My toy poodle x yorkie is 14 & needs a dental is it very high risk?

She is a spayed female eating %26amp; drinking as usual %26amp; today was booked in to have a dental next week. She has developed a slight cough in the past week which is heart related but she has no fluid detected %26amp; her heart is a nice steady beat. Unfortunately she badly needs a dental despite being on a very healthy diet %26amp; she is a healthy weight. The vet has put her on an antibiotic prior to the op to counteract any risk from bacteria %26amp; she is temporarily on heart tablets to boost her but she may not need these after the op. I know she will eventually potentially be at risk from not having a dental so better to have it now rather than later when she may be less fit but this op %26amp; the aneasthetic itself is not without risk at her age so I am understandably very worried. I've been told the procedure %26amp; medication used today is much safer than it used to be, can anyone who has been through this with their elderly pet maybe reassure me a little please?

My toy poodle x yorkie is 14 %26amp; needs a dental is it very high risk?
Well, its as safe as it can be. I think for your doggie's sake you need to calm down because you sound like you have a special bond with her and she will be able to sense your worries, and you don't want her to be whining when she first goes in.





As long as you know that you have a good vet and he cares about her, I would try not to worry (easier said then done, but atleast try)





Good luck!!
Reply:what do you mean by a dental ? if you mean just a clean ,she will be ok,she should be ok anyway,the vets know what they are doing,my yorkie had his teeth done when he was 16 and he was ok.The vet will knock her out to do it so she wont feel anything.
Reply:Anesthetics are much, much safer now than they were even a couple of years ago. Also, it sounds like your vet knows your girl really well and she's had all the checks done prior to undergoing her dental which is vital.





My oldest grey had a dental done at 10, which isn't as old as your girl, but greys are don't tolerate anesthetics well so it's dangerous for them and he was just fine. He also had the blood work done prior to his dental and has an extremely good vet.





Sounds to me like your vet is also very caring and knows your dog thoroughly, so hard as it is not to worry, trust your vet and believe that your girl will be fine. You know that she needs the dental and you're doing the right thing for her. Why not write back next week and let us know that she's ok?
Reply:You already know every risk there is, but as you've been told the procedure is much safer. If your vet was very concerned then he'd advise against it.





My dog had testicle cancer at the age of 14 so it was a life or death situation. He had a heart murmur, pancrinitus and was also diabetic and was already living on borrowed time (not much going for him other than a devoted owner). My vet told me that the risk was a lot higher than that of a younger, fitter dog. He said that if it had been anyone else he would have advised against it but as I was so devoted he thought it would be a risk that I had to take.





I cried all morning of the op dreading that phone call, but it never came. I picked him up later that afternoon and he was just fine.





With a dental it won't take as long as a major op so she will be under for less time so it'll be over before you know it and your little girl will be back home with you before you know it.





It's a hard decision to make but I'm glad I made the right one as I'm sure you are doing.
Reply:My 10 year old standard had it done in December, but of course, she didn't have the heart issues. I really think your vet wouldn't be doing it if he really thought there was a problem. We had a little mutt years ago that need a dental REALLY bad, but had congestive heart failure- the vet wouldn't do it, even though she was controlled with meds. It was too risky for her. So, I believe that if your dog was too at risk, your vet wouldn't do it. She'll be fine.
Reply:Using caution during the procedure will be key in your dog's procedure. Today's veterinary annesthesia has improved a lot over its predescesors. It is not just in the drugs, but in how well monitored the dog is during the procedure. Today, it is common for a veterinarian to have, not only a liscensed technician to monitor the annesthesia but to be on hand to signal if anything is beginning to go wrong or decline, but have better equiptment to monitor your dog's vital signs during the annesthesia.





You will want to have your veterinarian perform more extensive bloodwork so that he/she can evaluate your dog's kidney and liver functions as these are the organs that metabolize and excrete the annesthetic drugs. If they are not fully functional and you have not had the bloodwork to confirm this, you are running a risk of having a major complication.





Also, having an IV catheter placed so that the doctor and technicians have a direct line to your dog's blood stream is definately a great thing to do. This way, even if all the procautions are taken and something still happens, they will not have to fumble around attempting to get into the vein to give live saving drugs. Rather, they will be able to give them immediately.





When pets are sedated they experience a decreased blood pressure from the sedation. IV Catheter %26amp; Fluids during the anesthetic episode are recommended to reduce this risk as well.





You can also call ahead and discuss the risks with your veterinarian or a veterinarian technician. Both can allay your fears and explain more of the procedure and your individual clinics procedure for handling surgery in geriatric patients.





I have seen many geriatric animals successfully through surgery and using these procautions will limit your dog's risk. Waiting to perform the procedure will only continue to place your dog at risk when it is necessary at a later age and the bacteria from peridontal disease can damage the heart.





I hope that this was of some help to you and wish you and your dog a healthy recovery!
Reply:I'm surprised your vet will consider an anaesthetic at 14. That's high risk.
Reply:Being a vet nurse who works in theatre, i deal with animals under anaesthetic, there are obviously risk involved with all operative procedures. However, the equipment and drugs that are used - decrease the risk along with constant monitoring.


Age is a factor, but your vet is aware of this and the subsequent treatment is put into practice. I advise that you have pre-operative bloods before the surgey, this would give the vets a better indication to your dogs health and the use of a drip during the op. Your vets know what they are doing and have a good knowledge of your dogs condition, they will give your dog the best possible care and post operative attention.. Take care, all the best