Dental work

[Sanversera]

I have a 10 yr old jrt,he has a slight heart murmur.had his annual vaccination and vet said he needs his teeth descaling under general anesthesia. I am worried incase he doesn't wake up. A local dog died recently under anaesthetic having it's broken leg fixed. What would you do? Anyone know the percentage of older dogs dying whist being operated on?

 

[AmyMay]

What has your vet said about the risks?

 

[some show]

I've known some jack russells live to 19/20 years old so presumably 10 for a JR isn't super old? I know it's worrying having them put under, though. My 10 year old dog (greyhound) had a big fractured tooth extracted in December and they polished the rest up while they were at it. I had a discussion with the vet about the dangers beforehand and she said that, while there would always be some uncertainties with anaesthetic (as there is with human surgery), she was confident he wasn't at any particular risk. Not that I had any choice but to go ahead with it at that point, seeing as his tooth was cracked right down the middle, but it's good to have the conversation.

Joe did incidentally have various blood tests done a month or so beforehand for other reasons, and it was nice having the knowledge that everything in those came back normal. I think some vets do a pre-anaesthesia blood test on patients to check e.g. kidneys/liver function, but not sure if this is standard - you could ask about that.

 

[Sanversera]

I've known some jack russells live to 19/20 years old so presumably 10 for a JR isn't super old? I know it's worrying having them put under, though. My 10 year old dog (greyhound) had a big fractured tooth extracted in December and they polished the rest up while they were at it. I had a discussion with the vet about the dangers beforehand and she said that, while there would always be some uncertainties with anaesthetic (as there is with human surgery), she was confident he wasn't at any particular risk. Not that I had any choice but to go ahead with it at that point, seeing as his tooth was cracked right down the middle, but it's good to have the conversation.

Joe did incidentally have various blood tests done a month or so beforehand for other reasons, and it was nice having the knowledge that everything in those came back normal. I think some vets do a pre-anaesthesia blood test on patients to check e.g. kidneys/liver function, but not sure if this is standard - you could ask about that.

Thank you

 

[Pinkvboots]

I have a 10 yr old jrt,he has a slight heart murmur.had his annual vaccination and vet said he needs his teeth descaling under general anesthesia. I am worried incase he doesn't wake up. A local dog died recently under anaesthetic having it's broken leg fixed. What would you do? Anyone know the percentage of older dogs dying whist being operated on?

I had a similar conversation with my vet last week my dog JRT is 11 she has some gingivitis and plaque on one side at the back, it doesn't seem to bother her and I thought the same as you was the GA worth it?

 

[druid]

Ask for pre anesthesia bloodwork and intra-op IV fluids to minimise risks. A mild herat murmur isn't a reason to avoid anaesthesia.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The late JRT had his teeth descaled under a GA at age 11 or 12. He had intra-op IV fluids which are a chargeable optional extra but defo worth it, plus pre op bloods. The results were great, and his teeth were still good when we lost him age 15 to an unrelated issue.

 

[splashgirl45]

My lurcher had a heart murmur and stopped eating and vet said she had some bad teeth and that could be why. She was 14 and flew through the GA with no problems , sadly she still wouldn’t eat anything and I made the decision to let her go ..

 

[meleeka]

I have a 10 yr old jrt,he has a slight heart murmur.had his annual vaccination and vet said he needs his teeth descaling under general anesthesia. I am worried incase he doesn't wake up. A local dog died recently under anaesthetic having it's broken leg fixed. What would you do? Anyone know the percentage of older dogs dying whist being operated on?

Does his breath smell? I did nothing when it was mine, with the support of my vet. I do think a lot of vets just do it, without any consideration of whether it’s actually necessary.

 

[splashgirl45]

Deleted

 

[tda]

We had our terriers teeth cleaned when he was 14, I know it was a risk but he sailed thru it.

 

[Umbongo]

10 is not that old, especially for a terrier. Quite a lot of animals have heart murmurs so unless it is a high grade and your dog is on heart medication, then I would not avoid an anaesthetic for that reason.

Vets and nurses perform anaesthesia on older animals everyday with no issues. There is a risk with any anaesthetic but these are very low.
I would always recommend pre-anaesthetic bloods for all animals, especially older ones. Your vet/nurse will decide if IV fluids are appropriate and how much. They are beneficial for many reasons but cannot be given in high volumes to patients with heart murmurs.

Did they mention if he needs any extractions? In most cases it would be beneficial to perform an anaesthesia for a scale & polish now whilst your dog is not too old, rather than need to pull out loads of teeth in a couple of years time on an old/ill dog. Dental bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause/worsen heart problems.

If you are unsure, maybe book another chat with the vet to discuss your concerns and get the pre-op bloods done. Then you can go from there.

 

[Millionwords]

I have a 10 yr old jrt,he has a slight heart murmur.had his annual vaccination and vet said he needs his teeth descaling under general anesthesia. I am worried incase he doesn't wake up. A local dog died recently under anaesthetic having it's broken leg fixed. What would you do? Anyone know the percentage of older dogs dying whist being operated on?

My JRT is 10, and had his done just before christmas, it is a worry, however, 10 isn't THAT old for a terrier, we had another who lived to 21! So I understand your worry, but I don't think theres a massive risk.
If mine does live to 21 he'll have no flippin teeth left!

 

[EventingMum]

My 12 yo JRT has a heart murmur and his teeth done last year with seven teeth removed. I was worried but he was absolutely fine. The vets keep a check on his heart murmur at each visit and so far it hasn't worsened since being diagnosed.

 

[misst]

My old JRT had half her upper teeth, a piece of jawbone removed and a skin graft at the age of 13 due to a recurring epulis that was growing rapidly. She stole a chicken foot off her brother 3 days later! The GA was no problem. I always ask for bloods pre op and fluids during op for all my dogs no matter what age. I think that helps the vet assess the risks and is worth the money as others have said.