Do dental treats actually work?

iPappy

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GranolaLouise GranolaLouise , one of mine needed a dental at about 10 years old. I was concerned about the sedation too, but we did all the blood work and things to put the odds in his favor. He came through just fine, and my vet told me something I'll never forget. She said his heart was strong, his blood work was good, and his liver and kidneys were working and would be able to rid his body of the anesthetic. If I were to wait a year or so the bad teeth might have affected his other organs (heart/kidneys etc.)or another health problem could crop up, thereby making the surgery much more dangerous. That has stuck with me for a long time.
When I decided to have his teeth cleaned, he was really pawing at his mouth and it turns out his lower canine tooth was infected...and abscessed under the gumline. I felt horrible and was glad I did the dental. About 2 years later, he did come down with a form of heart disease and putting him under would have been terribly risky. I absolutely hate them having surgery (I was an absolute nervous wreck when Lila was spayed) but I force myself to do something to pass the time when they're at the clinic, and eagerly wait for that phone call update that says they did well and are awake and can come home in another hour or so.
 

penwright1029

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GranolaLouise GranolaLouise , one of mine needed a dental at about 10 years old. I was concerned about the sedation too, but we did all the blood work and things to put the odds in his favor. He came through just fine, and my vet told me something I'll never forget. She said his heart was strong, his blood work was good, and his liver and kidneys were working and would be able to rid his body of the anesthetic. If I were to wait a year or so the bad teeth might have affected his other organs (heart/kidneys etc.)or another health problem could crop up, thereby making the surgery much more dangerous. That has stuck with me for a long time.
When I decided to have his teeth cleaned, he was really pawing at his mouth and it turns out his lower canine tooth was infected...and abscessed under the gumline. I felt horrible and was glad I did the dental. About 2 years later, he did come down with a form of heart disease and putting him under would have been terribly risky. I absolutely hate them having surgery (I was an absolute nervous wreck when Lila was spayed) but I force myself to do something to pass the time when they're at the clinic, and eagerly wait for that phone call update that says they did well and are awake and can come home in another hour or so.
You're right about an abscess. We lost our girl due to one we didn't know about. She was eating a famous brand food when she jumped and stopped, but she was so hungry, she kept on eating. It was the one with the so-called, nutritious bites. This was during the pandemic so no vets. Once I figured out what had happened, I threw the rest in the garbage. Months later, by the time we had a vet visit, it was too late. She had kidney poisoining and we had to have her put to sleep. Since that time, I've been on a mission to let people know to not feed that food to their animals. Even their CEO admitted that there really isn't the meat in it as claimed and was sued. But he said he wasn't going to change anything. It's on the web for anyone to read. But, for our girl and us, it was too late.
 

Cat McCannon

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I give Belle chicken gizzards, which really helps to keep her teeth clean.
 
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