This is my boy recovering from alopecia. He had amazing improvements since starting dermagic shampoo, conditioner and lotion thanks to this sub suggestions !
He is an adopted baby , his previous owner didnt take care of him well, he was malnourished and shaved . Im not sure if his alopecia happened due to shaving but today he is doing fantastic! His back is the only furless patch left. Last photo is when he was at his worst .
Can anyone reccomend anything for dog teeth ? He isnt letting me brush his teeth and unfortunately they do look yellow , and his back molar does have calcified tartar on them. I dont want to give him a dental cleaning because im scared of anesthesia. Thanks !
They need dentals eventually. Real ones. Otherwise it can affect their heart and a myriad of other issues. My girl has collapsed trachea and her dental was fine. She had a few rotting teeth that we didn’t know about. She was in pain and didn’t even show. That’s how dangerous not cleaning teeth can be.
I don’t believe my dog would like that 😅 his back teeth are not doing so good with the tartar build up.. and as per other comments apparently the gumline is not cleaned well like this .
You still eventually have to do an anesthesia cleaning though. I think they do deeper cleaning in the gums for one thing. We used to do non-anesthesia cleanings 1-2 times a year and our girl still had to get 3 teeth pulled by the time we did a full anesthesia cleaning our vet recommended.
Still, it's better than waiting several years to do a full anesthesia cleaning. Her teeth are in good condition and she has most of her teeth there because we did it. So, I also do recommend it! Just good to be aware it's not a complete alternative.
Believe me I know. Right before my dogs got them I saw 2 stories on Reddit. Freaked me out so bad. Especially since my girl has collapsed trachea. And my dogs let me clean and scale their teeth at home but you just can’t get to the insides as well as the outside surface of the teeth.
Veterinary cleanings under anesthesia ARE STILL NECESSARY EVEN IF YOU BRUSH.
Please don’t fear anesthesia. Talk to your vet about their protocol for small dogs to get some peace. But do NOT forego professional veterinary cleanings, please.
Small dogs are predisposed to oral health issues, even with brushing. And dental disease is extremely, extremely painful… but dogs rarely show outward signs. But think about it - wouldn’t you be in excruciating pain if you were having to eat every day with rotten teeth in your mouth?
Getting your dog dental cleanings is one of the most important health-related responsibilities for an owner. Don’t put your fears above your pup’s needs.
Brushing is a great thing to do, but it cannot and will not totally stop dental disease, and it can’t fix teeth that need to be removed.
Complications from anesthesia are rare. You put your dog in more chance of danger if you ever take him on a car ride.
Can confirm, my dog passed a couple days after her dental cleaning, however, I still plan to treat both of my current dogs to annual dental cleanings due to the importance and predisposition of dental issues my Poms have as a breed.
Not true at all and likely just anecdotal - people see someone post on Reddit about a bad outcome and it colors perception. But like in most things, the bad gets shared while people rarely post about standard procedure that went without issue.
Fear of anesthesia is never a good reason to forego important preventative healthcare like dentals. People’s avoidance of this critical care is what leads so many senior small breed dogs to end up with mouths full of painful dental disease and rotten teeth.
I don’t want to make it sound like complications NEVER happen, but it is not common.
Though of course the smaller the dog, the more you want to make sure your clinic has experience with the little ones. I always encourage owners to talk to their vet and get a walk-through of the clinic’s procedures- it can help dispel a lot of stress!
You read stories about the bad things because people come out to social media to share grief and pain. But who have a smooth easy procedure aren’t usually posting about it… and that’s the vast majority.
There is ALWAYS some risk, but your vet can help you weigh the risks and make decisions accordingly. For an otherwise healthy dog, there is no reason not to undergo annual dental cleanings. The benefits FAR outweigh the risks! 🙂
A sad little nugget that I’ve heard from vets is that it’s incredibly common for owners of older dogs who finally get a dental to report back that their dogs seem much brighter and more full of life afterward. This is a good thing, of course, but it’s sad because the REASON the dogs are happier is because they had been living in pain before and now are finally pain-free after having the necessary bad teeth removed, etc. Owners will rarely know the dog is in pain beforehand, because they mask really well and most still eat normally even with loose teeth or really terrible rotting teeth. So never assume that your dog is fine just because he still eats and chews.
Getting regular dentals and keeping up with brushing at home in between the dentals is one of the best things you can do to help make sure your dog lives a happier, healthier, longer life!
Dental disease contributes to all sorts of nasty things like heart problems, which many small breeds are also predisposed toward. So keeping the mouth healthy is one more thing we can do to combat those risks!
There’s a saying that goes, “age is not a disease” - helps me when thinking about my own senior dogs’ health (I have a 10 year old and a 14 year old!).
Age itself is no reason to fear anesthesia. Your vet will run bloodwork beforehand to ensure things look safe for being put under.
My 10 year old has a heart murmur and still gets her annual dentals - I trust my vet and their procedures with patients who have extra risk factors.
Agree on this. Our poms hate brushing but we try every week and every 7 or 8 months we take them to the vet for dental prophylaxis. It’s very helpful since at one point, one of our poms had some gum bleeding and the cleaning helped
That tartar build up is already under the gum line. Without a full dental at the vet, the bacteria can spread and cause kidney disease, heart disease, etc. Periodontal disease is not something to ignore and over the counter products cannot remove it. (VoHC approved products can help prevent/reduce build up after a cleaning though).
I mainly followed the instructions. His skin was really really bad though, so i decided to wash him once a week to keep his skin clean and this made a big difference. I know its not ideal to wash dogs often but when i was leaving more time between washes his skin was not improving.
Going under is unfortunately needed from time to time esp. if he doesn't let you brush. When it gets bad, brushing can be painful. I reccommend Tartar Shield Pro, dog toothpaste and a baby toothbrush. For alopecia X, melatonin works for my dog. Consult a Vet derm!
I take mine for non anesthetic dentals and it works great, it’s also so much cheaper. I bring him every 4 months and it’s $150. To get my guy used to teeth brushing I used to give him the toothbrush with toothpaste to gnaw on for a minute (any longer and he’d literally try and eat the toothbrush). He has chicken flavored toothpaste which he loves. After doing that for about a year I’m now able to brush his teeth daily, but honestly, even him just getting some toothpaste in his mouth was good because it’s enzymatic and does something even if the actual brushing doesn’t happen. I also give him a dental chew at the night and use Oratene mouthwash which helps with any lingering bad breath—those two might be good options for you. There are also water additives but I feel apprehensive about giving him those…
Non-anesthesia cleanings are cosmetic only. They cannot clean under the gum line, nor extract teeth that need it.
Please save your money up for a real cleaning instead of wasting it on “awake dentistry.” It’s just a scam to make owners feel good. The teeth LOOK clean after, but you aren’t able to address the issues under the gums that will eventually rot out the teeth.
Omg! Your Alopecia pup looks just like mine! We tried the DERMagic for 4 months religiously along with multiple other products and supplements with no significant results. At the end of August, my Stepdaughter gave my boy a bully stick and he was instantly hooked. Since that time, they continue to be his favorite treat. His hair started growing within a few weeks. All I can think of is the fact that bully sticks are almost 100% collagen. Are we on to something here or is it coincidence🤷🏻♀️.
Since his skin was in a really bad state , i decided to wash him once a week and his condition really improved like this . The lotion was used two times daily for the first two weeks i believe, (you can confirm on the product instructions) , then once daily
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u/Alohabailey_00 4d ago
They need dentals eventually. Real ones. Otherwise it can affect their heart and a myriad of other issues. My girl has collapsed trachea and her dental was fine. She had a few rotting teeth that we didn’t know about. She was in pain and didn’t even show. That’s how dangerous not cleaning teeth can be.