[Sadie Cornelius]

Hello, wondering if anyone does anesthesia-free teeth cleaning with their dog for dental preventive? My dog has a grade 2 heart murmur and try to avoid putting him under more than necessary and he also has pretty bad teeth (had to have 10 extractions) so we were looking for a safe alternative for keeping his mouth clean (in addition to brushing at home). Our primary care doctor said that it’s not recommended since it can be dangerous with the tools they use and dogs being awake for it, but also heard that it’s completely safe. Anyone have experience or thoughts on this topic? Thanks!

[GeorgieCKCS]

We’ve used a few different non-anesthesia cleaning services for our Cavalier. They are less expensive than putting your dog under too, and honestly I think if you brush their teeth regularly then they are used to you poking and prodding things in their mouths. With one place, they swaddled our dog (like a baby wrapped up in a blanket) to keep her calm. See photo of her while at the dentist. The other place we just recently went to last week, went well and they did a comprehensive exam in addition to cleaning (brushing and polish). It took about 15-20 minutes (vs anesthesia cleanings which take several hours, in addition to pre-office visits for bloodwork). Not many places in our area offer this type of cleaning (I guess since it’s controversial) but just weigh the pros and cons and you can decide based on your dog and unique situation. I hope that helps!

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