hortfurball Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Kuges is 13 and on heart meds so it is too risky to anaesthetise him for anything unless strictly necessary. He's also one of those dogs who has always been prone to REALLY bad teeth, and has had most of them removed now except for the canines, a few incisors and a few premolars. All his life I have sat down and chipped away at the tartar with a teeny tiny flat headed screwdriver in between official vet scalings. I have just done this again today but obviously can only do the outside of the teeth. I also have hexarinse for him and an assortment of toothbrushes, which don't really work now that his teeth are bad again. Never worked that well anyway, it's hard to brush when he's chewing the toothbrush! Any tips on how to get the tartar off the inside of his teeth? I don't want a bacterial infection to start in his mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greytmate Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Will your vet clean them under twilight sedation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I think there is a kind of mouthwash product that is pretty new on the market that actually will clean the teeth of tartar. It think it is pretty expensive. Will ask my contact about what it is actually called. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 The only thing I can suggest is bones. Would this cause a problem for him with his age, or is one of those I don't chew bones thank you.. Perhaps chicken frames might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hortfurball Posted February 10, 2008 Author Share Posted February 10, 2008 Thanks for the replies. Sorry, had to go to a friend's farewell thingy. Bones? I don't think he has ENOUGH teeth left to chew them. I have always given them bones for their teeth, sorry, forgot to mention that. Chicken necks go down whole with all three dogs so are useless. Beef thigh bones are so full of marrowbone I end up with sick dogs. Lamb shanks seem kind of ok but big boy was too much of a gummy bear for them last time and gave up before he even got half way and Ella finished it for him, hers being long gone. I think he just sucked it for an hour or so until he got fed up with not being able to get all the meat off. He also just tries to pull bits of meat off with his incisors. He doesn't use the back teeth any more (the ones I was targeting) as there are only two per side at top and one per side at bottom. Throwing up and toileting accidents happen after bones so I still have to learn the right amount to give, and don't like to do it all the time. Twilight sedation...I can ask, but Kuges can be a little funny at the vet...he had a nasty experience there once and has been fear reactive ever since, so it depends how 'out' he would be with the twilight sedation, I don't know much about it. Wonder if that's what he had when they did the ultrasound of his heart? Thanks Puggy puggy. The Hexarinse I have says it aids in prevention of tartar buildup, but doesn't get rid of it once it's there. I wonder if it's that you are thinking of. Poor boy - his gums have receded too, so there's about 5mm I can't clean at the top of his canines because it's that fibrousy tooth root material with no enamel, so I just brush it and don't scrape it - ouch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Archie~ Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 Depending on how good your dog is, perhaps ask the vet if they are prepared to give the teeth a quick scale if you can hold the dogs head and lips out of the way. Some dogs tolerate that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaorose Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 I use my electric toothbrush to brush their teeth weekly or fortnightly, they have their own toothbrush head and I use tooth mousse instead of toothpaste. Tooth mouse is a highly reccomended by dentists to protect teeth. I have sentitive teeth and had been using it for more then a year now and rarely felt the sensitivity. It is quite expensive, approx $38 and only weighs 40g (35ml) but worth the money. You don't need to squeese a lot like tooth paste, just a little thin layer each time. It can only be purchase from the dentist (that's what my dentist said and I also couldn't find it in any pharmacist). If you can't brush his teeth, you can just apply a thing layer of the tooth mouse over his teeth for protection. I also find it easier to use an electric tooth brush compare to the manual ones for the dogs and also found that the teeth get brushed more especially the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muttaburra Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 One thing to be very careful about is that toothpaste products, designed for human use, can contain Xlylitol which is pretty toxic to dogs. Hortfurball, doesn't seem like you have too many options, would be good to find a vet that focuses on dental work. One thing I have tried with Gracie - her teeth were full of tartar when I got her at 3yo, - bones cured nearly all of it except for the canines which she just doesn't use enough. I got a calcium tablet and used that to rub on any coated area of the tooth (not the healthy area), but I don't think that would remove tartar. Have you tried a paste made with baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hortfurball Posted February 12, 2008 Author Share Posted February 12, 2008 One thing to be very careful about is that toothpaste products, designed for human use, can contain Xlylitol which is pretty toxic to dogs.Hortfurball, doesn't seem like you have too many options, would be good to find a vet that focuses on dental work. One thing I have tried with Gracie - her teeth were full of tartar when I got her at 3yo, - bones cured nearly all of it except for the canines which she just doesn't use enough. I got a calcium tablet and used that to rub on any coated area of the tooth (not the healthy area), but I don't think that would remove tartar. Have you tried a paste made with baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)? In lieu of doggy toothpaste? Is it better? Might give it a go. I thought it was alkaline though, I'm sure it's bicarb I use in the aquarium to neutralise acid. Xiaorose, one of Kuga's toothbrushes is a battery operated one that I donated to him when I got my electric one. There is no way that I'd just change heads on my electric toothbrush, Kuga's generous lips would be flapping all over the handle! Oh well, at least the way I'm going I get the majority of it, I wonder if I can train him to open his mouth for me to get the inside...somehow I doubt it. Thanks for all your responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheree_e4 Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 The problem with teeth is if they are bad it can lead to worse heart problems as the bacteria will travel to the heart you would be better to risk the surgery than not do it. We regurlary do dentals on older dogs sometimes 3 a day,in 18mths everyone is still alive and well, apart for one girl who was 21 and died this year due to old age.We use a very safe GA called Isoflourane which allows the dogs to wake up quickly,we have several different monitors on aswell to be as safe as possible. Try to find a vet who is experienced in doing dentals on older dogs,I would say bring him to us but your a bit far away I had my 17 yr old dogs teeth cleaned and several removed, and she had a heart mumer.She was so much happier after the op but sadly had to be PTS at 18 as she went senile to a point that is was not fair to keep her for my own reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InspectorRex Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 xiarose, my dentist only charges my $18 for that Tooth Mousse Umm will have to think about the toothbrush thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Is this toothpaste for sale online? I've not seen it anywhere and although my 12 y/o is very healthy, I don't want to subject him to an anaesthesia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 There is AquaDent that you can add to the water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaorose Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 xiarose, my dentist only charges my $18 for that Tooth Mousse Umm will have to think about the toothbrush thing What!!! You only bought the tooth mouse for $18!!! Can u pls let me know where you buy it from? I need to start looking around! One thing to be very careful about is that toothpaste products, designed for human use, can contain Xlylitol which is pretty toxic to dogs. I've checked the ingredient and it does contain Xlylitol!! I didn't know it's toxic for dogs. But Manman is almost 12 years old and I had been brushing his teeth regularly since he is a puppy. I was using children's toothpaste before the tooth mouse. Is this toothpaste for sale online? I've not seen it anywhere and although my 12 y/o is very healthy, I don't want to subject him to an anaesthesia. I will check it out on line when my tube ran out. or even ask around with different dentist to get a better price. Xiaorose, one of Kuga's toothbrushes is a battery operated one that I donated to him when I got my electric one. There is no way that I'd just change heads on my electric toothbrush, Kuga's generous lips would be flapping all over the handle! :p the same when I brush Tsar's teeth, even my hand will end up in his mouth. I'll have to give my hands, up to my wrist a good wash after that!! and he certainly uses more tooth mouse compare to me and Manman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 If it's got Xlylitol in it, I won't use it on my dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poppy's mum Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 If anaesthetic is at all possible in the light of what is said above, maybe do it once and get all the teeth removed? healthier in the long run and dogs without teeth manage perfectly well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hortfurball Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 It's not really an option. It's not only his age it's his heart condition too. At his age, the last time they anaesthetised him was with an opiate derivative and a saline drip. Took him forever to come around from it. They told me he was ready to go home but when I went to pick him up they led him out of the back ok but he paused long enough for his feet to slide out from under him and couldn't get back up. The floor was too slippery. I ended up lying on the floor of the consult room spooning him to keep him warm for about two hours. Every half an hour or so I tried to get him up and he'd give it a good go but just slide back down again, even with an old towel under him. Eventually I did the whole "Come on, you can do it" thing (people were staring at the vet but I didn't give a damn) and he staggered out to the car. When I got home I had to call then OH on the mobile...from the car...Kuges had his front feet on the ground and that was as far as he was going. The two of us manhandled him out of the car and he made it through the front door onto his bed and there he stayed for another 5 hours or so. I'm just not really prepared to take the risk I think of him not coming out of the anaesthetic at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InspectorRex Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Xiaros, have sent you a PM re tooth mousse price etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaorose Posted February 15, 2008 Share Posted February 15, 2008 Xiaros, have sent you a PM re tooth mousse price etc Thanks InpectorRex, I received it. Hi everyone, I just like to clarify that I didn't know from before this topic that Xlylitol is toxic to dogs and so I would not recommend it to anyone's dog anymore. Only thought it may be an option for Kuga as there seem very little alternative for him and his teeth and especially that Manman has been brushed so regularly for the last 11.5 years and didn't show any signs of being toxicated. So what can we do for Kuga? Question: Please correct me if I'm wrong again. I heard that people in the olden days (and I meant in Asia) before toothpaste was invented, they use salt to brush their teeth and htey have very clean and white teeth. Would that be an option? I know dogs are not meant to comsume salt, but if it's use only a little to bursh his teeth, would that help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hortfurball Posted February 15, 2008 Author Share Posted February 15, 2008 Question: Please correct me if I'm wrong again. I heard that people in the olden days (and I meant in Asia) before toothpaste was invented, they use salt to brush their teeth and htey have very clean and white teeth. Would that be an option? I know dogs are not meant to comsume salt, but if it's use only a little to bursh his teeth, would that help? I have no idea whether that would be alright but would lean towards 'not' to be on the safe side. I have that 'yummy' beef flavoured toothpaste anyway, so that sort of thing would be ok if his teeth just needed maintenance. Twilight sedation seems worth asking my vet about. I might get him to have a look at Kuga's teeth next time we're in and let me know what he thinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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