How to Explain Dental Care to Your Dog

Our baby Shay Shay is a doodle. Being one means she is predisposed to bad teeth. No matter what we do she builds up tarter and gets gingivitis easily. So we have to have her teeth cleaned at the vet’s every year.

Dogs getting their teeth cleaned is only slightly like humans. First they have to have their blood work done days in advance. Assuming that your sweet puppy is healthy in every possible way they give you the go ahead to get their teeth cleaned.

No food the night before so Shay knows something is up when I ask her if she wanted to go in the car first thing this morning without breakfast. I wish that she could speak to me and say she understands when I am explaining that this is for her own good. Shay is so trusting she happily goes with the vet tech when they come and take her from our car.

To clean a dog’s teeth she must have anesthesia and be put out so the doctor can safely clean her teeth. Thankfully, despite the gingivitis, Shay’s teeth were in good shape and did not need any extractions. I wait all morning for the call from the doctor to tell me that Shay is fine. It comes at noon and I breathed a sigh of relief. I still had to wait until three so that she could come fully out of her nap.

Right at three she was walked out to the car, with her little shaved band on her right leg where the IV was attached. She was still a little groggy and came home and drank a bunch of water, ate no food and went right to bed. I know she is still out of it because she did not do her “exactly at 6PM” demand of her dinner.

Her mouth is hurting a little because she has hardly opened it and certainly has not given me a kiss. I know she is not happy about having to get her teeth cleaned. I just wish I could explain to her that we do it so that she lives a nice long healthy life.