Advice on my dog and his teeth

[IamMummyhearmeROAR]

My 9 year old beagle went for his annual health check a few days back. I mentioned to the vet that his breath was a bit pongy and she said he had tartar build up on his canines but no decay. The only way to remove the tartar she said, was under a GA so she advised we provide a urine sample as the first step.
The dip test showed the urine was dilute and had some protein so she said he would need pre op bloods. We asked for a quote and the blood tests are £70 and the op £170, more if he needs fluids.
I'm rather incredulous about the whole thing- £240 to clean his teeth seems crazy to me as well as the risks of giving an older dog a GA. I'm quite happy to improve my dog's dental routine but a bit of me thinks this is a money making exercise.( I became sceptical about my vets last year when dogboy had an upset tummy and they prescribed a 'medicine' that cost £25 and turned out to be a probiotic paste that he wouldn't even take.)
So any advice on what should be my next step? Pay the money or invest in a doggy toothbrush? Thanks for reading .

Your vet has given good advice. You might regret not having them properly cleaned. It's like the difference between toothbrushing and a scale and polish. Periodontal disease can be linked to organ problems. Not to mention most dogs are notably more cheerful after treatment, suggesting that the problem causes discomfort or pain. And yes, they are usually still eating normally. No time to post more but will try to come back later.

The costs seem about right. If he's got to 9 without any previous dental work then the vets probably justified in saying he needs a good clean. However, if your funds don't currently stretch that far and there's no decay, then leaving it for a little while probably won't hurt either.

On the subject of doggy toothbrush, my vets told me to score some grooves into a raw carrot and squeeze doggy toothpaste into the grooves. My last dog loved it. Advise was to do ths every other day, rather than cleaning with a toothbrush.

Depending on the size of your dog the prices seem fairly reasonable. The tartar is very hard and the only way to remove it is with an ultrasonic scaler which as dogs will not lie back and open their mouths needs to be under GA.

I did a cat dental today with pre-op bloods ( the cat was 13). Which came in at £183 inc VAT.

Thanks for your input. It's good to get a different perspective. We'll need to do some saving first that's for sure!