# do people ever knock their dog out to brush his teeth?



## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

I've heard of people taking their dog to professionals to get their teeth cleaned, and I think that involves knocking the dog out. Do people ever knock their dog out just to get a really good brushing in?

Not trying to sound uncaring about safety here. Just wondering. Anesthetizing humans is a big deal (need a professional), so I assume that it's the same for dogs? Or is there something safe that makes the dog loopy (like laughing gas) so you can go in and brush really good?

Again, I'm not willing to try anything dangerous, just wondering if some safe or simple methods are out there.


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## RedChase (Mar 13, 2011)

For the protection of the dog and technician, they must be put under to get a thorough cleaning. That means a good brushing, scraping tater off, cleaning out the gum line and possibly extraction. The cleaning the dogs get is not like the cleaning you get, its much more 'thorough'. If your dog is big, they will be sedated then knocked out by profofol then hooked up to some O2 and gas via an intubation tube. If your dog is smaller, its ok to just sedate and then gas.

For more safer options: Prevention. Brush daily, feed a healthy diet, give chew toys, and maybe a deer antler.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I don't think just a good brushing would be worth the risks of anesthesia. A full cleaning is more than that.


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## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

RedChase said:


> Prevention. Brush daily, feed a healthy diet, give chew toys, and maybe a deer antler.


We try brushing about every other day...so far very little progress has been made. He still struggles with us. He chews on deer antler a lot though. I'm not sure if it's helped his teeth. I've given him cow femurs with some meat on it to see if that helps.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 24, 2011)

I just give raw bones. My 4 year old dog still has no plaque on her teeth 

No brushing needed here!


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## MinaMinPin (Apr 28, 2011)

I don't "knock out" my dog when I brush her teeth. I use edible toothpaste that has flavorings because she does not like the mint flavored ones and because of her small sized mouth I think the spiciness of the mint might irritate her gums.


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## dogclass (Feb 16, 2011)

4TheDawgies said:


> I just give raw bones. My 4 year old dog still has no plaque on her teeth
> 
> No brushing needed here!


Do you only feed raw diet, and maybe the raw diet is less plaque prone? Or do you use bones as the teeth cleaning method, meaning you feed a kibble diet. The different is kind of important for us, because if you feed a raw diet, and the raw diet is not likely to create plaque in the first place, then bones may not really be a valid teeth cleaning tool.

On the other hand, if you feed mostly kibble, then the amount of plaque your dog could potentially get would be comparable to mine, and if you use bones as a teeth cleaning tool then it would suggest that bones really do clean teeth


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

My dentist gives his standard poodle raw turkey necks, but that's the only raw food he uses. However, my Vet recommends against raw turkey necks because of the potential for problems, even though it is small.

So, I brush my dog's teeth with the chicken flavored toothpaste, at least twice a week before bedtime. He has some stains, but his gums and lack of tartar are excellent, according to my Vet.

I did get his teeth cleaned twice under anesthesia at age 3 and age 5 or 6... then I was convinced to brush regularly.
I have a Lab-mix, so I can put my hand in his mouth to hold it open and to keep his lips up. He likes the flavor of the toothpaste and thinks it is some type of game, so I let him lick the brush when I'm finished.


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