# Cost of Teeth Cleaning



## munchkin1616 (Dec 8, 2005)

Nikko's sleeping right now after a long vet visit to get his shots and all, they had to poke him twice to draw blood and he's been limping on that leg since, though the docs say it's nothing to worry about unless he's still limping in the morning. poor thing! I need to get his teeth cleaned within the next few months, though it terrifies me to have him go under. The vet here wants to charge me about $235 for the entire thing (pre-visit blood work to make sure he's ok for it, anesthesia, antibiotics after, and the cleaning itself). Is this more or less than normal?

He has a skin tag or possible wart on his snout that they want to remove while he's under, though they say it's not anything to really worry about since he's not bothered by it and the shape/size hasn't changed in 2 yrs. Not sure the latter will happen though since it's another $150 or so to do that. Part of me feels awful about not being able to afford every single thing he wants or needs (even non-essentials), but with college tuition, and a car in the shop, I'm doing the best I can and am just hoping it's enough. 


absolutely hate worrying about money, but in this case, I don't seem to have much choice.


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## HappyB (Feb 28, 2005)

> Nikko's sleeping right now after a long vet visit to get his shots and all, they had to poke him twice to draw blood and he's been limping on that leg since, though the docs say it's nothing to worry about unless he's still limping in the morning. poor thing! I need to get his teeth cleaned within the next few months, though it terrifies me to have him go under. The vet here wants to charge me about $235 for the entire thing (pre-visit blood work to make sure he's ok for it, anesthesia, antibiotics after, and the cleaning itself). Is this more or less than normal?
> 
> He has a skin tag or possible wart on his snout that they want to remove while he's under, though they say it's not anything to really worry about since he's not bothered by it and the shape/size hasn't changed in 2 yrs. Not sure the latter will happen though since it's another $150 or so to do that. Part of me feels awful about not being able to afford every single thing he wants or needs (even non-essentials), but with college tuition, and a car in the shop, I'm doing the best I can and am just hoping it's enough.
> 
> ...



If I were you, I would go online and order some Teeth for Life and start using this. You might be surprised at what it does, and with continued use, might avoid the teeth cleaning.
As for the skin tag, I would leave it.


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

price sounds about right....there is a new dental vaccine that came out recently...we just started to implement it into our practice...looks real good...prevents the top three bacteria found in the mouth..i cant wait to use it on mine


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

The estimate to get his teeth cleaned is right in line with the prices here in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Teeth cleaning is not just a luxury, but an important part of Nikko's good health. The bacteria in his mouth can get into the circulatory system and cause heart disease and affect other organs as well.

Faye, thanks for sharing that information about Teeth for Life. I am going to check it out. I have always been so conscientious about keeping Lady's teeth clean. My vet said it was especially important since she is diabetic. I wanted to have her teeth cleaned last summer while she was boarded after my car accident, but they didn't feel it was safe to anesthetize her anymore.

Hopefully this will help clean her teeth without a real dental.


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## samuelette (Apr 9, 2006)

I would like to add my 2 cents about "teeth for life", I have a westie who's back teeth were disgusting a greenish black with plaque. I have 6 dogs and brush thier teeth every other day except Andrew the westie I had brushed his teeth every day from the age of 3 months he was 2 yrs when I got the teeth for life gel and a dental scaler and in less than 4 weeks Andrew had the same pearly whites as the rest of my dogs Now I use teeth for life once a week on all my dogs, our vet was very impressed with my packs teeth when we went for anual check ups this yr, she is now reccomeding teeth for life to her other patients. I wish I had taken before pics .


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

I had very good results using the Teeth for Life also. Although Boo's teeth weren't real bad, Boo had a checkup due & I was afraid the vet would want to clean them. I ordered it & used it everyday for 4 weeks & brushed daily too. The vet was amazed at how nice Boos teeth were & wanted to know what I was doing right. I have continued using it 2 or 3 times a week & Boo has nice clean teeth. It doesn't cost much & a small bottle lasts a long time.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Where can I buy Teeth for Life? I can't find it online. Does anyone have a link?


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

> Where can I buy Teeth for Life? I can't find it online. Does anyone have a link?[/B]


heh ive been searching alllll over....finally found it is called life for teeth and bam there it was! there r two places i saw that sold it.....oddly enough this bedding place was cheaper b/c the shipping is free...just placed an order to try it out since parker has to be on canned food. http://www.beyondbeds.com/browseproducts/P...h-Away-Gel.html



its a strange place to sell it but hey its cheaper haha


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## momtoboo (Jan 30, 2006)

I recommend the Brush Away Gel., not the spray. I haven't used the spray so I can't vouch for it.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks, Jaime! Did you get the spray or gel?

Got a question....

Samuelette mentioned using it with a tooth scaler. I've heard that we shouldn't attempt to scale our dog's teeth ourselves, that it can roughen them, that only a vet should use one as part of the whole procedure.

Should we just brush with this product or use a scaler?

I really want this to work on Lady! I am so upset she can't get her teeth cleaned anymore, but I certainly respect my vet's decision.


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

well i bought the set....as far as scaling it does put scratches on the teeth and when ur vet gives a dental they polish the scratches away after the scaling....i do scale parkers at home b/c i dont want to knock him out to get a hunk of plaque off..but he lets me do it no prob...dont think pixel would let me....for u i would try without scaling first...sounds like it is supposed to work without having a cleaning first


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I found it even cheaper here:

https://secure.highspeedweb.net/~ldcpet/aa-petzlife.htm


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## dr.jaimie (Mar 23, 2004)

> I found it even cheaper here:
> 
> https://secure.highspeedweb.net/~ldcpet/aa-petzlife.htm[/B]


yeah but with shipping the other site is cheaper b/c shipping is free


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Oh, good. I didn't get that far!


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

I believe you're talking about "Life for Teeth", not "Teeth for Life", right?

If so, I have been using "Life for Teeth" for about a year now. It has worked well. But, old Daisy's teeth were so bad, she needed a GOOD, professional cleaning and scraping. I continue to use the "Life for Teeth" on all the kids, and am very pleased with the results.


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## 3Maltmom (May 23, 2005)

I forgot to add, I believe $250 is very reasonable for teeth cleaning, blood work, etc. My vet did, however, remove two of Daisy's "old lady" moles, for free. They were HUGE, and required stiches. He also cleaned her ears, as she has an ongoing ear infection. He did that for free, as well.

$150 to remove the nose "wart", seems a bit steep, since the little one is already under.


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=299347
> 
> 
> 
> ...



For anyone in Au - the link Jaimie provided doesn't ship internationally - however, the good news is, for that little extra (like we always have to pay), the link Marj provided DOES ship to Au! Yay!!









Thanks Jaimie & Marj for the research & providing the links.


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## Ptarana (Jul 12, 2006)

Leba III is another product that you just spray on . I believe some time back Brit posted about it and I believe she said she uses it and it works great.


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## munchkin1616 (Dec 8, 2005)

petzlife.com


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## thelittlepet (Apr 18, 2006)

We use these too. Puppies have pearly whites and Gidget at nearly 12 years old has good looking choppers too.
Aimee


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## May468 (Dec 5, 2006)

Thanks for the information.

I had to have Moppy's Teeth cleaned this year. First time I've ever had to have this done. Didn't have tooth problems with other dogs. Always brushed and Dog's love milk bone, Green bones, toys, etc. This Maltese doesn't care for any of the things that helps keeps their teeth clean. 

I will definitely get this product.


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## Elly B. (Oct 27, 2006)

I'm curious about the necessity of teeth cleaning. It's always been my opinion (through four family dogs that all lived to be Very Old) that the health of the dog's teeth has an awful lot to do with what (s)he eats.

All of our family dogs were freefed hard dog food and given Milk Bones as treats, and rawhides whenever they wanted them. Three mutts and a JRT, and all of them had incredibly healthy teeth. My dad and I always had a private laugh when we took them to the vet, because the vet would always make some comment like 'wow, this dog is 16 years old really? that brushing pays off, look what good shape her teeth are in!' when a brush never touched that dog's teeth and she never got a vet cleaning either. Our family dog up at my parents' house is 17 and still in pretty good shape, she doesn't see or hear so well, but she's still happy to get her dog biscuit when we're through playing and she crunches it right up without a second thought. Did we just get the genetic mutants with good teeth by sheer luck? 4 times?

I had more or less planned to keep Nick on dry dog food, Milk Bones, and rawhides and see how his teeth looked. I end up brushing his teeth about once a week - when he gets into something while I have him outside, usually. (He likes to chew but not eat the grass, and green teeth just look weird on a Maltese.)

Are Maltese more prone to tooth decay than mutts/JRT's?


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

Maltese are prone to teeth and gum problems, unfortunately. This is from the American Maltese Association:

Care of Maltese

TEETH - Teeth of toy dogs are often a problem. Some dogs retain their baby teeth too long, particularly the canine teeth. In this case, duplicate sets of teeth may be seen at the age of about 6 mos. Retained baby teeth can cause malocclusion, since they prevent adult teeth from growing into their proper position. These baby teeth should be removed by a veterinarian. Teeth should be cleaned regularly. Gum (or periodontal) disease is one of the most common problems causing formation of tartar bad breath, receded gums, loose or infected teeth and their eventual loss. In severe cases, it can lead to serious generalized infections and heart and kidney on the market today. Ask your veterinarian to recommend the best method.

And this is from Foxstone Maltese:

Should I be brushing my dogs teeth?

Good dental hygiene is important whether it be human or dogs. Be sure to use a toothpaste that is made for dogs. Plaque build-up and bad teeth seem to go hand in hand in many of the toy breeds, which can lead to more serious health problems, so the better the dental care, the better off the dog is.
There was a study done some time ago about why toy breeds had more plaque build-up as opposed to larger breeds of dogs, it was suggested that the lack of chewing seemed to create the problem of more plaque build-up. More chewing created more saliva which in turn lessoned the plaque build-up.


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## kab (Apr 11, 2005)

> price sounds about right....there is a new dental vaccine that came out recently...we just started to implement it into our practice...looks real good...prevents the top three bacteria found in the mouth..i cant wait to use it on mine[/B]



That is very interesting. I will ask my vet about it tomorrow.


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