Your Dog and the Dentist: Learn the Drill

While "late is better than never," sooner is better than later, at least when it comes to your dog's dental health. Dental disease gets worse over time, and the longer you wait, the more damage that will have to be taken care of and the more expensive your vet bill will be.

Your dog probably won't need much work done on his teeth when he's still young... so your vet won't do much more than open his mouth and take a look at what's going on in there. But as he ages, dental disease can set in, especially if you don't brush his teeth (which you should be). So check him periodically for signs of mouth/tooth decay, bleeding gums, or abscesses. If you see or smell anything unusual, he'll need to go in for a cleaning and polishing, or "prophy," which is vetspeak for prophylaxis.

Unfortunately, "spit," "rinse", and "open wide" are not part of your dog's limited vocabulary, and that spit sucker thing is likely to terrify him... so, for everyone's convenience and peace of mind, your veterinarian will anesthetize your dog before doing any complicated procedures on his teeth.

Anesthesia is not without risks; therefore, your vet will require several precautionary tests before putting your dog under. This may seem rather tedious to you; but if you want to prolong your dog's life, you really should be taking care of his teeth. This may mean a few dental cleanings in his older years which DO require anesthesia to be conducted properly and safely. The good news is, the more you practice regular brushing and plaque control in the form of crunchy bones and such, the less cleanings and dental work your dog will require... so hopefully you can keep those vet bills down.

Expect the vet to perform the following precautionary tests to determine if anesthesia is a safe option.

- Basic blood tests including red and white blood cell count
- Kidney and liver evaulation
- Possibly a heart function test, if your vet detects a heart murmur
- Possibly a urinalysis if there is reason to suspect kidney disease

The above testing will require one or possibly more trips to the vet, as well as several days of waiting time before the lab results come back. Just like your family doctor, your dog's vet wants to give you as thorough an evaluation as possible so he can determine the correct diagnosis and proper and complete treatment for your dog's teeth and for his health in general.

Assuming your dog passes his health exam and lab testing with flying colors, your next scheduled appointment will be for the cleaning and dental work itself. Time to tackle that tartar!

The dental procedure may involve some if not all of the following:

- Anesthetic administration
- X-rays
- General examination
- Tooth extractions
- Tartar removal
- Polishing

The procedure may be as brief as 20 minutes, if your dog has mostly healthy teeth, but may take an hour or longer for more extensive work in the case of diseased teeth and other problems. If your vet detects slow recovery from the anesthesia, he may require an overnight stay. Your vet should keep you informed every step of the way during your dog's dental procedure, and alert you to any unexpected outcomes.

You generally won't be expected to provide any special care after you take your pet home from his dental appointment, unless of course your dog has had major surgery and/or tooth extractions. In such a case, he may require the feeding of softer food or administering of antibiotics for a little while. Your dog's vet will inform you of what if any additional care if any is needed, and whether or not your pup will require a follow-up exam.

Start taking care of your dog's teeth now, and you won't have to worry about costly extensive dental treatments down the road. A brief recap of how you can help:

- Get into the habit of regularly brushing your dog's teeth while they're still in good condition.

- Feed him hard, crunchy food and special snacks that will aid in plaque removal.

- Examine his mouth regularly for signs of tooth problems or dental disease- redness, swelling, abnormal gumline, difficulty chewing.

- Take your pup in for regular dental checkups and cleanings; typically, once a year if he's young, and bi-annually if he's a senior dog.

- Make sure that any dental problems are treated promptly by a certified veterinarian.

In short: take care of your dog's teeth, and ensure him a long and healthy life!

Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.

Dina Giolitto is a copywriting consultant and ghostwriter with 10 years of experience writing corporate print materials and web content. Trust her with your next e-book, article series or web project, and make a lasting impression on your audience of information-hungry prospects. Visit http://www.wordfeeder.com for more information.

In The News:
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.southernledger.com/ap/184003/Settlement_to_be_argued_in_big_pet_food_casecid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNFeu2YxLHaSBLiJhB4kQQ_y_7z5tAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=MHj5UgYjTNcJimgurl=www.southernledger.com/images_ap/1bf49d37-47b7-412e-bb79-d389b15691b0-1bf49d37-47b7-412e-bb79-d389b15691b0.jpg width=80 height=49 alt= border=1brfont size=-2The Southern Ledger/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jWoj-xA1xcoCq8oQAb5janun5ZpQD93QGNM03cid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNEdVJuusj1E-4AuaKw1u4SYSik5EQJudge OKs $24M for cats, dogs sickened by bpet/b food/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Associated Pressnbsp;-/font nobr21 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1CAMDEN, NJ (AP) — A federal judge Tuesday approved a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating bpet/b food b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/10/14/tainted-pet-food-deal.htmlcid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNETpXRgYsHCfyKeDeU6KXYHOfUQWgBereaved owners may receive millions in poison bpet/b-food settlement/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCBC.ca/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/10/pet_food_settlement.htmlcid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNEqO40YcoxRc_EmPEF9eBwSEmxChAbPet/b Owners Eligible For $24 Million in Landmark Melamine Settlement/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrConsumer Affairs/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/4012cid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNEBHTuS376rcIXgvow6OuLqHovoGgJudge Approves $24M in bPet/b Melamine-Poisoning Case/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNewsinferno.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/menu-foods-income-fund-settlement/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B81957B23-9999-4C17-BE4A-1E0BD572F8F7%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNGF8uQRsZpAk3kk2rOci7GjqCG4UwnobrMarketWatch/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/tortsprof/2008/10/pet-food-case-s.htmlcid=1257614273ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNHTnuLBmTqbKLnvjWoceWHcHMkEvQnobrLaw Professor Blogs Network/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257614273hl=ennobrall 405 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail%3F%26entry_id%3D31130%26type%3Dpetscid=1258189723ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNE9RTzHeydu68AO7dklHnBTjugmRAimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=RZrs0GSwp-EJimgurl=www.sfgate.com/blogs/images/sfgate/pets/2008/10/12/photo-7.jpg width=80 height=65 alt= border=1brfont size=-2San Francisco Chronicle/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/pets/detail%3F%26entry_id%3D31130%26type%3Dpetscid=1258189723ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNE9RTzHeydu68AO7dklHnBTjugmRAA chat with Charles Regal, bpet/b custody mediator/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSan Francisco Chronicle,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1I#39;ve since discovered a whole pack of people who are blazing the bpet/b-sharing trail right alongside us. In celebration of my own one-year joint custody b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html%3Fid%3Dc1dd23f5-f59f-4d13-9761-d37cd32231e6cid=0ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNFFUJkYh5I-rxWwmyhZsSEI8OQDHgbPets/b hop on green bandwagon/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Gazette (Montreal),nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Even if people don#39;t get on the quot;think greenquot; bandwagon, our bpets/b, apparently, will be. Backer#39;s 42nd Annual bPet/b Industry Christmas Trade Show is one of the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/vca-animal-hospitals-offers-free/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B9607BF13-FB01-4215-A88A-CFC178047FF7%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257877672ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNHiHcOFH6tNlH7CaFpFogLFggNSuAVCA Animal Hospitals Offers Free Boarding for bPets/b Affected by b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr17 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Conveniently located VCA animal hospitals will provide a safe environment for bpets/b that have been affected by the fires through October 29, 2008 on a space b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/snif-labs-selects-prompt-communications/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BFEC76E0D-4AE8-44CD-85B0-CD1378B2B3A6%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1258142826ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNHtoEa6jR-CBS9ztnuLaabOmrODKgSNIF Labs selects Prompt Communications as its public relations b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The new product will blend real-time activity monitoring with online social networking to provide dog owners insight into the lives of their bpets/b while b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20081015/HURBLOG/810152996%3FTitle%3DHelp_keep_homeless_pets_warm_this_wintercid=1258172588ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNHFlHWiSBG2h3bSZNQQPXbdIYv4pAHelp keep homeless bpets/b warm this winter/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDaily Comet,nbsp;LAnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1HOUMA –A local animal-advocacy group is offering you a chance to help keep homeless bpets/b warmer this winter. The Humane Society of Houma-Terrebonne is b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/pet-bistro-raises-bar-pet/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257BF0331861-959B-410F-88C0-7568834A7098%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1257423311ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNFI_iv83CC2MO7Or9eirK1uHpwy2QbPet/b Bistro Raises the Bar for bPet/b Cuisine, Offering Healthful b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMarketWatchnbsp;-/font nobrOct 14, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Unique to the industry, bPet/b Bistro is catching on among discerning bpet/b-lovers. bPet/b Bistro founder and CEO Rafaela Miett spent a decade cooking up recipes b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Db-q_OLIaWrYcid=1257423311ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNE5K1xz4wNoYiXX7gSCVJh8UEa6vAVideo: Pet Food#39;s Mystery Meat/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrCBS/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/b-q_OLIaWrY/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/b-q_OLIaWrYtype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wtvynews4.com/news/headlines/30913129.htmlcid=1257423311ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNHiYbwLFuQQ_yKB4_HYf1c4Bo8pJwbPet/b Food Dangers/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWTVY/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1257423311hl=ennobrall 9 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/10/prweb1473744.htmcid=1258115479ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNFl7muiGXx_mkaPt-3XM6kyX90FDgimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=CPjvwm7aGsEJimgurl=www.prweb.com/prfiles/2008/10/14/286509/gI_0_BuddhabagPurrple.jpg width=80 height=77 alt= border=1brfont size=-2PR Web (press release)/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/10/prweb1473744.htmcid=1258115479ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNFl7muiGXx_mkaPt-3XM6kyX90FDgNew Buddhabag Offers Cozy Nap Sack for Stylish bPets/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR Web (press release),nbsp;WAnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Buddhabag is the first and only high-quality, moldable napping solution for cozy critters and comes with a bpet/b-themed Haiku called a buddHaiku. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/839461.htmlcid=0ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNGzX8vBrUq5-8b5HT53W-q2kJJUHwbPets/b of the week: Herbie and Chloe/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKansas City Star,nbsp;MOnbsp;-/font nobr15 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Where to adopt Herbie and Chloe: Second Chance bPet/b Adoptions (www.2ndchance bpets/b.net). Please contact bpets/b averdc@aol.com or 913-814-7471 for more b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://sev.prnewswire.com/health-care-hospitals/20081015/LA3906315102008-1.htmlcid=1258131433ei=jjj2SIDzB6js6gPsmYCPCQusg=AFQjCNHivgs9trMFb3wUkUq6O9s7zFboxAVeterinary bPet/b Insurance Reveals Most Unusual bPet/b Names/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR Newswire (press release),nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Not all Americans have bought in to the concept of monosyllabic human names for their bpets/b. For some, the bpet/b name trend is more toward the unusual -- or b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
pets - Google News

The 5 Things You Should Know Before Breeding Cats

The cat population is astronomical. Most experts agree that average... Read More

Want to Feel Better? Go Stroke Your Cat!

Stroking your cat can be good for your health! It... Read More

Pet Ear Infections

Is your dog or cat tormented by ear infections? Do... Read More

Dogs, Cats, Horses?We Love Them All!

We have a long history with domesticated animals and even... Read More

Dog Aggression: How to Recognize & Respond

Many dog owners are bewildered when they hear their dog... Read More

Characteristics Of The Boxer

Is A Boxer Right For You?Country of Origin: Germany ... Read More

Housebreaking Your Dog-Potty Training Canine Style

Puppies are a bundle of newfound joy. You've prepared the... Read More

Preparing for Your New Pet

Getting a new pet can be a lot of fun.... Read More

No, No, No! Drop It, Drop It! Give It To Me Now!

Puppies can be so exasperating! They know what we want,... Read More

Dog Crate Training: The Basics

Dog crate training is one of the most effective ways... Read More

How To Load A Horse Into A Trailer - Easy As Pie!

If there is an art to getting horses to load... Read More

Lower Your Veterinarian Costs And Increase the Longevity of Your Pets Lives

What does doing natural preventative care mean? I thought vaccinating,... Read More

Did You Know?

German Shepherds were among the first dogs trained for police... Read More

Westies Dogs ? Please Consider Adopting an Older Westie Dog

Everybody loves a baby animal and Westie puppies are adorable,... Read More

Worms in Your Dog... Gross!

Of all the parasites a dog can catch, worms take... Read More

Tips For Buying a Horse Online

More and more folks are looking to the Internet to... Read More

How To Recognize A Respiratory Tract Ailment In Your Parrot

A respiratory tract ailment can be fatal to your parrot... Read More

Does Your Dog Need Puppy Prozac?

Is your dog up to dirty no good again? Did... Read More

Breed Specific Legislation: Is Your Pit Bull Next?

Breed specific legislation otherwise known as "BSL" has started to... Read More

Too Many Cats?

Cats are becoming increasingly popular as pets these days, and... Read More

The Power of Dogs

Well first of all I was always a cat owner,... Read More

Pet Food Label Secrets Revealed! Know What You Are Feeding Your Dog And Cat

Reading a pet food label, how difficult can it be?... Read More

Guinea Pigs Health

Guinea Pigs make great pets and are fairly easy to... Read More

Wormy Dogs? - Understand Dog Worms Infestation and Their Symptoms

Until a very recent period, dog worms were thought to... Read More

Aromatherapy for Pets

Pets can enjoy the therapeutic effects of aromatherapy as much... Read More