Here's an update…
My attempts at learning to brush Bowpi's teeth kind of failed. I didn't get further than letting her lick the special enzymatic toothpaste off the brush, as opposed to actually getting to her teeth.
Meanwhile, we were able to continue knocking off more plaque with the same regimen of raw meaty bones, dental chews, anti-plaque additives and hard kibble which we'd had going on before. But still, not enough.
Got quotes from a couple more vets, none of which thought her condition urgent either. In the end, we just decided to go with the first vet because I do want to establish a good relationship with a "regular" vet instead of shopping around all the time, and they seem to be good people at this practice.
Bowpi went in for her dental appointment this morning. I felt awful having to rouse her out of deep sleep. She was totally spread out underneath the blanket, taking up the space that I had vacated when I got up in the morning. Dropped her off at 8 AM, got her back about 3 PM.
Total damage, < $500 after Dental Month discounts, no extractions. Yay!
She cried for about twenty minutes straight after we picked her up... poor thing. I had never heard her vocalize quite so much, at least not so continuously. I gave her some anti-anxiety drops in a bit of yogurt, and she settled down. Now she's sleeping off her tough day.
We'll go back in a couple weeks later just to follow up, and they'll try to show me how to brush her teeth. The vet is also supposed to send me some before and after pictures they took of the process, so that should be fun.
Glad she made it through with flying colors! Mine love the chicken flavored toothpaste and don't mind a quick scrubbing (which I don't do as often as I should). My vet includes a non-anesthesia ultrasound cleaning with the yearly exam for an extra $25, last year they found 2 bad teeth on Eddie, showed me, knocked him right out then pulled them and I don't think it was but an extra hundred or so, I got a groggy boy back in about 30 minutes. We had just done the yearly lab work and looked at results, so a quick puff of anesthesia then pulling 2 teeth that were really bad under the gumline tarter was easy for the vet. I was very lucky he charged me so little for the extractions.
I have paid $600 just for an extraction for a cracked molar with another vet. (same city)
I noted this product on another thread, but will post it here to. The product that I made reference to is called Plaque Off. It is wonderful, easy to use and it really works. Tiny scoop on the food daily and that's it! My co-owned 4yr old had lots of tarter just a year after having his teeth cleaned… within a month almost all was gone.. and his other owner is NOT very good at remembering to brush them.... My other friend not only uses on their Basenjis but their cats too. And he said within a month the cats teeth (that were really nasty) are 90% improved and the Vet even remarked what a difference.
Pat, Amazon has them for amazing price so I got 2 containers for about 21 bucks with shipping. I am ready to try anything.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000U8HN5W/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A39LSJLBH7NVIQ
Arwen has become much less resistant to having her teeth brushed, helped I am sure by a round of antibiotics and steroids to get the red pockets gone. I will be keeping her on steroids (was daily for 5 days, every other day for 10 days, and now every 3 days) for another couple of weeks. Because they are pretty sure hers is autoimmune (CUPS) I have to brush thoroughly every day. Hopefully we can keep the infection away and stop it.
Yes, we learned of PlaqueOff on this board and have been using it continuously for about 9 or 10 months now. It does go a long way – we're on our second bottle. I think it helped.
Wysong also makes something called Dentatreat that is similar, but I don't think one container lasts as long. We haven't tried that one.
Every time I take Shaye to the vet he asks if I brush her teeth because they look so great - I haven't. Gemma's teeth are beginning to get some staining on the top of her fangs - so i have bought toothbrushes and toothpaste and one of the finger things too, and will be brushing dog teeth soon as I get up the nerve. I will follow everyone's suggestions to let them mess around with the brush in their mouths at their pleasure before actually starting. I will say I have been giving the girls Dentastix by Pedigree as treats when we leave the house - the vet said maybe those are helping keep them clean. In any event, wish me luck. Fortunately, neither of them minds getting their mouths opened and people messing about in there. So far.
I think it is great stuff… of course my kids are still really young... so either it is helping to not get tarter... (along with brushing a couple of times a week, cause I am not so good at making sure I do it....) or they have good teeth/food/treats that are helping. But the person that recommended it is a Basenji Breeder and she got the recommendation from her sister that raises Flat Coats.... and swears by it. For the price and its long last, certainly worth a try....
Here in our area, where there are 3 excellent vets, they charge $500 for cleaning (including sedation). Any teeth pulling or special work is added on top of that cost. I'm working on keeping Kipawa's teeth pearly white. We have a 17 year old cat that only has 4 teeth left. She had a genetic abnormality that caused problems in her bones and teeth. But if you put something yummy in front of her, even if it is a kibble type food, she will work away on it until it is all gone. She must have the strongest gums - just very few teeth. She has cost us huge dental bills over the years, but we would have done the same for kids if we would have had any. To me, there is no difference.
The way I look at it, if I would do it for a human child, I will do it for my kids (the animal variety). Responsibility comes with many factors, cost being one of them.
I can't imagine paying $500 to clean even with sedation. Here it ranges from about $75 to $200 tops.
Vetting up here in the PNW is very expensive. Just getting a female b fixed the vets start at $300. That is why I refer to a very good low cost spay/neuter clinic about 40 miles from me.
Its less than $100 to fix a female b.
I can't imagine paying $500 to clean even with sedation. Here it ranges from about $75 to $200 tops.
Around my part of the country, you are lucky to get out under 750.00
But Pat, you have superb weather. 
But Pat, you have superb weather.
LOL …. so hmm... great weather = higher Vet costs... makes perfect sense to me!!!
Friends of ours from Canada bought us a Christmas present of antlers. Their 5 year old basenji boy after chewing on his own for one month has the cleanest teeth I've ever seen. I have been allowing my kids to chew on them supervised and their teeth are cleaner than ever. I honestly think with this addition to brushing we may not need dogs put under for cleaning.
We are lucky my dogs will let us or our vet scale teeth without putting them out. We start handling teeth very young to get to this point.
Has anyone else had luck with antlers?
Therese Leimback
FoPaw's Basenjis
www.fopawsbasenjipuppies.com
@Therese:
Friends of ours from Canada bought us a Christmas present of antlers. Their 5 year old basenji boy after chewing on his own for one month has the cleanest teeth I've ever seen. I have been allowing my kids to chew on them supervised and their teeth are cleaner than ever. I honestly think with this addition to brushing we may not need dogs put under for cleaning.
We are lucky my dogs will let us or our vet scale teeth without putting them out. We start handling teeth very young to get to this point.
Has anyone else had luck with antlers?
Therese Leimback
FoPaw's Basenjis
www.fopawsbasenjipuppies.com
Therese, is it the finish on the antlers that make it effective? Or the chemical properties? What do you think it is? That is so interesting!
I'll have to take a photo of the one that is chewed on so you can see how it holds up. It doesn't splinter and I would guess it is the texture that chewing on it scrapes any plaque off the teeth. The dogs love it, it isn't messy and everything I have read so far says its safe.
I'll take a photo so you can see that chewing on it since Christmas they have done little damage to it but still enjoy it. Our friends from New Westminster bought it at a specialty pet store near you Fran.
Therese
Lots of stores are stocking antlers now. I'm always on the lookout for non-rawhide chews, and these look great! Except my shiba gets way too possessive over long-lasting chews, so we can't really keep anything around that will last for days/weeks on end.
Best Bully Sticks has a bunch here:
http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs/search?keywords=antlers&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
A lot of indie sellers on Etsy often have them for sale, too:
http://www.etsy.com/people/WildandWooleyTreats
We like Himalayan yak cheese chews, salmon skin rolls (here's a video of Bowpi working at one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4SCwZOGiMA), and C.E.T. Dental Chews (which are beef rawhide, which I know some people don't like, but my guys seem to have done all right with these).
As for weather and its proportional relationship to vet costs… HMM... Considering it's raining sideways outside my window right now and Bowpi refuses to be pulled off the front porch, I'd have to question that equation. 
Nah, actually, yeah, we do have amazing weather almost year-round, so it's a great place to live. But very stressful if you "ain't got the Dough-re-mi," as Woody Guthrie sings.
I've honestly given consideration to finding a job in, say, rural Texas or Montana or something when I'm done with my degree, if only for lower vet costs... among other advantages!
LOL …. so hmm... great weather = higher Vet costs... makes perfect sense to me!!!
LOL great weather equals more want to live there.
More want to live there, drives real estate costs up.
Increased real estate costs drives other expenses up.
LOL, it does make some sense. But then, wth is up with NYC which has icky weather? Oh wait, massive overcrowding, never mind.
