Teeth cleanings for elder dogs on as-needed basis

Dear Cathy: My wife and I are owned by a 15-year-old Westie. We rescued Charlie when he was 10 and have given him the best veterinary care, including annual dental cleaning. He’ll be 16 when the next cleaning is due, and that’s the problem.

My wife and I are at odds over whether to have it done again. She says annual dental cleaning is essential, especially because we don’t brush his teeth at home. (Brushing his teeth is not an option for us.) I say that the risk of death or kidney failure from anesthesia is too high. (He’ll be under for an hour or longer if an extraction is required.)

We went to see Charlie’s longtime vet to discuss the situation. Charlie’s health for his age is good except for developing hip problems, and his blood work is normal except for an early-stage renal abnormality.

The vet said there’s always a risk, even for younger dogs, but it does increase with age. If we’re anxious about it, she won’t oppose discontinuing the annual cleaning. The unfortunate bit is, what will affect Charlie’s quality of life first — dental issues from no more cleaning or other problems? Any insights you can provide to help us make this decision are greatly appreciated. — Tom, Yorktown, Virginia

Dear Tom: Your longtime vet gave you good advice. Why not just do it on an as-needed basis? You can monitor his dental health and schedule the teeth cleaning if things begin to go south. In the meantime, dental chews and dental additives — which can be added to his water — can help control tartar and plaque buildup. It might be all he needs to keep a healthy mouth in his golden years.

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