Should I have my 12 year old dog`s teeth pulled?

My 12 year old Sheltie has bad breath and teeth. I had him checked out by a vet, and he had a blood test. I was told that his blood test came back good, and that for his age, he is in pretty good health. They said that he can have his teeth pulled. They also gave the option of having him take an antibiotic for 2 wks. I believe that this would be an on-going regime. I think that the teeth extraction would cost (they were`nt sure} around $800.00. Any advice from a vet or knowledgable person would certainly be appreciated. Thanks

Should I have my 12 year old dog`s teeth pulled?
Sometimes it's necessary to pull teeth. But, I would hope your vet would only pull the teeth that are unable to survive. Your vet should clean your dogs teeth and only remove the ones that are diseased. Taking an antibiotic would be necessary is there is infection and most times, I believe, vets will put the dog on antibiotics after pulling teeth to prevent infection. It's good that your vet did a blood work up because this is beneficial for an older dog in particular before going under anesthesia to be sure he is healthy. The cost is usually determined by the weight of the dog (the amount of anesthesia the dog will need per his weight) and how many teeth are extracted. Plus, there is probably a flat cost for teeth cleaning.
Reply:use the antibiotics. try it at least. once you pull a dogs teeth, it makes it very hard for him to eat and defend himself.
Reply:Pulling the teeth is stressful and may cause jaw %26amp; eating problems. The anitbiotics may help.... But the Vet should be able to clean the teeth... then teach you how to brush them.





If the gums can be made heathy and the teeth don't cause pain - if the dog can eat OK - then the antibiotics should help...
Reply:No, it makes it hard for the dog to eat. His suggestion is drastic.Vets can do tartar removal of the teeth. It cleans off the bacteria.





The teeth may not be the source of bad breath. Bad breath can be from other sources. I'd find a new vet.
Reply:no u should not because he probably wont live much longer... :(
Reply:this depends on the love, and attachment you have with your pet.the bad breath is coming from one or more bad teeth.


he may not act like it but he is in a lot of pain.


even at the dogs age it sounds odd that all his teeth need to be removed.


try going to another vet for their opinion. a good caring vet will give your dog a full exam. and give their opinion plus if they don't pull teeth will recommend a doc they trust..


now its up to you..
Reply:Well I worked at a vetrinarian clinic for a while, and I also have small yorkies and pomerainians which by breed have often have bad teeth. It depends on several factors. First did you have the teeth cleaned? Often you can put a dog on antibiotics fo a while then have the teeth cleaned. At that time a vet can determine which teeth can be saved and which should be pulled. If the tooth is not too loose it can usually be saved. I would tell the vet to only pull the teeth that must be pulled. After the teeth are cleaned the dog will have better breath, and less trouble eating. Dogs can live well even without all their teeth, but again if some are salvageable, I would keep them. One of our Poms had to have all of her front teeth out at age 4. She is a very tiny dog (3 lbs.) and just had horrible teeth. She still has her back teeth and canines and does very well on small bite dry dog food. She is now 7 and doing fine. Usually larger breed dogs have less trouble with their teeth, so if your vet is determined to pull all of your dogs teeth, I would seek out a second opinion from another vet. Just to be certain that is what needs to be done.


Good luck with your Sheltie.
Reply:If you are going to pull all of its teeth, you might as well have it put to sleep. I would find a new vet first! Taking a dogs teeth is very stressful. It will not be able to eat like it is used to, and will be miserable for a while. Unless your dog is in pain bc of his teeth, you should not have them pulled. The poor thing will lose weight and possibly experience depression. I know it sounds crazy, but dogs are so much like humans, people do not realize it. Have the tarter scraped off of his teeth. There are many products out there for bad breath for dogs. Try some of them.
Reply:It depends on how bad the teeth are. Most Vets will try to save teeth, if possible, by cleaning them. If the teeth are really bad and infected, it is best to remove the bad ones. The bacteria that causes tooth decay can travel elsewhere and cause organ damage. Not to mention the pain he is likely having if they are so bad, have you ever had a toothache? Just because he can't tell you he hurts does not mean he isn't.





$800 seems pretty high. It is about 300-400 at my clinic, but it does depend on where you live.



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