Smaller dogs need cleanings on a regular basis.

It is absolutely worth it. Osteomyelitis is definitely a possibility if you let it go. There are flavored toothpastes and brushes to make the cleaning last longer.

It is so expensive and difficult physically and emotionally on them (and you) to do really invasive surgery and grind the jaw or deal with a abscess and teeth removals because teeth weren't properly cleaned and taken care of.

Just do it and it'll buy you time-you shouldn't be putting your animal under super often if you can help it.

Teeth cleaning is important in all species. It's seen a lot in cats, too, but people forget about the agamids and beardies are popular enough I think they are worth mentioning, too.

When vet told me I should brush my dog's teeth (he was 8 then, his teeth weren't terrible but had developed brown plaque around the gum line) I tried working up to it as she suggested, but the feeling of the bristles drove him nuts.

However, I was actually able to scrape off a lot of plaque with the edge of a spoon. A few years later, I was thinking about getting his teeth cleaned but he got cancer and died.

We have a breed that does not tolerate anesthesia very well, so it’s important for us to do everything we can to avoid professional cleaning. We put a supplement called Plaque Off in his kibble once a day and use a pet enzymatic toothpaste to brush our dog’s teeth every night. It’s poultry flavored and he loves it. He gets to lick the toothbrush when we’re done. When it’s bedtime, he gets a dental chew, which he also really, really loves. He’s never had bad breath and his teeth look better than when we adopted him, even without a professional cleaning.

No experience with this, but a trusted, dog-lover friend highly recommends:

https://pearlywhitepets.com. ("Anesthesia-Free Teeth Cleaning for Cats & Dogs")

Feb is National Pet Dental Month, so most places are giving discounts this month, inc. the place above.

We don’t give our dogs wet food and have never had their teeth cleaned. I mean they get the odd piece of chicken leftover but they don’t get canned dog food.

I take my dogs to Helping Hands in Richmond for dentals. They are experts in surgery, it's all they do, so I trust them with my pets. They have a fixed price regardless of how many extractions are needed. Their prices have increased over the years, but they are still less than half of what I would pay in DC. They run a well-oiled machine even during COVID. Highly recommend.

anacira veterinary manassas. Yes it's expensive but less expensive there.

Anonymous wrote:Some dogs just have bad teeth. Mine does. We have to get it done every other year but we skipped a year for money reasons and now her teeth are a mess and we regret it. We are getting it done in a couple of weeks. This is not something you can do yourself, like how brushing your teeth is not the same as visiting the dentist. Yes, is expensive but necessary for some dogs. Greenies or other chews can help extend the time between cleanings.

OK I'm the PP that put off the dental for money reasons. We just had it done and 17 teeth removed. 17!!!! So my advice is, dint skip on the dental if your dog has bad teeth.

Though I tend to be resistant to all the pressure for doggy dental care, I have had my older dogs get serious dental issues (abscesses, broken teeth, things that caused pain and infection) where there was no question of not dealing with it. Barring major problems, I've typically had a dental under anesthesia done every three years or so, after substantial nudging from my regular vet.

Friendship has discounts on dental cleaning during February. The thing I like about Friendship for this is they have a full-time veterinary dentist and dedicated anesthesiologist, so I feel confident about the procedure, especially for an older dog who may have other health issues going on. I've always had good results with Dr. Phillip at Friendship.

Some dogs just have bad teeth. Mine does. We have to get it done every other year but we skipped a year for money reasons and now her teeth are a mess and we regret it. We are getting it done in a couple of weeks. This is not something you can do yourself, like how brushing your teeth is not the same as visiting the dentist. Yes, is expensive but necessary for some dogs. Greenies or other chews can help extend the time between cleanings.

Try Value Vet in Falls Church and McLean. They have a website with posted prices I think. Less than half but still good, experienced vets.

tooth brush and doggy toothpaste you can do it yourself
for less than $600

It is expensive. But important. Friendship Animal Hospital does a great job and has reasonable prices compared to what I've seen elsewhere.

This was recommended by our vet. it requires anesthesia and is expensive. We never did this for our previous dog, and had never heard of it. Current dog is a small breed which can have teeth issues.

Has anyone done this and have advice? Where can I go for a good rate, that is trustworthy?