My old lady Lexi who is now 15 years 1 month has to go in on Monday to have most of her teeth out.

Over the last few months they had gotten really bad but I had not wanted to put her under as showing no pain, eating well, and had not wanted to put her under at this age.

Anyway over the last few months they have got really bad, so much that you have to air the room she is in.

She is still going for walks of 1 - 2 miles daily, is in fact demanding them, very chipper, eating well etc, and showing no outward signs of pain.

Today I did notice that her gums are receding from back teeth and there is some blood so bit the bullet and on balance the vet and I agreed more harm leaving them to poison her system than risking GA.

So lots of Good thoughts.  If she 'goes' under the GA have said not to resuscitate.  He did detect a slight heart murmur, though admits he is no heart expert.

Positive thoughts coming your way. Hope all goes well xxxx

Everything crossed for you Barbara and Lexi too.

Hope all goes well for your girl

Come home safe on Monday Lexi!

Thanks guys, hopes this gives her some more quality time with us.

Will they not use gas my vet has before to pull teeth for me, the side effects is that they can fight going under and coming out so you have to hang on tight and she only does it for dogs she knows and trusts

But keeping fingers crossed for you

He didn't give that option, and I rather think with big back teeth being main issue it would take too long.

Just to say that compared to the past, anaesthetic is a lot safer these days.   I have noticed that vets in this country seem to give a GA far more often then they did in Canada.   I suppose it's the 'easy' option when treating dogs.   Even for 'Sections out there, they didn't put them quite so deeply under as they do here.   Hope it all goes well of course.   I may be facing similar with my Basset whose teeth are pretty bad just now, and he has a heart murmur too.

I had a 13 year old much larger breed put under to have 13 teeth extracted.  She sailed through it.  Lived another 2 years.

I had an 11 year old toy breed with heart problems put under last week for 3 extractions.  Her teeth were disgusting and yellow.  The vet said they were poisoning her system and would make the heart problems worse.  This bitch was put on Vetmedin a few days before surgery because her breathing was so bad.  They did do a heart scan and blood tests prior to making a decision as to whether a dental would go ahead.  Blood tests show raised liver enzymes, yet it was still decided by the vet that it was safe enough to give a GA.  The heart specialist phoned me herself.

She is so very much better.  Has to have another blood test in 3 weeks to check liver enzymes again, and will be on Vetmedin for the rest of her life, but she is a happy girl again.  Admittedly I nearly had heart failure at the £452 bill, but she couldn't be left like she was.  I paid by credit card and will worry about it later.

I have great admiration for todays anaesthetics.  Your girl will do just fine Barbara.

She'll feel so much better in a week or so Barbara, sending positive thoughts and get well wishes from here.

My 9 year old girl just had a dental and two molars out, one was wobbling around and developed an abscess which affected the tooth next to it too, probably broke it on a bone. It's a trade off, the vet commented on how good the rest of her teeth were, and that's thanks to a raw knuckle bone once a week.

Like Jean I think I took longer than her to get over it, £410 but that included painkiller and antibiotic injections the day before the dental, pre-op blood tests, the actual dental and removal of a small lump on her leg (just while she was under, would have left it otherwise) and a course of antibiotics.

> Will they not use gas my vet has before to pull teeth for me, the side effects is that they can fight going under and coming out so you have to hang on tight and she only does it for dogs she knows and trusts

Didn't know you could give gas to a dog, & quite understand they would fight as remember the smell of burnt tyres from having teeth out in the 60's. It was awful!

Had an idea it's partly because they can reverse the anaesthetic far better than they can with gas if a problem developes while the dog is under

> Admittedly I nearly had heart failure at the £452 bill, but she couldn't be left like she was.  I paid by credit card and will worry about it later.

Yep I have been given an estimate of £500, so like you the Credit Card will be picking up the bill.

> My 9 year old girl just had a dental

Yes I had a big molar abscessed in her 10 year old daughter Inka earlier this year.  with my breed I don't think anything of surgery for one under 12.

Well not long before she goes in now.

> Admittedly I nearly had heart failure at the £452 bill, but she couldn't be left like she was.  I paid by credit card and will worry about it later.

This is where I tend to go these days, with 'vet bills'  LOL.   Putting off the evil day

To be fair to Lexi I don't think she has needed the vet since her C section 8 years ago.  I am sure that Insurance for a veteran would have cost me at least £4000 since then.

Hope Lexi is doing well!

I hope all has gone well and she's back home later today xxx

Waiting to ring them to see how it went, told to ring 2.30 - 3pm

Just phoned and she is still sleepy, all went well.

She had 22 teeth removed!!!

Will be picking her up about 4.30.

Bless her she will be sore, lots of soft food now then ! 22 teeth out .. ouch. It might pay to make up some bone broth for her to give her a boost.
I wish her a speedy recovery. x

Wow!! That's a lot of teeth poor girl. Hope she continues to make good progress

I hate it when I'm (usually!) told that (call after 2 pm) BUT at least they didn't do what my vet did last time Frankie had a dental - I took him in by 8.30 am with no breakfast but because they had some urgent surgeries, and they don't do dentals until the end of the day, he wasn't worked on until after 4 pm and I couldn't get him back until after 7 pm.    He was in quite a state and I've told them that if they know they have a full schedule of surgeries, emergencies apart, I won't be bringing him in until after lunch.   Neither of us was very happy on that occasion.

Hope you have as peaceful a night as you can with your girl - she must have needed the work to have that many out!!

picked her up, she was wobbly and squeaky (turns out she needed to wee and poo).

Why do they insist on bringing them out before you have paid and got the meds, result a soiled floor.

Cost £410.  She was very stable under the GA, blood pressure good etc. Took them two hours.

They had fed her half a can of Hills sensitive, with half for later.

Glad she's doing well, 22 teeth is a lot!

Both my rabbits need dentals every few months (malocclusion is unfortunately common with the breed) and it's always horrible waiting to find out how things have gone. Their molars overgrow and form spurs which cut into their tongues and cheeks and need to be ground down, and because their teeth grow continuously it's just a matter of time before they need doing again.

I bet Lexi will feel loads better with them all out. :)

So pleased to hear she has is safely home

Wow - has she any left?  Soft food for several days then, hope you have a good night with her xxx

Well just gave the the antirobes and a tramadol.

Got her out for a wee, and she seems to be more with it now and licking around her mouth, must feel strange.

Earlier in the evening she had her head down to the floor from her cushions and was drooling bloody drool, lots of kitchen towel to mop up.

From giving the tablet I can see that she seems to have all her top incisors and canines, but didn't want to look further.

If I am counting right she should have 19 teeth left.

Never had a dog loose more than two teeth before.

Good to hear she's okay, she's bound to feel a lot better soon.

Bless her heart, hope you both had a good night and she feels like a little breakfast tis morning xxx

Yes had 3/4 of a tin of the sensitive food vet gave.

She wants her walk, not sure if she will yet be up for it by lunchtime.

So pleased she is home and recovering. Lots of TLC and she will be right as ninepence before you know it xx

Great news Barbara!

So pleased she is doing well, bless her heart.  Well done to you and the vets.

Hope her recovery continues and that she is soon feeling much better.  I'm sure she will with your TLC.

She's obviously a tough old cookie glad she's home & safe

Lol dogs have (well should have)42 adult teeth

Barbara I'm so glad that all went well for your girl.  The oldies are so precious.  She will already be feeling so much better.  I was surprised when my oldie gradually started to enjoy her biscuits (I feed half wet, half dry.)

I bet you are just relieved to have her home.  :-)

> Lol dogs have (well should have)42 adult teeth

Well she had one tooth out years ago so I am assuming this leaves her with 19!

I haven't wanted to poke about, other than to tip the capsules down her throat, but she has all but one of her top incisors left and one bottom one and all four canines, so there should be 9 pre/molars somewhere, LOl

She begged treats from my friend on her walk yesterday and today, and I heard her crunch them. Have defrosted her some tripe and meat frozen mince yesterday and today, and for next few days. 

Will see how we will give her kibble after her vet checks tomorrow and at 10 days, as she has always liked it dry.

Much steadier today on her 1 mile park walk.

> I was surprised when my oldie gradually started to enjoy her biscuits

I think she will end up with it dry in the end with maybe just a splash of water on, as she never liked soaked complete.

Here is a pic taken yesterday on her walk https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2427514303932216&set=p.2427514303932216&type=3&theater

Apart from those she has the top canines and 5 of the incisors and somewhere 9 more teeth left.

Thanks for posting her photo Barbara.  She looks well, lovely face. 

She looks really well Barbara and very happy too

U would never guess her age she looks loads younger

What a lovely smile! <3

Thanks guys, she did look a bit away with the fairy's there, probably down to the Tramadol, LOL

I had one of mine given Tram. for the pain she was in - end stage cancer.   We had to take her off fast as it just completely zonked her out.   She'd been on Metacam but then started having diarrhoea so I was advised to take her off that and she was given Tram. - trouble is her brother started the same (diarrhoea) so it wasn't necessary to take her off the Metacam after all.   But that was just part of the shocking 'treatment' she was having at the end of her life .   I suppose what works for some dogs, doesn't work for others.

Well no Tramadol today, and she seems fine. 

Vet who saw her yesterday said tooth extraction pain usually wears off by day three, and seeing as she would have had some long term tooth pain with the bad teeth, it would be less than what she was used to.