# Dental tomorrow.



## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Jazz is scheduled for her Dental tomorrow. She's going to need at least one extraction...a retained baby tooth, lower canine. She had two until a month ago, but lost one and I've been hoping the other would work its way loose too, but no luck.

I've scheduled a mini blood panel and a CBC just to be sure her levels are OK before she gets put under. She'll be on Clavamox for a week, just as a precaution, and I'll come home with some Metacam too, but how much will depend on how invasive the dental ends up being, how many extractions etc. I have no desire to give her more pain meds than she really needs.

Honestly, I'm more concerned about the anesthesia than about the procedure itself. The dental isn't that much of a big deal, but putting her under is. They will entubate her (her poor throat!) as a precaution because she's so small, and will get the dental done as fast as possible so she won't be under for too long. She's going to be under for longer than it took to spay her, and depending on how bad her teeth are, likely considerably longer. One good thing though, Becky, the tech who'll be monitoring the anesthesia mix, is a chi fan, and has 6 of her own! So she's very savvy about the dosage for such a small dog which is reassuring to me. 

I'm a little nervous.....no surprise there lol. I always am when one of mine has to have surgery. Jazz is clueless, of course  Doesn't know why I keep randomly kissing her and cuddling her, and telling her I love her, and I'll miss her, and all the rest.


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## omguthrie (Oct 13, 2009)

Awwww... I'm sure little Jazz will come through with flying colors and be back to her normal self in no time. I will send positive thoughts your way tomorrow!


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Thanks Heather. I know she'll be fine, intellectually I know there's nothing to worry about. But I do anyway lol! And I really like the clinic I go to. There are three Vets, each of whom I have every confidence in. Fingers crossed lol!


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## ProudChiDad (Jan 23, 2011)

Milo just had a dental a month ago so I know how you feel. This always a small risk with going under but the stats say it is a very small risk....the bigger risk is the damage that the buildup on their teeth can do to their organs as I'm sure you're aware. Being a little worried is natural for any parent but you are doing the right thing!! Think positive and know that any pain they are experiencing now will be gone a few weeks after the dental and they will be happier ...even if they can't tell you so. I'd be extra happy to know my vet was a 6 chi owner! Also you might want to look into if anyone in your area does non- anesthetic teeth cleaning for the future. I was able to find a vet that has a team from California fly in once a month to do it. They give them a mild sedative to calm them but they don't actually go fully under. Since I've switched Milo to raw I'm hoping he'll need less teeth cleaning in the future but it is great knowing that he won't have to go under again if he needs it. I'm sure yourlittle one wil be fine but I totally empathize with you!


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## rubia (Jul 3, 2008)

*I will be checking this space to see how it all went for Jazz. Rico is down to 2 baby lower cainines that need to come out. i have been hoping they come out too. I know what you mean about having a proceedure. he will be 'put under" and his other teeth are in good shape. I do lots of home 'dental" Big kiss to jazz for being such a brave girl...even if her mum isn't...just a joke xoxo*


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Thinking of you! I hope all went well for little Jazz.


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## amyalina25 (Jan 10, 2011)

(((hugs))) to you and Jazz.. its the worst thing ever handing your baby over at the vets... i no how u feel  im sure everything will be perfectly fine


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

We're home! And yes, everything went well, there were no problems, thank goodness! :hello1:

I love my Vet's office! There are three Vets at the clinic I go to, and I really, I'm in love with all of them including all the techs! Doc Pennington was the one doing Jazz's dental today, and he called me, personally, after he was done with the procedure, to let me know that Jazz was fine and recovering from the drugs and procedure even faster than expected. 

He discovered a second retained tooth, (I thought she just had the one left) a molar up against a permanent tooth, and there was all kinds of crud, including a wad of hair, caught between the two teeth. Eew!  He said that's likely what she was pawing at, and he was surprised the crud hadn't started eating away at the enamel of the permanent molar, which turned out to be perfectly healthy once they removed the baby tooth and cleaned up the permanent one. The rest of her teeth are fine, they didn't have to remove any of the permanent ones (unlike with Tango who had 2 removed during his last dental.) 

The tech, Becky, apologized for the fact that they had to try a couple of different places to get a vein for the IV. She had a spot on her chest, and another, bandaged area, on her leg, which is where they finally managed to insert the line. She was a tiny bit unsteady but still VERY happy to see me. :love2: 

Doc said her blood numbers were absolutely perfect and she's in excellent health, and to keep doing what I'm doing with her, because it's working! 

We're home now. She's eaten a little. As a treat to pamper her after her big day, (and because her mouth is a bit tender) she had a very small serving of some canned food which she polished off in no time. Tango investigated after she was done, and licked the bowl too, just for good measure lol! She didn't drink anything which isn't surprising, due to the hydration while she was under. She is conked out on my lap while I'm typing this, making little grunting noises as she sleeps. All in all, a good visit, I think.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

So happy she's home and doing well! What a relief. You will have a greats night sleep, I bet.


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## Chiboymom (Jul 8, 2009)

Yay!!! so nice to have it behind her and just knowing that she has no major teeth problems has to be a relief.


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## Cambrea (Feb 21, 2010)

I'm glad she is home and in your arms. Its scary when they have to be put under and so reassuring to have a vet your trust.


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## ProudChiDad (Jan 23, 2011)

Great to hear!!


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## bayoumah (Nov 30, 2010)

hi so glad to hear all is over and jazz is going to be fine do all chihs have double teeth im trying to look at busters but i just see i row of teeth hes vet appt is in 4 weeks so hell let me know if i need to do anything with his neuter surgury


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

sheilabenny5353 said:


> hi so glad to hear all is over and jazz is going to be fine do all chihs have double teeth im trying to look at busters but i just see i row of teeth hes vet appt is in 4 weeks so hell let me know if i need to do anything with his neuter surgury


It's not uncommon for dogs, particularly the smaller breeds like chihuahuas, to retain one or more baby teeth. Jazz for example, had two retained lower canines, (baby teeth) and every time she opened her mouth you could see them. It was obvious, and was just as obvious when she lost one shortly before her dental. What WASN'T obvious was the retained molar (also a baby tooth) she had on her upper palate. I had no clue about that one, in spite of regularly brushing her teeth and looking in her mouth. But it was tucked away on the inside of her tooth line and almost impossible to spot unless you were at the exact right angle to her wide open mouth. As Jazz is not the most co-operative of dogs when it comes to her teeth,  I was never going to find it....and didn't, obviously.

Interestingly, it was THAT retained tooth that was causing her to paw at her mouth, that all the crud had collected between, and that had the potential to cause major problems if it hadn't been detected (abscess, gum issues, root and/or tooth decay etc.) 

Definitely have your vet check your dog's teeth while she's under. The vet will be able to do a very comprehensive exam when the dog's not fighting to get away from it. If it were me, (and depending on your dog's age) I would also give the vet the go-ahead to pull any retained baby teeth he finds. They may come out by themselves, but maybe not, and they're all going to have to come out eventually, so while your dog is already under is a good time to get it taken care of. That way you won't have to put your dog through an additional anesthesia to get them pulled. I wish now I'd have taken my own advice and gotten Jazz's pulled while she was under for her spay.


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## Tink (Oct 14, 2009)

Forgot to add my thank you to you all for your good thoughts and wishes for Jazz. I appreciate it. :love4:


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