hi
my 8 1/2 yr old pomeranion x terrier bitch mollie has very very bad breath she will not leave me near her mouth unless i have something for her

the vet recommends scraping the teeth under anthestic  etc and giving her an overall health check now i dont know wheather to get it done as her mum had very bad breathing as does mollie my main worry is that she will not come out of it

should i leave her alone and give her bones etc to clean teeth i really dont want to risk as she has never been sick and we have since she was 7 weeks as her mum did not want her

any advice greatly appreciated

also she has started growling at lil (13 wk tibetan terrier bitch) and went for her the other day any advice on this also

georgina

It sounds very much as if she may have a bad tooth in there somewhere. This would account for the bad breath and the not wanting you there and also the short temper. I would go ahead and have it attended to.

Regards, John

I would certainly get her teeth checked out. If there's a rotten one in there, or gum disease for instance, she is going to be in discomfort which isn't going to go away. Untreated, gum disease can cause generalised infection which has been known to cause heart failure. She's by no means an old dog, an modern anaesthetics are much safer than the old ones, so I personally wouldn't hesitate. Good luck in whatever you decide.

wow that was quick

the only thing that really worries me is the anaesthetic as she is getting on at nearly nine yrs old

going to bring her in for a check up and see what vet says

wish me luck

georgina

Pay for the pre op tests. If there are any remote chances of any problems they will let you know ASAP and then it will be up to you if you go ahead or not. At least let the vet try look at her mouth she might let him dogs are funny who they trust ;)

Try not to worry, anesthetics these days are much safer - my late 'old boy' had an op aged 17, and was fine ;)  She certainly sounds uncomfortable and it should be looked at really.

9 would only just be middle aged for most Poms and Terriers who often reach double that age.  I don't consider my 10 year old Elkhound old and she still is treated the same as the others, only her mother at nearly 13 I choose to leave home on second walks if she has been out for a long one.

The reversi9ble anasthetcics are much safer than the old ones or sedation.  Bad teeth can cause Septosaemia (sp) and actually cause mnore problems, as well as the pain and misery they cause.

I have had to have older dogs operated on several times in the past without suffering any ill effects. Obviously each case must be judged on its merits but assuming she is reasonable fit then I would say the very slight risk, which is there whenever any dog has an anaesthetic, is worth it. Who wants to live in pain from a bad tooth for the rest of their life!

Regards, John

i had the same problem with my dog last year she had to have 5 teeth out she was 14 at the time and came thro the op ok but i did have blood test done before hand to check her liver and kidneys were working ok

I had a 13 yr old who needed a GA to have 3 teeth out. Thought I'd never see her again - but she was fine & lived another 3 yrs!