Teeth Cleaning
My local Vet says my 11 year old Shih Tzu needs her teeth cleaned. Says she has tarter that needs to be removed. Here's my concern my Cookie has a heart murmer plus she is 11 years old and I'm worri...
Forum Discussion
Small dogs tend to get nasty teeth faster than larger dogs, because they have the same number of teeth as a large dog, crammed into a tiny mouth. It's probably too late for brushing to fix the problem. Please let your vet do a cleaning. Your dog may also need some extractions, due to decay, as Dr. Doug mentioned. BTW, dogs can eat just fine without all their teeth. I had my daughter's 7 lb. yorkie-poo for several months, and I had him get a dental right after we took him in. He had to have four teeth removed, and he was just fine.
After the cleaning, follow up with daily brushing with a toothbrush made for small dogs and a dog toothpaste. I'm partial to Nylabone toothbrushes and TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel. The gel says no brushing needed, but ignore that. Brushing is much more beneficial. I always do it at night, right before bed, so that it stays on the teeth longer. Don't allow food/water for at least 30 minutes before or after brushing for best results.
After the cleaning, follow up with daily brushing with a toothbrush made for small dogs and a dog toothpaste. I'm partial to Nylabone toothbrushes and TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel. The gel says no brushing needed, but ignore that. Brushing is much more beneficial. I always do it at night, right before bed, so that it stays on the teeth longer. Don't allow food/water for at least 30 minutes before or after brushing for best results.
