Wouldn't it be great if you could get your dog or cat's teeth cleaned without anesthesia?
Yes, it would be. We're all scared of anesthetizing our pets. And there are some people out there taking advantage of that fear to offer a service that's not safe, and probably not legal, either. I'm talking about so-called "anesthesia-free dental cleanings."
I blogged about this today over on Pet Connection:
The type of tooth scraping that can be done on a dog or cat without anesthesia is cosmetic only; it might make the owner happy, but it does nothing at all to detect or prevent or treat dental disease in pets.
It also runs the substantial risk of infecting the bloodstream with oral bacteria, which can lead to kidney, heart, and other infections and disease — something that no groomer or “pet dental hygienist” can diagnose or treat. And most critically, debris from the mouth can be inhaled, causing pneumonia and other respiratory complications — something that can only be avoided if the pet is intubated during the procedure.
There's lots more and yeah, okay, I may rant a little.
Just a little.
Okay, a lot.
Of course, a raw diet would pretty much preclude dealing with any of this. My 6yo Golden has been raw fed since we brought her home at 7wo and has never had her teeth cleaned...and they absolutely *gleam*.
But keep ranting, Christie...I love reading them!
Posted by: Sharyn | 30 December 2006 at 12:52 PM