Dog Teeth Cleaning Anesthesia-Free: Buyer Beware!
Written by Jan on July 6, 2008 – 2:42 pm
Anesthesia-Free, or Non-Anesthetic, teeth cleaning for dogs (and even cats) is becoming more and more commonplace. As people grow fearful of “putting their dog under” just to have teeth cleaned, and ever more fearful of vet bills sometimes topping $1000, these services offer an attractive alternative. Even veterinarians who have called these procedures “animal cruelty” and “unsafe” (which they sometimes are), are adding anesthesia-free dental care to services offered. Whether any service is humane, safe and effective depends exclusively on practitioner skill and kindness towards animals.
Any health service provided by practitioners without specific training or experience requirements, and with no certification, can be risky. Is the practitioner safe? Is he/she knowledgeable and experienced? Can he safely handle dogs? Is he insured for damage to himself and your dog? All these are questions you must ask. This video, and all the additional information at Dogs4Dogs.com/doggydental2, will answer your questions. Help your dog have a safer teeth cleaning procedure, whether at your veterinarian’s office or at your groomer’s or pet shop. Want even more info? Check out my 15-page chapter, “Death by Teeth,” in my book, Scared Poopless. To learn more about what you can do about anesthesia risks, see our chapter, “Anesthesia Anxiety.”
Remember, there is no completely safe or stress-free way, inside or out of a vet’s office, to have your dog’s teeth cleaned. But because periodic scaling, ultrasonic cleaning and polishing, along with a thorough check for broken teeth, infections, tumors and lesions, is essential to your dog’s health, I hope you’ll read up and ask questions.
Please do not trust your dog with anyone without checking them out first. And don’t presume that your groomer or shop owner has. Chances are, he/she doesn’t know any more about dental care, or safety, than you do — especially if she hasn’t studied the subject. Your dog’s health and safety are in your hands alone.
Wishing you and your dog all the best in life,
Jan Rasmusen
www.Dogs4Dogs.com
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July 18th, 2008 at 6:39 am
excellent video & great info! recently i was told that rupert needed his [first] cleaning by my regular vet who does it under general anesthesia. because rupert has severe allergies, i also take him to an allergy specialist who had told me she will never put a dog under anesthesia unless absolutely necessary. i had her do the cleaning. she asked me to be present & i too was only a few feet away from him during the procedure. it was quick & painless & rupert was absolutely fine throughout.