Canine teeth cleaning really necessary?

Personally, I think it's just silly. I've had many animals that lived to ripe old ages as well! I think as long as you brush their teeth, and make sure they have good dental chew toys that are getting the buildup off you should be fine. My vet also said I should consider teeth cleaning, but only if my Sibe really needed it. She said we were doing great with just the brushing and bone chewing.

I guess if you can afford it and want to, then go ahead. I don't think it's necessary though.

Ok if there is no plaque build up then continue cleaning at home. If there is a moderate build up, try feeding raw bones of the right size for the pup and go to the vet if it isn't clean after a couple of bones. If it is heavy build up or has been present for a long time then let the vet clean up front and then follow up with proper dental care and bones in the future.

Dogs of every sort need clean teeth. They live their entire lives through their mouths and the pain I have seen many dogs in is unacceptable. I have seen dogs stop eating because it hurts too much. I could care less how but the teeth must be maintained. It is not normal to lose teeth except to injury. It is not normal for there to be a foul odor from their mouth.

The dangers you listed above are real and will decrease the dogs lifespan and cause needless suffering. The real key is day to day cleaning because plaque begins to harden after 2 days on the teeth and that plaque is what causes the cavities that result in severe pain, tooth loss and smell. The vet is the last resort when the dog has been neglected in day to day care.

I do take my dog for annual cleaning because he is a working dog and I want to ensure that the care I am taking is sufficient. Because my dog is trained sedation is not needed. Because I clean every day it takes about 10 minutes during one of his semi annual check ups. Because of these things it costs about 40 dollars to have the vet do this.

I guess it depends on what your dog's teeth currently look like? Does your vet complain that she has excess tartar build up at all? Some dogs just have bad teeth - and some dog food just causes lots of teeth problems.

My chihuahua (and chihuahuas are notorious for having teeth issues) is almost 3 years old and has RANK breath.. but everytime I ask whether teeth cleaning is necessary, my vet raves about how beautiful her teeth are (she's an incessant chewer, almost entirely on holistic dry dog food, etc) and tells me that unless they take a turn for the worse or I insist, she doesn't *need* it.

Maybe go to a different vet for a second opinion? Vets can be hit or miss regarding their diagnoses. I have a lot of animals (I may as well be a collector) and especially with Equine vets, some of them will almost always find *something* wrong in order to charge you for it.

Maybe you just need a different vet or at least one who won't insist on a procedure unless it's absolutely necessary?

If your dog has a healthy diet - plenty of chew toys to exercise her jaws and clean her teeth - and is overall healthy and active, a good tooth brushing by you (not even every night, I brush my dog's teeth maybe once every other week and her teeth are perfectly fine) and she won't need a professional cleaning for awhile.

ask the person who was on here a few weeks ago crying because the general anesthetic used to knock out dogs for teeth cleaning KILLED their dog. General anesthetic is just as dangerous for pets as it is for people.

Brush your dogs teeth regularly (NOT every night, that is over kill and can do more harm than good by irritating their gums) and keep an eye out for infections, cavities and abscesses. Being put under regularly just increases the odds of something going terribly wrong and for what? If the dog is crunching dry kibble and chewing its dental chew toys there shouldn't be much plaque and what there is you can take care of with a tooth brush.

For good health, and good breath you should get your dog’s teeth cleaned. Just combine it with another reason for her to be knocked out, say like being spayed.

Then with a clean base every night brush your dog’s teeth. Dogs can NOT use people tooth paste, you have to use special dog tooth paste. I brush my little one’s teeth every night since he was six weeks old. He has never needed a professional cleaning and the vet is very impressed with his teeth. Plus his breath is very good most of the time.

It is a good thing to have your pets teeth cleaned every few years. It prevents plaque buildup & keeps them healthy. It is proven that gum disease leads to heart problems, etc. It is true in humans too. That does sound a little costly for the procedure so you might check prices at another vet but remember that they have to knock the animal out to clean its teeth. If you don't get it done, it will most likely lead to cavaties & problems later. If you'll go back in the cats questions a couple of days you can find out what happens when you don't get your pets teeth cleaned (teeth falling out, horrible breath, its not pretty). This is the 3rd questions I've answered about this recently.

If your dogs teeth are healthy and not causing any problems I wouldn't think that it was necessary, but if their teeth aren't kept clean they can have the same dental problems that humans have, including cavities,abcesses, and tooth loss. the older the dog gets the more important it is to make sure the teeth are cleaned. You can clean them yourself with a dog tooth brush and dog tooth paste. Never use Human Toothpaste for a dog or cat.

Try cleaning them yourself to save that high cost at the Vet.

Dental cleanings are necessary when they have tarter build up on their teeth. Because the tarter can break off and cause kidney problems and your dog could die. I have a beagle and she has to get dentals even though she always chews on rawhides and only eats dry foods.

Look at it this way, Do you clean your teeth? Can we get disease from not brushing our teeth? Well then......Except you paying 300.00$ for your vet to brush them, is just them wanting to make a little money, on one part, but the other part is YES, it is important!! You can brush your dogs teeth by yourself!!!! Get a big, soft toothbrush, and canine paste(it's flavored), you can get it from your vets, or any pet supply store. Brush, Brush, Brush your dogs teeth to a happier, CLEANER, healthier doggy!!! Good luck!- (just fallow directions on tube, or ask vet, but don't pay for it!)

Yes, it is very important. Some breeds are more prone to tooth problems - and your beagle appears to be one of them.

You could look into giving raw bones to help clean her teeth, but a professional cleaning is still in order.

Don't just start randomly chucking raw bones at your dog. Here's a website to help:

http://www.raw-connections.com/