Our 12 year old westie, Lucy had to have dental surgery this week. When we took her for her yearly shots, the vet checked her over and found she had two teeth with infection in the gums around those two teeth. My husband and I noticed she had doggie breath, but just ignored it and gave her doggie treats to chew for her breath.
If this happens with your dog, take the dog to the vet before the infection has a chance to set in. Lucy had to have her teeth pulled. The vet bill was over $200.00. If we had taken her as soon as the doggie breath did not go away, we would have saved her having her teeth extracted and also saved a huge vet bill.
I have been very unsuccessful in brushing Lucy's teeth, but once her mouth heals from the teeth extractions, I plan to brush her teeth a couple times a week. I found a doggie toothpaste and brush at Walmart today.
I am a former vet tech. Unfortunately I worked for a vet who had a HUGE ego problem. I witnessed many dental (and other) mishaps at the hands of the vet, which ultimately caused the pet owners several hundreds to thousands of dollars in continued problems. Not to mention a lady's sheltie who was near death from an abcess.
I make sure my dog's teeth are brushed and cleaned at home to avoid having a run-in with any of the vet problems with my own pet.
People should also know that decaying teeth can cause heart problems! If a bad tooth can cause a problem for YOU it can cause that same problem in a dog or cat. Get your vet or his tech to show you how to brush dog's teeth. You start small, just inserting your finger in the side of her mouth until she gets used to that. Then add a bit of tooth paste to the finger and slide it over the molors. After a few days of this you can put the brush in and just hold it there. Advance with the brush like you did the finger. It could take a couple of weeks before you get an actual brushing done. In my husband's veterinary office we had one owner who said he brushed his dog's teeth every morning right after he did his own and after awhile he discovered his dog standing beside him with the brush held in his teeth (it was kept in a bowl with his toothpaste behind the toilet) waiting for his turn! Some dogs don't get lots of snuggles and this becomes their favorite time. It takes time but sure will help.
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