12 yo and anaesthetic

[Harvestmoonsobright]

She needs a descale which is expensive. Her age means pre-test recommended and an additional cost of £70. Going ahead without pre-test, a risk worth taking?

Opinions welcome.

[BiteyShark]

Personally I wouldn't risk it as I would want the vet to have all the information to hand about her health.

[Harvestmoonsobright]

Good point. Not reasonable for vet to essentially carry out procedure with one hand behind back.

[BiteyShark]

Should have also said I have paid extra to have pre blood tests done before my young dog was neutered for the same reason in that I want to make sure they have all the information possible to make any procedure and recovery the safest as it can be.

[ReinettePompadour]

How is your dog generally? If shes on the whole healthy then you could go ahead without. If shes frail or generally been unwell then is the descale really necessary at all? If shes somewhere in the middle then do the pre-test.

My dog always had bad reactions to anaesthetics and we avoided them at all costs. My vet said he could have done with a descale when 11 but my vet said not to risk it with anaesthetic at his age and background. He was a large breed and already well over the average age (7-9 years). He passed away aged 11 and 10 months anyway so risking an anaesthetic to descale his teeth would have been very risky anyway.

[villainousbroodmare]

Do the bloods. And peri-operative iv fluids. Give her all the help she can get.

[Floralnomad]

I’d definitely go for every option they offer , my mums 14 yo JRTx had to have a lump removed and some dental work last year and the operation was delayed for a few weeks because pre op bloods showed an issue with her liver which we could then treat for a few weeks first .

[Harvestmoonsobright]

She's really healthy; people assume she's still an adolescent. The scale is on 3 teeth. I would have thought a sedative would do the trick. I've half a mind to do it myself.

My parents and grandparents always had dogs and they've never been recommended to put an animal through a risky anaesthetic for teeth cleaning.

[BiteyShark]

I guess it depends on whether the plaque is causing pain and inflammation or not and I do think vet care has changed a lot since my parents had dogs as we now expect the same level of investigation and treatment for them as for ourselves.

Did your vet say why she needed it and what the risks of doing it versus leaving them was?

[villainousbroodmare]

A general anaesthetic is usually safer and may be cheaper than sedation. Under GA the dog is intubated (not under sedation) which maintains a safe airway and also, very importantly, prevents a mist of filthy bacteria and debris being inhaled and swallowed. Hard to comment otherwise without seeing your dog, but dental disease is very much underdiagnosed and undertreated, and certainly would have been so in previous generations. It is painful and often causes a low grade bacteraemia which makes animals mildly and chronically ill. Generally clients and pets are very much happier afterwards.

[Harvestmoonsobright]

Thank you for your replies. The quote is £350 for scale and polish. One tooth in particular has the build up. The charge is bonkers and ridiculous for the scale of the work. Difficult decision but I'm going to get the dental tool and control the plaque myself. She's let me have a go with my nail. I'll check with the practice nurse again when she has her booster in three months.

[BiteyShark]

Honestly that estimate doesn't sound high to me for a GA and clean. Remember vet care is the same as private health care.

[WeAllHaveWings]

The quote is £350 for scale and polish.

Yikes, our 5 year old dog was done last week under GA and it was £136 reduced to £94 because we are in the pet health plan. Does the price increase as they get older, or is it because there is a lot of build up? (Ours was really just preventative this time as he doesn't tolerate toothbrushing)

[Harvestmoonsobright]

Perhaps because of her age but certainly the add-ons really wack up the price. I am a terrible person to have a dog I know

[Floralnomad]

£350 would be about right for our vet