My two toy poodles, Cosette and Louis, are now home from
their annual “prevent-dents”. (This is a
nickname for the annual preventative dental treatment we recommend for all cats
and dogs.) They were tired the evening
after their day-stay at the hospital.
They love to get in the car, but they cry all the way to the hospital,
and they whine hysterically when they are there because they know I am there
and can’t understand why they just can’t be with me. Of course the veterinarian’s pets are always
the worst. Other dogs don’t act this
way. My wife always dreads when they’re
due to have their teeth cleaned. It’s
normal to worry, even though she knows this is a common and safe procedure
we’ve performed thousands of times over the past 25 years. (And now the anesthetics are safer than
ever.) The area of clipped fur on their
front legs is a reminder of the intravenous catheter that was placed for
anesthesia and IV fluids. Louie is now
four, and Cozy is nine. Their teeth are
pearly white and their gums are fresh and healthy like when they were
puppies. Most poodles have already lost
many of their teeth from periodontal infection at this age. My doggies are so lucky and they don’t even
know it. Just like children going to the
dentist, they don’t appreciate the care until they are older. There is no doubt in my mind that prevent-dent is the most important
health care a pet can receive.
