much higher than I expected or was prepared for; and way above anything I’d ever consider paying for comparable treatment for myself.
~~ sigh~~ What’re you gonna do?
Our beagle Kobi needed yearly cleanings. He had an overbite so no amount of chewing on anything was going to help, and as easygoing as he was; brushing his teeth was something he wanted nothing to do with.
Cricket has hers done when recommended, so far I think only a couple of times in her 12 years! Samantha was supposed to have hers done but with all her other health issues, they didn’t want her under anesthesia. With all that now under control we’ll see at her next visit what they think.
Luckily so far Luke’s teeth look good, what I can see of them. Seeing what a nightmare he is at the vet, I hope it stays that way!
I hope all goes well with Cooper’s dental and that lump turns out to be nothing. I understand the panic though, that’s for sure! We’ll be thinking of him.
This is great to know, not something I would have been concerned with before really, but this blog is the 2nd or 3rd I’v read since getting our little Daisy 4 months ago(now not so little).
I do now check her teeth a lot but of course they look great she is a pup, but great info for the future checks. Thanks maggie, Nice smile cooper 😉
Ray began yearly dentals when he was 3 but hasn’t had this year’s cleaning yet. Although I know that it’s a great idea, the real reason I have Ray’s done is because of his high level of anxiety at the Vet’s office so with one fell swoop we usually do the dental, any vaccinations due and also check his leg and do xrays.
Julius on the other hand is 4 and hasn’t had one yet, though I imagine it will be in the cards for him soon.
I hope the dental went well and the biopsy was benign. Let us know when you are able!
As far as dental cleanings – it always astounds me when the vet tells me Blueberry’s teeth look great. I work in a dental school – so to me – that isn’t a good enough reason to wait a few years between cleanings. Some people’s teeth look pretty great if you take a quick peek, but get them in for a cleaning and x-rays and there could be all sorts of things going on under the surface, especially after waiting 5 years for a cleaning!
The same is true for dogs, at least that is my understanding. When a dog gets a cleaning – the vet goes deeper, up under the gum line – right? And that’s not something a vet can just eyeball in a routine exam and say – everything looks great! Although I admit to it being a couple years since Blueberry’s last cleaning – I am putting it off at this point due to some funky SDMA levels which indicate a possible underlying kidney issue and I am not willing to have her put under anesthesia just for a cleaning at this point until that is resolved. I sometimes think vets tell us that our dog’s teeth look great because in their practice, they must see much much worse cases so comparitively, yes, our dog’s teeth do look fantastic. 😉
Thank you for sharing the experience. Gonna flip my dog’s lip right away.
Here’s hoping the dental went smoothly and the lump was inconsequential.
After needing two extractions for broken teeth within a couple of months several years ago, the vet said “No more bones for Habi”. Her tooth and jaw structure weren’t sturdy enough for chewing on hard things. Darn! We started using a finger brush to clean her teeth, but it didn’t really do the job. Our vet challenged us to condition her to an electric toothbrush. It took a month, but now both she and Obi line up every evening for their daily brushing (poultry-flavored toothpaste is highly rewarding). She hasn’t needed a dental cleaning for five years.
Now that she’s been diagnosed with the first stages of kidney issues, we are extra-virtuous about daily brushing, as periodontal disease is a risk factor for kidney disease.
Thanks for the reminder that this is really important, and again, we hope that all went well with Cooper’s dental cleaning.
After several years of having my lab’s teeth cleaned and letting her go under anesthesia, I switched to a dental service that doesn’t use anesthesia. My dog did SO much better. She was completely calm when I picked her up (I had to change vets after her last cleaning there – she was so traumatized she would start shaking when we would try to go in) and her teeth looked great. The natural dentist went over some “trouble areas” in her mouth to watch, which never happened with the vet. It was also about a third of the cost. If you have something similar in your area, I would look into it. The service I used was the Natural Pet Tooth Fairy.
Thanks for posting this! I have had some concerns about the anesthesia too often. My dogs are pretty good about letting me in their mouth. I worked with them from puppies on mouth desensitization techniques. I can get a brush in there, but frankly, they get a brush maybe a few times a month.
I am not sure if we have something local like what you are describing, but I have an appointment with a holistic vet soon and will ask her about it. Again, thanks for posting this.
OMD, that is so scary! I hope Cooper will be ok and that what you found is nothing serious. It’s a really good thing that you did check inside his mouth, that’s such good advice. I need to do that with my dogs more. I don’t like the idea of my dogs going under anesthesia every year for dental cleanings, that scares me even more than dental issues. That photo of Cooper is absolutely Priceless, I love it!
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
As usual thanks for another good tip that I can use on my dog. Hope Cooper gets a clean bill of health!
Teeth cleaning is so important for a dog. After getting them cleaned from the vet. Keeping up with them on a monthly bases will keep them looking good longer.
I’ll be scheduling a dental check-up for my furry friend ASAP. Thanks for the reminder