🪥YIKES! What to do about Dental disease in pets

[@Fabhuntress]

I'm so scared my baby had issues with anesthesia when he got neutered 😢 He had to get emergency care. The thought of this is so scary to me 😢 * Of course, I would NEVER to it without proper sedation!

[@AnimalDocRea]

You can always ask for referral to a dentist or specialist that can deal with high risk anesthesia patients.

[@samuelm.5752]

I read that for cats, a high carbohydrate diet can contribute to dental/gum disease.

[@AnimalDocRea]

I’ve not heard that or read any scientific papers that suggest that. Please let me know the title and I’ll be sure to read the paper and evaluate the data. I Appreciate the information.

[@Jay_dee915]

Thank you Doc Rea for the info 😉🐾

[@AnimalDocRea]

Any time!

[@ReneeCappelletty]

Thank you for this video! I have 7 dogs ages 1-15 three of them are 15. I do brush their teeth daily and it’s like an assembly line that takes 30 minutes a night. My vet is very impressed with the health of their teeth and gums.

[@AnimalDocRea]

That is impressive !!!

[@aprilmotsinger3613]

Dr Rea, I think this is the best video you’ve ever made-thank you so much for sharing this valuable information! I do have a couple of questions: At what age should you start doing X-rays? And does the size of the dog matter? For example, would a small dog need to start earlier than a larger dog, or is it the same for all sizes? If you go to a veterinarian who doesn’t offer X-rays, what would you recommend? I live in a small town, and they might not have dental X-ray equipment. I’ve asked my vet about my dog's teeth, and they just looked in her mouth and said they look great. The vet even called in the vet tech to show her how good they look! But after watching your video, I realize the reason they look good is because I brush them 4-5 times a week, and there's no tartar buildup. I’m now concerned there could be dental disease under the gums that I can’t see. As always, thank you so much for the valuable information!

[@AnimalDocRea]

I recommend dental rads starting at whenever the first prophy is done, then personally I do them every time I do a prophy as it’s just the standard of care at my practice and the pet is already sedated. They take my staff only about 5 minutes to do so it doesn’t really change the anesthetic time. The age you start prophy is dependent, yes on the dog. Smaller dogs do need it sooner than larger because of the thinner bone density. I’d say some start as young as 2-3 years old. If your vet doesn’t have an xray, maybe for your first dental go to the closest place that does and if there are no problems, maybe just re-evaluate with your vet at your yearly and get rads done every 2-3 years if there is not too much tartar or gingivitis and going for rads is going to be a big trip.

[@jayden1996b]

Thanks so much for this!!

[@pennypiper5857]

Thanks for sharing:)

[@starnaito]

Thank you for this! My older dog has a broken tooth and has a dental surgery scheduled in a few weeks. I've been nervous about his procedure, but now I feel a bit better. Hopefully they won't find any problems other than the broken tooth. (I DO NOT recommend those nylabone/benebone toys by the way. Bad idea for dog teeth!)

[@AnimalDocRea]

Just did oral surgery this week, two premolars (208/108) slab fracture in a young dog from raw neck bones. 😔. I’m glad this made you understand the procedure better and feel more at ease with your vet.

[@JJchi834]

Thank you for the very helpful video. What are your thoughts on dental anaesthesia for a 7yo small breed dog with sinus arrhythmia? Do you think the benefits would outweight the risks?

[@AnimalDocRea]

Depends on the grade dental disease and how comfortable your vet is with anesthesia on those cases. Every vet is different. An echo pre-anesthesia would be a good option and sometimes if your vet is not comfortable managing that with their set-up, they may refer you to a pet dentist. Lots of options!

[@ngarci8040]

What’s your thoughts on the finger toothbrush vs the more traditional toothbrush…!?!

[@AnimalDocRea]

Whatever you can do consistently

[@JanConnor-p8h]

When you pull teeth, especially molar, will the other teeth shift position in jaw with a tooth missing?

[@AnimalDocRea]

No