Lucy was 7 when she had her teeth cleaned. She actually was having a tumor removed and we decided to have her teeth cleaned as well while she was under. Though I was skeptical about having her put to sleep, especially with her age, everything ended up well in the end. Our vet is great and one of the staff members sat with her until she woke up and I was called immediately. I think talking with your vet to voice your concerns and having them notified when they wake up will calm your nerves.

We had our vet do it on our 3 year old dog, but he was already going under for another (necessary) surgery - so it wasn't too hard of a choice. My friend sends her dog in every couple years, and she's never had a complication (and she's older than than Lola by a few years).

I totally understand that aspects of raw feeding are not for everyone.. but I wanted to through this option out there for thought:
Raw Meaty Bones. They are a dental care lifesaver. I have never had to take any of my dogs in for dental work and potentially fatal anesthesia procedures on their teeth because the RMB's keep them naturally clean.

We use turkey necks and chicken drumsticks for their supreme dental cleaning benefits. There are also lamb necks, shoulders, and other great parts for tearing the meat from the bone and getting clean teeth.

I would certainly do some research before giving a raw meaty bone, but the dental benefits are amazing - and its a natural solution for a dog.

Good luck!

*throw this option would be better english, yes?!

We had this done with our little one and she was absolutely fine, but she was only 3 years old at the time (she has a DIRTY mouth!), and I have heard that anesthesia gets more dangerous as your dog ages. Since then we've been caring for her teeth ourselves - a combination of very difficult brushing and lots of 'greenies'. I decided that the next time we need to clean her teeth professionally, I'll look into alternatives to anesthesia. Our vet charged nearly $600(!) for the anesthetic teeth cleaning, so I'm also hoping the alternative will be less costly.

I found this site easily through a google search, and it has listings for vets that provide non-anesthetic cleaning in CA and FL: http://petdentalservices.com/. Hopefully you can find someone in your area who does this kind of cleaning.

I know how scary it is to put a pet under for any procedure, especially when you might have other options - I wish you lots of luck in finding an alternative!

I've had my cats put under many times for cleanings over the years, and I have yet to encounter any problems. My vet hooks my babies up to all different kinds of monitors while the procedure is being performed, and the cats are always closely observed by a vet tech afterward. If you decide to go forward with a cleaning, plan ahead for your dog's return home. She will be "loopy" from the anesthesia for a few hours, and probably will just want to curl up in a big pile of blankets or her favorite bed, ideally on the floor for the time being. It would be a good idea, as well, to keep her away from stairs and any other potential hazards, like jumping on or off your bed, until she is back to her old self again.

I used to get my dog's teeth cleaned up until he was 11 or 12. The vet should probably put her on a dose of antibiotics for a week or so before the dental appointment. Then I think you have your pup take them for a little while after the appointment. This way if there is any bacteria released when the teeth are cleaned the antibiotics are already in the system. If you have a vet you trust they should be able to walk you through the process and keep you at ease. I wish you and Lola well!

I just had my dog's teeth cleaned today. It was great and the anesthesia was fine. They kept him for several hours afterwards so the anesthesia could wear off and and he was a bundle of energy by the time I got him.

I would really recommend getting your dog's teeth cleaned. I think they maybe scare you into it at the vet but it can lead to so many other diseases through the gums, plus extractions if you don't do it every 1-2 years. Keep them healthy! Plus the less plaque/extractions they do the cheaper it is so it pays to keep up.

Have blood work done to see if there are any health issues. Also, you could try Leba III for a few weeks first to see if it helps.
http://www.lebalab.com/

We have our 12 year old dogs teeth cleaned this way because she pretty much refuses to let us clean them any other way. Our vet usually does it if they are putting her under for something else anyway and we've had fantastic results. We do it every 2-3 years and having healthy teeth so she can eat properly has really extended her life and happiness. Well worth the money and the anxiety if you can do it.

Cuba had his done for the first time last month and it went really well. The vet called after the procedure and right after he woke up completely. I know it is stressful but if you have a vet you trust it makes all the difference.

I would not recommend putting your dog through this procedure. I know a few people who have put their dog under anesthesia and they did not wake up. There are people out there who can handle cleaning a dogs teeth without using anethesia.

We recently had Axle's teeth cleaned (happy 2nd birthday boy! :S). We experienced no problems, and he was fine after the procedure. Like anything there are risks, but really I don't see why people make such a big deal about it, the chances of a pet not waking up are slim.

A responsible vet should require blood work anytime you are putting your dog out for any procedure. Mine did blood work, prescribed antibiotics, and called the day after to check on him.

Cuba,

Agreed. In fact, I think, but am not 100% sure, that the law in my state (Minnesota) requires bloodwork before a vet can perform any procedure that requires anesthesia.

Moco, whatever method you choose to have Lola's teeth cleaned, just be sure that it is done. Dental health is so important to overall health! When I rescued Oliver last year, I knew he needed a cleaning because of the horrible odor. Not until the vet got in there did we know how dire the situation really was. We ended up with four extractions on top of the nasty stuff that we knew we would find. She told me that he probably wouldn't have survived another year had his dental issues not been adressed.

Skritches to Lola from me and a healthier Oliver!

I should look into this for my dog. His breath is fine, but he was a rescue, and God knows what his (horrible) previous owners fed him. I KNOW they didn't take care of his teeth, either.

When I rescued Betty she was aprox 5 years old. I've had her a year and have had her teeth cleaned twice, no problems either time.

I totally understand. It makes me nervous too, but it is important. We have this done every year for our older Golden Retriever rescue. It's not just the stinky breath, but the placque can actually get into their system and affect their heart. I think the key is having a vet you really trust. I'm sure the vet would be happy to visit with you about your reservations.

my little brother works at a vet and says this is standard procedure. not only is it for the pet but it is also for the vet tech who is doing the teeth cleaning. the cleaning will be more thorough as well as worth the money if they pet is put under. say bye bye to stinky breath! but you have to upkeep it yourself. also, definitely express your concerns to your vet and ask any questions you may have before going forward with this. if you're extremely worried then get your dog denta-chews, they're raw hides made specifically to help with teeth cleaning.

I am glad to read so many positive comments about anesthesia for dogs my dog is due to go in for a teeth cleaning but i am putting it off because my neighbours dog died while under anesthesia...

I had my cat's teeth cleaned. He was fine.

My dog izak died while under anesthesia. He was a 4 year old cocker spaniel in perfect health. that is the LAST time we will ever put any of our animals under.

As a VA I can honestly tell you that this procedure is routine and has next-to-no risks

My cat's had this done. It was far more distressing for me than for her, to be honest. She was 11 when she had it done and that definitely added to my worries. Luckily, she has a vet that feels very passionately about animals and so I know they will treat her well and also they did scans and bloodwork before putting her under to be sure she could handle it. I would absolutely recommend doing the scans and bloodwork first!!! But she came home that night and we could tell she wasn't feeling the pain because she was playing. She was obviously in pain for a couple of days afterwards, but it didn't seem too bad. Tooth infections can be pretty serious, so it is important to get their teeth cleaned if you can.

I am dealing with this exact issue right now as well!! My dog is 3 and has very stinky breath. The vet wants me to have her teeth cleaned and I really want to do it but I am terrified of putting her under. My vet was SOOO expensive but another local vet was half the price. He isn't my regular vet but Maisy was fixed with there. So they have seen her before. I just don't know what to do...
Someone told me to try a spray called leba lll. It's like $50. Has anyone tried it? I'd hate to pay $50 for something that doesn't work...

I understand the worry on the risk of undergoing anesthesia with the elder age. Main thing to do is get bloodwork like "superchem" or a senior comprehensive. This to be sure the organs/body can handle to anesthesia. Also make sure that the dog is heartworm free, if the dog has heartworm, it can majorly affect the life chances of the dog. I've assisted with dentals on elder dogs and always made sure a full exam and bloodwork was done before the decision was made.

I would never again allow any future dog I may own to go under anethesia for teeth cleaning. I purchased him at age 3 for protection. My 8 yr. old German Shepherd died on Monday, January 19, 2008 from overdose of anethesia. My dog had his teeth cleaned with this same vet before. Fargo had all the pre-bloodwork that morning and last week when we took him in for consultation our vet commented his heart beat was slow, although he was excited showing he was in great heart health. Here is the story the vet told us. He gave him the minimal amount of pre-meds and since it was not enough to get him to the point of grogginess, he put the mask on him for a few seconds. Immediately, he saw his chest pound once, then his heart stop, this happened again, then he went into cardic arrest-meaning his heart rate accelerated, then stopped for good. He then gave Fargo ephinephrine and some other injection into his iv. He did this again, as there was no response. He then did palpations working on him for a total of 20 minutes. He was gone. I am heartbroken and angry at the vet and will never put another pet through that at such great risk of death. There are alternatives to surgery that I am now aware of just by doing a couple searches on the internet. I only wish I would have known of them prior to this. The number of dogs dying from overdose of anethesia is 1 in 400 and can be as high as 1 in 200. For all of you who were 'lucky' enough your dog survived anethesia, I would hope alternatives to anethesia for teeth cleaning is something you would look into. Good oral health is extremely important. As for me, as I stated earlier, I will never put any future dog I may own at such high risk of death for teeth cleaning. Life or death situations for dogs=anethesia and nothing else. Thank you for taking time to read my story as I continue to grieve losing my absolute best friend.

Ohhhh...the above post breaks my heart. This was such a hard decision for me. My dog needed her teeth cleaned desperately. I finally went ahead and did it. I think it was my neighbor that finally made my mind up. His dog had gotten a really bad abcess (spelling?) in his face. Clear right through his cheek. So I had Maisy's teeth cleaned right before Christmas. Thankfully she did great. I think the hardest thing for me was dropping her off at the vet for the day. She has serious seperation issues. My only problem now is that I'd love to be brushing her teeth so we won't have to have this done again, but she isn't having it...