Is it safe to give dental chews to a dog after arytenoid surgery?

Hello, and thank you for your question. These dried yak's milk treats are typically very hard, and can definitely damage her teeth over time. What happens is the chewing causes tiny microfractures in the teeth which can eventually result in a big slab fracture of the chewing teeth, requiring emergency dental surgery. I'd also be worried about the sharp shards, as I am not aware of any studies demonstrating the fragments dissolve in the stomach before passing through into the intestines. When you are looking for a chewing treat, try the "fingernail test" - if you can't make an indent in the treat with your fingernail, then it is too hard for your dog's teeth. I'd also suggest checking this website for veterinary-approved, safe dental treats for your dog: www.vohc.org. I hope this helps, and that Emmy stays happy and healthy!

Hello, yes, anything you can use will help Lily. You can use a combination of products such as chews, wipes, water additives & dog specific tooth paste. If Lily's dental condition is severe enough, it might be prudent to talk to your veterinarian about adding antibiotics to the regimen. Using an appropriate antibiotic for one week, stopping for 3 weeks, & repeating will keep bacterial numbers down in the mouth & prevent the showering of bacteria into the blood stream where the risk of endocarditis might be higher because of her CHF. If you want to check out what products are recommended by veterinarians, check out https://vcoh.org ( veterinary Council on Oral Health ). Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Once dental disease and tartar is present, it is very difficult to remove the smell without a dental procedure to clean the teeth. With the collapsing trachea this does increase the risk of anaesthesia, so you should discuss this risk with your vet. You can try Hill's T/D dental forumula, it works very well at preventing more tartar build-up but won't help what is presently there. It might help with the breath a bit as it has some enzymes present that help. There are also water additive products that help with the smell of the mouth, and you can ask your vet about these products and what is available in your area. I think you should talk with your vet about the risks of anaesthesia, and also try the other methods to see if you can get the dental disease under control. It might be better to have another cleaning now however, before Rudy Sue's collapsing trachea gets worse. I would discuss this aspect with your vet as well. Best of luck with Rudy Sue!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She may or may not be able to pass it. You can monitor her closely for signs consistent with a gastrointestinal obstruction such as vomiting, nausea, inappetence and abdominal pain. If any of these signs are observed, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment as those may be indications of an obstruction. That is often treated with endoscopy or surgery. Good luck and have a great day! I am hoping that everything goes well!

Hi, Sorry to hear Dolly has this heart issue. Anesthesia is always risky, even for perfectly healthy pets. It puts a lot of responsibility for the heart to maintain adequate blood pressure and anesthesia is generally more risky with any heart issues than normal anesthesia. I would recommend that if the teeth just need a general cleaning, to not undergo the procedure and just maintain good dental health by brushing with doggie tooth paste and giving dental chews. If the teeth have a major issue such as a fracture or extraction that is necessary to address, it becomes balancing the risks of leaving a tooth inside that should come out, versus the risks of anesthesia. To fully assess the heart you can get an echocardiogram performed by a cardiologist and consult with them about anesthetic risks. Although if the teeth are fine otherwise, I'd say just maintain vigilant dental health and Dolly will be fine. Hope this helps! -Dr. Gordon

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I personally don't think age is a major risk factor for anesthesia. Most of the problems or deaths under anesthesia are unpredictable and can happen to any age. Doing blood work and checking for any underlying issues like a heart murmur before surgery is great. Anesthesia is monitored closely by the veterinary nurses: blood pressure, oxygen levels, EKG, animals are intubated and are on oxygen and on IV fluids. There are health risks to leaving diseased teeth in the mouth as well. Overall if Angel is a healthy senior I think she will do fine! Good luck!

Oral sedatives are generally not safe for pets with heart conditions. However, there are heart friendly pre-anesthetic injectable drugs that the vet can give such as Midazolam and Butorphanol. Also keep in mind that most pets with a heart condition that are also symptomatic (coughing, exercise intolerance) should be evaluated by a cardiologist and cleared for surgical procedures like dentals to ensure they are good candidates and can handle the anesthesia. The main concern here is the anesthesia and not the sedative used beforehand. On the other hand, if she is not symptomatic (no coughing, exercise intolerance), and she currently is not on heart medications, then she is likely a good surgical candidate b/c her risk of having complications with anesthesia are generally low. I hope that this helps guide you towards the proper care for Chhutki and this dental procedure. Best wishes and take care. : )