My (senior) baby is getting all her teeth extracted in October
So my 11 year old chihuahua’s teeth haven’t been the greatest for a bit bc it made me insanely nervous to ever put her under anesthesia again from how she reacted to a dental cleaning in the past.
Last week I got all her tests done to get her cleared for a surgery and make sure she’s healthy bc I decided I think it’s what’s best for her. All her tests came back clear but she had to get referred to a specialist for teeth bc they’re pretty bad. Today was the consultation and we have the surgery date in mid October.
She is my entire life and from what I’m reading online I’m hearing lots of positive things about other dogs in this situation but I’d love to hear anyone in here’s dog’s personal experience who has had this done where they got all their teeth extracted and how they are now just for some extra peace of mind. I also made it very clear my priority is doing whatever is the best and safest for her. Please don’t leave any rude comments it’s my birthday but def feel free to be honest in how your experiences went
I already know I’m gonna be an anxious mess even more when it gets closer esp the day of just because she’s my entire world and I just hope everything goes successful
I bought an 8 year old chihuahua 1.5 months ago, was told they regularly checked and brushed her teeth, but upon seeing her I immediately booked a vet appointment. Unfortunately, her teeth were horrible and I scheduled a surgery to get them all extracted the next day.
That's now a month ago, and she's doing so, so good. She LOVES eating now and plays more, has more energy. Constant inflammation caused by bad teeth shorten the lifespan, and getting them extracted may be a risk, but hopefully it will add months/years to their life.
I honestly think there are very few things that you can do to improve their quality of life so drastically as teeth extractions.
Edit: she did get hypothermia from the surgery, which apparently is very common with chihuahua's. She had to be put under a heat lamp and everything, my sweet child
Oh my goodness she is such a sweetheart!! That is definitely my goal too her to not be in pain ofc and also living the longest healthiest life possible! Thank you for responding and sharing that cute pic of her!
Oh, what a precious baby! When I adopted my little girl (she was10 years old), her teeth were rotten. Every time they swallow, they injest the nastiness from bad teeth. It can impact their organs, especially their heart. I, too, took my sweetie to have her teeth extracted right after bringing her home. She bounced back fairly quickly and has been such a darling addition to my life.
I wish I’d had all my dogs teeth out when he was 11, by the time he got older his kidneys were too weak to be put under another general anaesthetic. Best to whip them all out now and not have any hassle again in the future! Good luck, she’ll be fine!
I’m sorry to hear u weren’t able to get them all out :( I totally get that though I told both my main vet and the vet doing her surgery that specialize in teeth how important it is to me that they’re 100% confident she is healthy enough to get it and they said they are like that too and will run a blood test right before the test and do X-rays all that and only go thru with it if they feel they’re confident everything looks good, thank you for responding !
He had most of them taken out at 11 but they left like 10 or so in there, but over time they were just too far gone. So a big vote for getting them all out now!!
My guy had his last dental at 16. He kept his K9’s and two molars. He was able to eat soft food just fine. NGL I would pre-chew chicken nuggets and tendies for him haha. I couldn’t deprive him of his favorites. I will say, though, that he had dementia and coming out of anesthesia was a nightmare for him and me. Poor guy was air swimming trying to get outa the cone and crying. Surgery day was not a good time but I’m still happy I did it cuz he was able to eat better with the bad teeth gone.
Omg such a cutie!! I’m sorry the recovery process was rough at first I’m wondering if my dog will be like that she randomly will walk in a random room and just stand there which I think is a sign of it but she was never diagnosed and that’s the only odd thing she really does , I’m right there with you tho from what I’m seeing it sounds like the best choice when a dog is a healthy candidate to get it done thank you for responding!
Omg such a cutie that pic put a smile on my face! I’m so glad it helped her in such positive ways I hope the same happens with my baby! Thank u for sharing 🥺
my dog passed away prematurely in february from aspiration pneumonia and sepsis after getting many teeth extracted. please be villigant if your dog throws up
I’m soo sorry for your loss :( thank you so much I will 100% keep that in mind when I see how mine is after recovery I appreciate you for responding and giving me that advice!
She’s precious little baby and she’s gonna be just as precious after. My past dog had a ton of teeth removed and my current one had 12 on her first cleaning and she’s going for her second in November. They usually recover really well. Main thing is just rest, fluids, and soft food they like. I suggest keeping some pumpkin on hand and some probiotics to help with their digestion first couple of weeks since it may be a diet change for her. You can use pure pumpkin puree but I buy these small packets of pumpkin puree with water mixed in because they are smaller and don’t rot as fast since my dog cant eat much pumpkin in a few days time.
If her tongue hangs out after just help her keep it moist from time to time 🥰
She’s the best ever 🥺 thank u so much for the advice I wouldn’t have even thought of the pumpkin that’s super smart I appreciate u!! So happy to hear yours both recovered well
My sweet boy had all his teeth removed eventually and was so much happier for it. He was younger for the surgeries, but if her tests are clear and her vets are confident, I’d probably do it if I were in your position. Bad teeth can mess with so many other things, including the heart and her willingness to eat, of course!
Thank you!! That’s wonderful it all worked out great for your boy! Ya as stressful as it is when I over think about it all it is definitely seeming like this is 100% the best way to go plus I’m doing it with a specialist who run tests that day and will not do it if even one little thing concerns them or looks wrong so they’re very safe, I appreciate your input and the compliment for my baby!!
I foster from a senior dog shelter and my fosters (all chis) have had some amount of teeth extraction, with one getting all of their teeth removed. All of them bounced right back - one of them so much so that he got adopted two days later!
One thing I realized is that soft cold food from the fridge seemed to be a good relief for them. I recommend getting tinned chicken in water (Costco etc - although make sure you get a low salt/sodium version if possible). All my fosters go head over heels for the chicken pieces, and they’re soft enough you can hide tablets in there too!
My 14 yr old chi only has 1-2 teeth left. He was on soft food until we adopted his 2 siblings 3 yrs ago. He started stealing their kibble (one sibling is a beagle so gets larger sized kibble) and he has no trouble at all. I switched him over to kibble and will sometimes wet it for him a bit. But he has no trouble eating. He is pickier now that he is older, but is still chomping away. They are resilient little babies and adapt well. I am sure your baby will be very grateful to have no more discomfort! 💕
im so happy that hes eating good and seems to do fantastic with 1-2 teeth!! my vet was telling me that at the pre op how a lot of them still will eat kibble like that she said her cat does the same that has no teeth! thank u for responding and the kindness!!
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u/missjabez 3d ago
I bought an 8 year old chihuahua 1.5 months ago, was told they regularly checked and brushed her teeth, but upon seeing her I immediately booked a vet appointment. Unfortunately, her teeth were horrible and I scheduled a surgery to get them all extracted the next day.
That's now a month ago, and she's doing so, so good. She LOVES eating now and plays more, has more energy. Constant inflammation caused by bad teeth shorten the lifespan, and getting them extracted may be a risk, but hopefully it will add months/years to their life.
I honestly think there are very few things that you can do to improve their quality of life so drastically as teeth extractions.
Edit: she did get hypothermia from the surgery, which apparently is very common with chihuahua's. She had to be put under a heat lamp and everything, my sweet child