One Thing I Will Never Do Again (I Learned My Lesson...Repeatedly)
Some very expensive lessons.
Introduction
All 8 dogs in the featured image had extensive professional dental care from veterinarians. Many had full-mouth extractions. Were the procedures expensive?
Absolutely.
I was on a first-name basis with the local veterinary dentist. Dr. Sharon French is a wonderful veterinary surgeon working in Toronto. I prefer to stay far away from her with my current dogs. Even though they both have pet health insurance.
What happened?
I didn't brush my previous dogs’ teeth the way I do with my current two.
What I did was lie to myself. To justify not brushing their teeth, I did what most pet owners do. I purchased products to support their dental health.
Greenies (dog treats for chewing)
Dental sprays.
Water additives are advertised to fight plaque.
Prescription dental diets such as Hill’s T/D or Royal Canin Dental Formula. Those foods are giant kibbles designed to scrape plaque off teeth. The ingredients of those foods prevent the plaque from building up to form tartar.
Ultimately, purchasing those products were for my convenience.
If I gave my dogs those items, I would feel less guilty for not brushing their teeth. Did giving them those products help?
I don't know.
As most vets will tell you, brushing your pet’s teeth is the best thing an owner can do.
I agree.
Yet, despite obsessively brushing my current dogs’ teeth 3 times daily, I will always get their yearly dental health check. Because I know their breed (Chihuahua) is prone to dental disease.
My effort has paid off.
Min, despite being a Chihuahua, presented very clean teeth at her latest dental cleaning. She had two simple extractions, so my bill was 200 cheaper than what I was quoted. The veterinary team that looked after Min was surprised by the condition of her teeth and gums.
“Most Chihuahua mouths don't look like that. Keep up what you're doing!”
That is also why I started my Skool for Happy Lil Dogs Husbandry to help other small dog owners. I get that small dogs can be challenging for brushing teeth. Why do you think I didn’t brush my previous dogs’ teeth?
If you're interested, or know someone who needs this: my Skool is free to join!
What are your experiences with pet teeth?
Comments welcome on this post or through DM.
Thank you for the advice! I am working on getting into the same habit and your suggestions helped so much!! Yay brushing teeth!
I had 2 Yorkies who had all their teeth removed. I fell into some of the traps you mention in your piece. My latest adopted dog, Abby is going to the vet next week for dental extraction. Her teeth are really far gone.