Doggie dentals

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CazD

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How old would be too old for a dog to have a full dental?

Dog in question is a rescue terrier aged about 13ish. I had her teeth fully cleaned and a couple removed when I first had her about 3 years ago. Her teeth are again in a state and her breath is horrible. She has the same diet as my other terrier who is aged 10 and has beautiful pearly white teeth so I'm not sure it is a problem with what I'm feeding her. She's always been a bit funny about her mouth and isn't keen on my looking at her teeth and brushing them has never been as thorough as I'd like because of this.

Is she too old to be sedated and her teeth scraped now?
 
I would ask your vet - if her heart is sound then I would have them done, I have known of dogs who have effectively been poisoned by having dodgy teeth :(
 
The vet may want to do pre op bloods to try to confirm liver and kidneys will react as we expect to the GA but not too old :) She'll feel much better with them done.
 
Might be worth talking with vet about chewable options instead of brushing? A lot of dental outcomes are probably genetic so just because the diet you feed is suitable for one doesn't mean the other will have great teeth. Some might just need more chew things/carrots etc too. And some might just have lousy teeth pretty much whatever you do...
 
To be honest, 13 is not that old unless the dog has underlying health issues. But even then, the benefit of a good dental can outweigh the risks of anaesthetic IMO. If it's just a wee scale and polish that's one thing, but imagine having sore gums, rotting teeth and being unable to chew properly because your mouth is sore. Most dogs that I see that have had sore mouths and get a dental, sometimes even every tooth pulled will bounce back and act much younger/happier following a dental. If it was my dog, I would do it. Better that they have the dental done and be comfortable than to worry that the anesthetic might kill them. I speak from experience. I worried that my 14 yo bitch was too old for a dental that she desperately needed. She lived to nearly 17 and I didn't have it done and I regret it.
 
Following with interest. We're about to have the 13yo JRT done. He's in good order for his age (apart from his stinky breath), and we hope he'll be with us for a number of years yet.

I think our vets do a blood profile etc as part of pre op checks, too. We'll still worry about him having the GA, of course, but it needs doing. Saw it being done on a recent Yorkshire Vet episode, you can see why they have to have a GA to do a good job without dodging snappy teeth!
 
GirlFriday said:
Might be worth talking with vet about chewable options instead of brushing? A lot of dental outcomes are probably genetic so just because the diet you feed is suitable for one doesn't mean the other will have great teeth. Some might just need more chew things/carrots etc too. And some might just have lousy teeth pretty much whatever you do...
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I've been recommended to raw meaty bones for this, but in any case I'd second chewing as an important addition to brushing and dentals. Also, she tends to be a bit happier with the bone than the toothbrush. Me too for that matter!
 
The vet would be the best person to ask if your dog is fit and healthy enough to undergo an anaesthetic for a dental. My Bertie (Border Collie) was 14.5 years old when he had a dental, my friends dog (Cocker Spaniel) was 15 years old, whereas my Boomer (Border Collie) had a bad heart murmur at 13 years old and the vet wouldn't do an anaesthetic on him.
 
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