Burger had his first dentist appointment today. We had to leave him there all day since the “procedure” required putting him under. I guess it’s easier to clean a dog’s teeth when they’re not biting you every five seconds. Go figure. Although Burger just turns into a big puddle of wimp at the vet. Here he is whining at the door as we waited for the technician to take him away. We were sad all around. But healthy teeth = healthy dog. And we want Burger around for a nice long time.
Happily, the cleaning was a success. We learned that chihuahuas have notoriously bad teeth, but Burger seems to be an exception. It was actually his first cleaning ever and the vet was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t need any extractions (the at-home brushing/wrestling thing Sherry does with him every night must have helped). Apparently lots of his kind lose teeth and have some decay going on after just a couple of years… and Burger is almost five! He left with all of his teeth, no decay, and minty fresh breath.
And as if that weren’t enough good news, the vet gave him this snazzy new bandana too. Well hello Mr. Sparkle Teeth…
I got a better shot of it once we got home, got his IV bandage off, and he was no longer scrambling to get as far away from the vet’s office as possible. Ain’t he quite the looker?
In all seriousness, we’re super relieved that it’s over and all went well. It was kinda depressing not having him around the house all day. Love you Burgs.
Kate says
Dang, he is one cute dog. Glad he survived the dentist!
Molly P-H says
*contented sigh* A post devoted entirely to the B-Man. Oh, how your friends in Florida have missed you! We try to make do with a little photo here and a little video there but, alas, it’s just not the same (though the “house tour by Burger” did get big laughs at our house). It’s a pretty fabo vet that coordinates B’s bandage color with his neckerchief. We have a greyhound and their breed is prone to bad teeth too — guess he and his chihuahua brother have that in common. Molly in Florida
Carrie says
I have a hard time leaving mine at the vet too. The only time it has happened was when they got “fixed”. I wanted to stay…. I wouldn’t just drop my kid (that I don’t have) at the hospital to have surgery, why would I do it to my dog?
I rub a wet washcloth over my puppies teeth. They are big dogs with BIG teeth and are still puppies so it is not a good time. But I want them to have healthy teeth!
Lindsay says
:(
We had to take one of our dogs to the vet to get his non-pearly whites back to pearly white. He didn’t have Burger’s luck because 2 of his chompers had to be pulled. I was so sad for him all day.
Glad Burger is better!!
Michelle Z. says
Did you take him to the dentist because your vet recommended it, or was it on your own initiative?
Young House Life says
The vet recommended it back at his annual check-up in January. We brush his teeth at home but hadn’t really thought of a “professional” cleaning before.
-John
Nik says
Burger looks so dapper! Our poor Maltipoo has the worst teeth ever. We get them professionally cleaned every.single.year. AND we have to brush them 2x/week. Good thing she’s adorable!
Kelly says
You should check out raw diet, there’s a bunch of brands like Nature’s Variety or Steve’s or Primal. They’re bags of these little frozen nuggets that are meat/pulverized bone/veggies. I have a Chihuahua and it keeps his teeth so white and I only brush them once a week. It’s the added stuff in dog food that causes their tooth decay, same as in people. Raw diet feeds them like they would eat in the wild. It is true that Chihuahuas tend to have bad teeth, but raw diet seems to keep any breed’s teeth healthy as well as improve their coat and energy, and extend their life span. I’m not a salesperson, it’s just been that huge of a difference for me that I felt it was important to mention. Tooth issues can lead to so many problems later down the line.
Young House Life says
Thanks for the info Kelly!
xo,
s
Sarah - { rad: renovations are dirty } says
Woohoo! I feed a (home-made) prey-model raw diet to my wheaten terrier. I love it! I also brush his teeth daily and use “Petzlife” dental spray.
Feeding a few RMBs (raw meaty bones – chicken quarters, pork ribs, etc) a week can do wonders for keeping teeth clean, too, if you’re not into a full diet change. :)
Young House Life says
Love it! Thanks for all the info guys!
xo,
s
Emily says
We do raw meaty bones for our cats, too (who are bigger than Burger!) and neither of them has ever needed a teeth cleaning. I recommend raw chicken wings for the little guys (supervised and NEVER cooked). We just do them once a week (and otherwise they’re on a prepared raw diet, since I got too grossed out during my pregnancy to keep up with their homemade meals).
Our late dog would never chew on bones (weirdo), but she did LOVE her commercial raw food and it was the only thing that ever kept her weight in check (she was a fatty even on diet dry food).
Amber says
Yay for Burger! You guys sure are diligent with the brushing, but I truly believe having animals is just like having kids! Glad the cleaning went well!
Crazy cute Missoni headband! By the time I got to Target absolutely everything was gone!
Hannah says
I have a 5 y/o chihuahua that I just adopted a few months ago. He ended up needing 15 teeth extracted, including some that were broken and loose, so consider yourselves very lucky! Lucky for me I am a vet student with a nice discount :O Good job with the brushing! I can’t even get mine to let me get near him when I have the brush in my hand.
Hannah says
And if you are interested in a food I definitely recommend science diet t/d small bites. It’s prescription only (just ask your vet), but works great if you can get him to eat it (the pieces are pretty big, forcing them to have to take several bites instead of swallow), and is made to gently clean their teeth. Mine does just fine with it.
eileen marie says
Sher-you inspired me to slap a headband (albeit not Missoni) on top of my ponytail (well, bun)today.
We also brush our dogs’ teeth at home, but not every night. Our male Cocker, Peanut, JUST got his (2nd) cleaning, and he was REALLY wacked out after the anesthesia. He was literally inconsolably sobbing real tears (!) that racked his entire body. I had to wet his food & hand feed him -it was awful. I’m glad Burg’s went well -people don’t realize how vital good dental health is for our 4-legged friends!
Young House Life says
Aw hope Peanut is feeling better. Poor guy! As for the headband- woot! Work it, girl.
xo,
s
Rachael@LovelyCraftyHome says
I second the raw suggestion, our almost 5 year old Boxer has been on raw for almost her whole life and we have never brushed her teeth or had them cleaned. The vet says they are perfect! Raw is especially good for small dogs because of their small mouths/close teeth. The pre-made raw (frozen nuggets) wouldn’t be too cost prohibitive at his size. I feed my 56 lb dog whole chickens because it’s cheaper lol.
In any case, glad he made it out with all his teeth!
Gina Moore says
Hello,
Our doggie, Watson, has undergone at least 3 teeth cleaning procedures. After the third one I was at our local pet store getting him soft food for his post-procedure meals when they suggested that I get Plaque Off as seaweed supplement that you add to their food (not much it comes with a tiny scoop in the bottle). Apparently the seaweed dissolves plaque on their teeth making it cleaner (and their breathe better smelling). We have used this stuff for about 8 months and Watson’s teeth have stayed unbelievably clean because of it. In fact, we won’t have to have another teeth cleaning procedure this year! Here’s the Amazon link to the plaque off:
http://www.amazon.com/Proden-Plaqueoff-Animal/dp/B000U8HN5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316380103&sr=8-1
Also, it lasts forever, we just had to buy our second bottle. Hope it works for you! Good luck!
Young House Life says
Thanks so much for the recommendation!
xo,
s
maidofclay says
Good for ya’ll and for Burger! As a part time mom/part time doggie dentist/vet I loved your post. Your brushing is definitely helping him and I love seeing you be proactive about his good health. :) And he will love being with ya’ll and feeling good for many years with that kind of care. My own dog is 13 now and because I’ve kept on top of preventative care as well as every few years a full cleaning, she’s healthy, wealthy, and wise. Or something like that. ;)
I just found your blog, but as my young family embarks on building a house I look forward to visiting often! PS. any good home building/planning blogs you can recommend would be right up our alley!
Have a great day!
Green Dog Wine says
Awww sweet little guy – glad it all went so well! Did Clara notice he was gone? I would have been sad if my pups were gone for the day, and even more sad if my little (*non-existent, yet*) kiddo noticed. He is quite the dapper fellow with the bandana, I think it should become a staple in his wardrobe ;)
Young House Life says
Hmm, not sure she really noticed that much – but Burger spends so much of the day in bed sleeping that the only noticeably absent moments where we he didn’t come running at lunch time. :)
-John
Randi says
Wow lucky Burger! My chihuahua had to have 8 teeth pulled, but he’s still able to eat hard food. He’s also 12, so we call him grandpa.
Lexie says
Hi there,
My husband and I need to get our dog’s teeth cleaned too–have been putting it off due to the cost. Where did you guys take Burger? (We are in Richmond, btw.) Do you recommend the place you used?
Thanks!
Lexie
Young House Life says
We go to Sycamore Vet. Love it!
xo,
s
Shannon says
My long coat chihuahua just got his teeth cleaned as well this summer- Everything went ok except the bill- it was over $400! Is that how much everyone is getting charged or is my vet just super expensive?
Young House Life says
Hmm, I think ours was around $150 (Richmond is a lot more affordable than some other areas, like NYC for example). $150 still isn’t cheap for cheap-os like us though. Haha. Must be the anesthesia and stuff that costs a lot!
xo,
s
Erin B. Inspired says
My Chihuahuas have terrible teeth (and breath!). One of them has already had six teeth extracted and he’s only two, almost three. Poor puppy! Glad to know Burger got a good bill of health from the dentist. I guess I should whip out the toothbrush more for my furbabies.
Darlene says
I was just browsing the www and came upon your blog….you guys are too cute (baby and puppy too) and I love the way you have put it all to work for the long haul…a bright spot in my day and I will continue to stop in to see what’s going on.
Ronda says
Pics of the little Burger just make. My. DAY!!!
I am a dog groomer, I like dogs more than most people, they are so unconditionally loving. Thanks for setting a great example in terms of responsible pet ownership.
I am so happy Burger has remained “big brother, the chihuahua” and not been relegated to “the dog”. He was your furst baby, even if you didn’t deliver him! <– Yes, "furst" was a typo but I left it, it was freudian LOL
Young House Life says
Haha, furst is hilarious. Perfectly fitting!
xo,
s
Sarah says
We had Mr. Big’s teeth cleaned last summer(he’s six now so that would make him also about 5 when we did his first cleaning). He didn’t have any pulled, thank goodness, but he was sooooo loopy when we got him back. So much that he peed on my hand! He was completely out of it. Just shaking his head would make him fall over! Next time I’ll let him come out of recovery completely before I pick him up! Glad Burger’s teeth were all good!
Patty says
I so happy you took Burger to get his teeth cleaned. But now that Clara’s well over a year old, I hope she’s been to the dentist too! First birthday, first visit. :)
Lessie says
He is so adorable. I love how he is such a part of your lives. And you inspire me with your brushing of Burger’s teeth each night. If anyone ever doubts your fortitude, consistency, … devotion? That act every night seals it. I will try to emmulate (spell?) you … one day. :)
Julie says
Our trainer suggested giving our puppy (schnuzer x bichon) pieces of antler to chew on and showed us her jack russel’s teeth (he was 12) which were spotless. We’ve been giving them to her for two years now and her teeth are sparkling white! They are just a regular elk or deer antler sawed in half to let them chew on the marrow & they last FOREVER!
Joy says
Oh sweet he is… I am glad he did so well.. and he looks so handsome.
mindi says
aww, i’m so glad i read this! we have a 2.5 yr old chihuahua and his breath is soooo stinky. our vet recommended cleaning also! i love burger stories, i constantly send them to my husband :) i tried brushing monty’s teeth early on, but he would have a near panic attack! the vet said as long as he uses his “chewies”, he should be OK with the occasional cleaning. now about cutting his nails….
Laura L says
My Yorkie of 2 years is having 3 teeth extracted and a dental cleaning– consider yourself lucky! It costs a FORTUNE!
Erica Bohrer says
My Long-Haired Chihuahua, Niles, is 12 and he needs his teeth cleaned every year. It is expensive but worth it. I don’t want him to end up toothless with his tongue hanging out! He carries on so much after it; sighing and limping around. He is just a little drama queen. Here is my post on my pets: http://www.ericabohrer.blogspot.com/2011/03/post-your-pets-linky-party.html
Young House Life says
Aw, Niles sounds adorable.
xo,
s
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