Cheri -

My friend had a great experience with a board certified veterinary dentist in Farmington Hills. Her dog does Sch, so they had to do some things differently than other dogs and she was really pleased. She works in the veterinary field and is pretty picky, so for her to be satisfied is a big deal

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

 Quote: Sarah Ward

Note to self, though, to be more vigilant about frequent teeth inspections for both dogs.

Yep, I sent that note to myself, too. I hope everyone reading this thread does the same. I sincerely thought I was doing a good job of watching for issues, but clearly I was not vigilant enough.

Good reminder! Interesting thread.

 Quote: Melissa Hoyer

Cheri -

My friend had a great experience with a board certified veterinary dentist in Farmington Hills. Her dog does Sch, so they had to do some things differently than other dogs and she was really pleased. She works in the veterinary field and is pretty picky, so for her to be satisfied is a big deal

Thanks for that info, Melissa. I sent you a PM.

 Quote: Ang England

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

 Quote: Sarah Ward

Note to self, though, to be more vigilant about frequent teeth inspections for both dogs.

Yep, I sent that note to myself, too. I hope everyone reading this thread does the same. I sincerely thought I was doing a good job of watching for issues, but clearly I was not vigilant enough.

Good reminder! Interesting thread.

There are also several threads about the big strides in general anesthesia for dogs over the last fifteen years or so, along with details about the protocols that help so much, and the much better anesthesia choices, to stay way ahead of the bad old days of fearing every G/A event for the dog.

Here's one of them:

http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=31279&page=1#348927

Thanks for posting that link, Connie. And I see there are links within the link, so I've got a lot of reading up to do!

Not that I'm old or anything ( ) , but the whole world of G/A for dogs has changed in my adult lifetime. I wasn't even aware until 2008 or 2009 that the scariness for the most vulnerable breeds and types of dogs under G/A had completely changed, if the vet and the owner took full advantage of the best protocols and agents.

It's hard to express what a difference it makes to decide on dentistry and elective surgery based on whether the procedure will benefit the dog rather than on whether the G/A might kill him.

We still have to be sure that we are aware of whether our vet's G/A protocol and pre-op testing are what we want it to be. But I know that nowadays I have dentistry stuff done on geriatric brachycephalic dogs with very little fear. It's huge not to have to weigh the pros and cons like it used to be ...... back when I'd think about an adoptee, "Well, his gums and teeth are bad, even to the naked eye and the nose, but are they bad enough to take the G/A risk?"


All JMO, of course. Not a health professional! But definitely a much happier owner.

Very good point, Connie.

In the dental vet's detailed written report (with photos!) on Buzz's tooth repair (another thing I really appreciated) I see he used extensive intraoral nerve blocking to eliminate pain during the procedure and reduce general anesthesia to the minimum needed to keep the dog unconscious and immobile. Based on past experience, when I went to collect Buzz I was expecting to carry a semi-comatose 75lb dog out to the car. Instead he walked out on his own paws and hopped right up.

Canine general anesthesia has indeed improved.