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Teeth cleaning

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • You did the right thing… and some dogs just have bad teeth... just like people... and you will see a great difference in her in a few days... been there, done that.... and don't feel bad... Basenji bitches are known for "hiding" pain... mine do.....

  • What I'd really like to know… is WHERE did you take Deedle to begin with??
    There is NO reason anesthesia, cleaning and any extractions should come to half of hat you quoted.

    Where is the new vet you are considering?
    What part of town are you in?

    I could give you numerous recommedations that have a multitude of basenji experience without raping your wallet.

  • Unfortunately, on some dogs, I wouldn't even want to think about no anesthetic with teeth cleaning. My old girl Calli has severly bad gingivitis, two cracked molars, crud caked on, and a heart murmur. Which is why I opted for this product first. I will do my best to clean it up without taking her in. Even though she is not a basenji, I don't want to chance it. However, with her if I had to it would be anethetic all the way. While I can take anything out of her mouth, other people may not be able to. It really depends on the temperment of the dog as well. Especially if they are in pain. Just MO.

  • @khanis:

    What I'd really like to know… is WHERE did you take Deedle to begin with??
    There is NO reason anesthesia, cleaning and any extractions should come to half of hat you quoted.

    Where is the new vet you are considering?
    What part of town are you in?

    I could give you numerous recommedations that have a multitude of basenji experience without raping your wallet.

    In response to Kathy's comments, the first vet we went to was Hollywood Pet Hospital. Their prices seemed a little higher than others, I figured because they are an AAHA accredited hospital. The new vet is Mt. Tabor Veterinary Care on Belmont St in SE Portland. It's close to our house, and they were very attentive and very nice. It still cost us a pretty penny, but it included full X-rays of her mouth, X-rays of her abdomen, anesthesia for 3 hours, and 7 extractions!

    Deedle seems back to her old self now, but we're feeding her soft food for 5 days, and it seems to be giving her horrible gas! I am choosing to be amused by it, but she is stinking up the whole house!

  • Well I tried the Petlife gel and The dogs will not let me get near them with it.

    Or Tri when I came close to him with it he made the most awful face, showing his teeth, but not threatening but more like Ewwww. Then he drop to the ground and started rubbing his paws with his nose trying to get the smell out.

    He has a similar reaction to bananas.

    They let me brush their teeth, which they enjoy, so back to brushing.

  • Hey barkless, I wanted to try this product. If you're stuck with an almost full bottle that you have no need for, and you feel it's safe to share, get my email from admin and give me a yell. I'll take it off your hands and compensate you for the product and shipping.

  • Sure.

    Someone Hook us up!

    This stuff has a strong almost rubbing alcohol like odor.

  • Funny, my 14+ yr old didn't mind it in the least….but we all know that B's are different... gggg. I have not found that about the product... now the spray on that other hand.. it does have the alcohol odor... Kristii is not thrilled with that.. but I can still use it

  • I wanted to bump this thread…

    I've been using the regular flavour Petzlife gel on Ruby (4yo) now for 2 weeks (3x a week, per the bottle) and I cannot believe the difference in her teeth and her breath. Her breath changed within the first 2 times of using it. I fully expect that if it keeps working the way it has, that in another 2 weeks there will be no sign of plaque at all. Her teeth were starting to look not so good, but this stuff has changed that! I cannot believe it works this great!

    Count me in as someone that now swears by this product.

    BTW, I was in a store in a pet store in New Jersey and found it for $20! What a deal!

  • Definately worth getting a second vet to look and give you a price. I looked around when Benji needed his teeth doing and managed to find a vet quite a bit cheaper and most importantly a good vet.
    I know what you mean about the bad breath, Benjis could strip paint, lol.
    Seriously though it is most unpleasant. Can anyone tell me why it is that smaller Dogs tend to get tooth problems? Our big Dog has wonderfull teeth at the age of 11.

  • @moetmum:

    We have started using it today!! Mainly Fiji who is having gel and spray (much to her disgust) and my three youngsters are just having the spray as maintenance.

    Hi Moetmum. Not seen you on here for a while. I was wondering where you purchase the Petzlife from in the UK as Nakura's breath smells like something has died inside her and I'd love to give something new a try. :)

  • @renaultf1:

    I wanted to bump this thread…

    I've been using the regular flavour Petzlife gel on Ruby (4yo) now for 2 weeks (3x a week, per the bottle) and I cannot believe the difference in her teeth and her breath. Her breath changed within the first 2 times of using it. I fully expect that if it keeps working the way it has, that in another 2 weeks there will be no sign of plaque at all. Her teeth were starting to look not so good, but this stuff has changed that! I cannot believe it works this great!

    Count me in as someone that now swears by this product.

    BTW, I was in a store in a pet store in New Jersey and found it for $20! What a deal!

    I've been using it a few times per week for the last few months. Recent visit to the vet brought high remarks for his dental hygiene.

    The grain alcohol in the gel should be a big part of why their breath improves. It should kill all/most of the bacteria that is causing it.

  • @Benkura:

    Hi Moetmum. Not seen you on here for a while. I was wondering where you purchase the Petzlife from in the UK as Nakura's breath smells like something has died inside her and I'd love to give something new a try. :)

    Maybe its an age thing Nakura is a similar age to Fiji isn't she?

    I can't remember where I bought it, I googled it and found a distributor in this country, I bought both spray and gel, mainly for Fiji, I found it effective. I used the spray on all of them in the evening, then the spray and the gel first thing in the morning, they aren't supposed to have anything for a while before or after for it to work properly. I do occasionally give them raw chicken wings as well, apart from Chico who hates raw poultry!

  • I've brushed all my others for years. I now have started brushing the new tri I got and he does not mind it too much. I just use water only and get it wet then first let him just chew it a little and they will get used to the feel of the brush in their mouth. Just don't force it as even with a soft brush the gums are sensitive. Make it an enjoyable then they will let you hold them gently by the top of the muzzle and lift the lip and brush using down strokes. Always very gently. Any uncomfortableness just back off.

  • @moetmum:

    Maybe its an age thing Nakura is a similar age to Fiji isn't she?

    Nakura will be 6 this year. How time flys!!!
    Her breath has always been smelly. Skipper, her half brother, has always had bad Basenji breath too!
    I'll be trying out this new wonder stuff very soon.

  • I use Logic toothpaste but not to brush on as there doesn't seem to be a need as it clings to the teeth. I also give Fragraria to loosen the plaque. I did try Plaqueoff which seemed ok but not as effective as I thought it would be. I was interested in it because Terry believed that the reason our collies had good teeth all their lives was because they ate sheep's s..t which would have been full of herbs and 'Plaqueoff' is mixed herbs.

  • I have had tremendous luck with my 4 year old Dachshunds teeth using raw bones. We started that 5 weeks ago, and two weeks prior to that my vet wanted to put him down for 4 hours to do some severe teeth cleaning…today all his tartar is gone and his teeth are only slightly stained, like ours look after drinking lots of coffee. I contribute his now healthy teeth to the fact that he gnaws on these bones daily. All the dogs breath smell sweet too, which is an added bonus.

  • Ruby's always had raw bones…maybe her teeth would have been worse without them...IDK...but it doesn't seem like they've done much for her. She is 4 and was looking like she needed a dental...not now. I can't wait for my vet to see her...she won't believe it.

  • I agree the Petzlife does make a big difference.

  • This has been my routine lately:

    Petzlife gel- 3x/week
    Brushing with enzymatic toothpaste- 2x/week

    It's honestly amazing how quickly the tarter comes off after using the Petzlife gel. It loosens everything up so that when you brush, 90% of it comes right off. I should have taken some before and after photos. I couldn't believe how well it works sometimes.

    The bonus part of the gel is that it kills bad breath. I put a small tab of it on my index finger and wipe it on the roof of Kananga's mouth. His tongue coats his teeth and preps it for when he gets his teeth brushed. So far, he has very minimal tarter, if any at this point. I know my vet mentioned his teeth were in great shape last time he had his comprehensive exam. I bought the petzlife gel a few months ago and have not needed to purchase another container yet. It sure does last awhile, so don't get turned off by the high price tag.

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    PLEASE DO NOT!!! The AMVA and the dental veterinary society says RUN from ANY VET advertising no anesthesia cleaning. PLEASE, find a vet who knows what they are doing! The teeth may LOOK cleaner, but the MEDICAL issue is below the gums! http://www.avdc.org/dentalscaling.html However, performing NPDS on an unanesthetized pet is inappropriate for the following reasons: 1. Dental tartar is firmly adhered to the surface of the teeth. Scaling to remove tartar is accomplished using ultrasonic and sonic power scalers, plus hand instruments that must have a sharp working edge to be used effectively. Even slight head movement by the patient could result in injury to the oral tissues of the patient, and the operator may be bitten when the patient reacts. 2. Professional dental scaling includes scaling the surfaces of the teeth both above and below the gingival margin (gum line), followed by dental polishing. The most critical part of a dental scaling procedure is scaling the tooth surfaces that are within the gingival pocket (the subgingival space between the gum and the root), where periodontal disease is active. Because the patient cooperates, dental scaling of human teeth performed by a professional trained in the procedures can be completed successfully without anesthesia. However, access to the subgingival area of every tooth is impossible in an unanesthetized canine or feline patient. Removal of dental tartar on the visible surfaces of the teeth has little effect on a pet's health, and provides a false sense of accomplishment. The effect is purely cosmetic. 3. Inhalation anesthesia using a cuffed endotracheal tube provides three important advantages… the cooperation of the patient with a procedure it does not understand, elimination of pain resulting from examination and treatment of affected dental tissues during the procedure, and protection of the airway and lungs from accidental aspiration. 4. A complete oral examination, which is an important part of a professional dental scaling procedure, is not possible in an unanesthetized patient. The surfaces of the teeth facing the tongue cannot be examined, and areas of disease and discomfort are likely to be missed. Safe use of an anesthetic or sedative in a dog or cat requires evaluation of the general health and size of the patient to determine the appropriate drug and dose, and continual monitoring of the patient. ) Periodontal problems affect more than 80 percent of dogs over the age of four, according to Hometown Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic veterinarian Jan Bellows. University of Penn http://www.vet.upenn.edu/RyanVHUPforSmallAnimalPatients/SpecialtyCareServices/DentistryOralSurgery/ClientInformation/tabid/814/Default.aspx#AnesthesiaFrequencyDentalCleanings Need for Anesthesia and Frequency of Professional Dental Cleanings Need for Anesthesia In order to perform a thorough periodontal examination, dental radiography, scaling and polishing, gingival curettage and root planing, the pet must be under general anesthesia. Anesthetic gas and oxygen are delivered through an endotracheal tube, thus ensuring pain-free procedures and also protecting the airways from aspirating fluids or debris. Owners of pets naturally are concerned when anesthesia is required for their pet. However, anesthesia-free dentistry performed by untrained individuals is inappropriate for several reasons, including: Significant safety concerns for the patient and operator. Insufficient cleaning of inaccessible tooth surfaces. No debridement of periodontal pockets. Oral discomfort and serious pain. Accidental aspiration of debris that can result in pneumonia and death. Furthermore, it is illegal for anybody but licensed veterinarians or supervised and trained veterinary technicians to practice veterinary medicine. Although anesthesia will never be 100% risk-free, modern anesthetic and patient evaluation techniques used in veterinary hospitals minimize the risks, and millions of dentistry and oral surgery procedures are safely performed each year. The American Veterinary Dental College adopted a position statement on companion animal dental scaling without anesthesia. Anesthesia is essential for veterinary dental procedures, to ensure that the procedure can be completed successfully. Fear of general anesthesia is a natural concern voiced by many owners when a dental procedure is recommended. However, the risk of chronic oral infection, for example, is far greater than the risk of an anesthetic complication. \ btw… have dog with CUPS, an autoimmune issue. I have to have her teeth cleaned every 3 mos. I wish I didn't know so much about it. :(