[ricksconnected]

how often should one take their child in for a check-up? do you go to their regular vet for this?
i have no clue whatsoever on this subject.

 

[Sadiemakes6]

Well, that depends! Annual vet visits are important because they check teeth and can tell you if a scaling is needed. Most offices can perform routine dentals. Remember, though that the beag is sedated like a surgery, so any pre op testing your dog may need is in order.
Some dogs, like people, build plaque quickly. They may need to come in twice yearly, while other dogs may be fine every other year. Much depends on how well the teeth are taken care of at home. Sometimes genetics is a factor as well. Discuss this with the vet at your next visit, or if your dog is acting like his mouth is sore. Dental infections can be dangerous, because sores in the mouth can move infection directly to the bloodstream and cause problems in the heart, kidneys, and other major organs.

 

[BookerMoose]

Quote:Originally posted by ricksconnected:
how often should one take their child in for a check-up? do you go to their regular vet for this?
i have no clue whatsoever on this subject.

Whenever our three are in at the vet for something else, we make sure that the vet has a chance to look at their teeth and let us know if anything is required (and I confess that we don't brush any of their teeth at home...).

So far in five years with us Moosie has never had to have a teeth cleaning and the vet continues to say his teeth are clean as a whistle. Booker in the seven years we have had her has had about three cleanings (always tacked on to other procedures she has had to have) and will probably need one later this year together with some other work she needs done... she just seems to produce a lot of plaque and is also reluctant to chew things like denta-bones. We don't know about Popcorn yet - the vet says her teeth are not as clean as Moosie's but better than Booker's... so it certainly does seem to vary a lot from dog to dog.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Misty, our senior, has only had her teeth cleaned once in 12-1/2 years. Li'l Girl who's about 8 has had hers cleaned twice. Spook, at nearly 3, still has beautiful white teeth. Our poor Traveler, 7-1/2, is almost constantly in need of a cleaning. He's going to get another soon, and then I'm trying the Oravet treatments to see if that helps.

I do brush all the dogs' teeth, so as others have posted, a lot just depends on the dog. It is a fact, though, that dental problems can lead to other health problems. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif