Should I get elderly dog's teeth cleaned under anaesthesia?

[Coconut49]

My 12 year old dog has a lot of tartar on her teeth and the vet has recommended a clean under a general anaesthetic. Apart from the cost (£500), I am concerned about her surviving the procedure. She has heart issues and is on 3 types of tablet. But would it be better to have it done now rather than later when she is older and it becomes a necessity due to teeth needing to be removed or something? I just can't seem to make a decision - if she passes away under the general anaesthetic, I'll blame myself. Has anyone been in this position before?

Just be careful as would be very surprised if an elderly cavie did not need any teeth removed during a dental.
Your vet will obviously be able to do this, this k9 person obviously won’t.

Your vet wouldn’t have suggested it if they didn’t feel the benefit outweighed the risk. You will have a stressful day but I’m sure he will be fine and feel much better afterwards

Also not endorsed by any veterinary association
See here
www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/a-statement-on-anaesthesia-free-dental-procedures-for-cats-dogs/anaesthesia-free-dental-procedures.pdf

My dog doesn’t have enamel on her teeth so she regularly has her teeth cleaned and odd tooth out under GA . She is absolutely fine each time .

My last dog had teeth cleaned under GA at 15 lived another 2 years, kidney failure. My toy is 15,his breath stinks,he has some rotten teeth
He had them cleaned under GA last year and extraction
Have never found a toothbrush small enough for his mouth. Same practice, different vet, said he would not be happy doing it again.

He is fit and healthy no issues

Anaesthesia free dentals are a con and the area under the gumline cannot be adequately cleaned during these, so they do not prevent painful dental problems down the road. The inside of the teeth also usually cannot be cleaned or even properly inspected for problems. There's good reasons vets use anaesthesia for dentals.

Had my 14 year old Jack Russell’s done recently , this & removal of an infected tooth has given her a new lease of life.

OP, vet here. Please do not opt for any cleaning procedures without anaesthetic. No vet would ever advocate this, this is something some non-vets offer but isn't the equivalent of a vet dental cleaning.

This is just a descaling (there isn't the option to remove teeth which is almost guaranteed to be required in a CKCS this age) and even in the best behaved dog, the efficacy would be questionable.

It's more for healthy , young dogs with mild plaque build up and no actual dental disease. Even then, it's not something I'd suggest a client avails of.

Also, as there isn't anything protecting the airway, the bacterial films can go into the lungs.

If your vet feels the benefit of the dental outweighs the risk, go for it.

It's unusual for a Cavvie to not have heart disease at this age and the fact things are well controlled means the anaesthetic risk is low.

She'll be much happier with a healthy, pain free mouth.

Thanks all for the information about anaesthesia free teeth cleaning. I thought it sounded too good to be true! Have read the information and think I will definitely get my vet to do it. A year ago he removed a lump from her leg under a GA and she was fine then so hopefully no problems will arise.

General anaesthesia contributed to the death my my 12 year old bichon. I fear that some vets use too much so when my 9 year old colly needed 7 of his teeth taking out 😨 I did a lot of research and was recommended a fantastic independent vet who used the minimal amount and my collie was anew dog.

Thought I'd post an update. My dog had her teeth cleaned by regular vet and had to have 6 teeth removed. She is fine though and currently snoring on my bed. Phew! Thanks for the advice everyone.

Ah, lovely news. Glad she is ok if not a little more gummy than before!

Great news!

Aww, how lovely. She'll be feeling a lot happier now and the loss of teeth never seems to affect how much they eat!
Put some Virbac Aquadent in her water and get some liver toothpaste to keep on top of things.
Happy days ahead!

@madisonbridges Thank you! Had to Google the aquadent - never heard of it. Will definitely order some.

I had my elderly dog's teeth tended to recently. She had a lot removed, so the risk of anaesthesia would have been worth it versus her continuing on with dental pain. Dogs can be very stoic when it comes to pain.
She had blood work done before hand, and the vets were very mindful of her needs (she is a greyhound so they have to take more care).