My Greyhound has bleeding gums and wont let me brush her teeth. Suggestions?

I have a 3 year old female Greyhound. I recently noticed that her gums and gum line are red. I bought special Dog toothpaste and dog toothbrush, and she won't open her mouth for me when I try to brush them, most likely because when I do it hurts her gums because they bleed. Any suggestions as to how I can get my dogs teeth clean, without paying for a trip to the vet? The vet would probably just use drugs to put my dog to sleep for a short time, which are bad for Greyhounds. Also, how often should her teeth be cleaned?


Thanks.

My Greyhound has bleeding gums and wont let me brush her teeth. Suggestions?
Some anesthetics are bad for Greyhounds. You need to find a vet who knows what is safe to use...I think most vets know but it doesn't hurt to ask. They should use propoflo to induce and Isoflurane or Sevo to maintain. You have to watch for hyperthermia in them as well. My boss had a greyhound and another Tech has had 4, and we have many greyhound patients. They are notorious for having the worst teeth--probably has to do with what they're fed on the track--horrible diets! Your dog really does need to have it's teeth cleaned, then the vet can show you what to do afterward to keep them clean. You don't have to open your dogs mouth to brush--most of the tartar is on the buccal (cheek) surface. Just hold the muzzle closed gently and brush along the gumline with a childs soft toothbrush and dog toothpaste. Go slow and get him used to it. Wait until after his cleaning and his gums heal so this isn't painful. He'll most likely be put on antibiotics for a couple of weeks after the cleaning, and sometimes before as well. We've never had a problem cleaning a greyhounds teeth yet, but we know what we are doing.
Reply:it may have a gum desease you may want to get that checked out or something call in to a doctor for animals and they may tell you to bring in the dog but its worth the try! good luck i hope your dog gets better





they may even say its nothing!
Reply:i would recommend getting those long hard chew bones, that last awhile and since they are hard to chew they exercise her teeth. Or go to the vet and see what they would recommend.


hope this helps
Reply:Take her to the vet. They may use anathesia without your permission but they can probably use tricks to clean it out. Also if the gums are bleeding you need to do more then brush teeth. This could be gingivitis or gum desise. You have to get this checked out no matter what. Call greyhound breeders and see who they reccomend. They have special meds that can numb the mouth without hurting your greyhound.





Good luck! I hope your dog feels better!
Reply:If your dog's gums are bleeding she most likely has gingivitis. Which is an infection in the gums. She needs to be on some antibiotics most likely and she needs a teeth cleaning. Your vet should know how to handle greyhounds. If your worried, call the greyhound rescue in your area and find out which vets they use. Get your girl taken care of, then start brushing her teeth between cleanings. She won't be so much trouble when it doesn't hurt to get her teeth brushed. Good luck to you.
Reply:Bleeding gums are a sign of serious decay. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if untreated, this could lead to more serious issues than what the anesthsia would cause. Anesthesia is actually very safe now and it would be much safer than letting a bacterial infection deteriorate the bone tissue in your dog's jaw. Your dog will probably have to have some teeth pulled and they will clean the ones still in good shape and get him on antibiotics to clear up the infection. I work in dog rescue and we have seen this many times and it never clears up without a trip to the vet.


Once the vet cleans everything and the infection is gone, brush your dog's teeth everyday. Even if you only get one tooth done, still do it. He will start to get used to it and it will get easier and it will prevent this from happening again.
Reply:Maybe you should let the vet decide if the anesthetic is bad for your dog.


If her gums are bleeding that easily and she is that sensitive to you touching them then you need to have them looked at by a professional. There are several possibly problems occurring in her mouth. She could have severe dental disease (gingivitis) or she could have an inflammatory or hyperplastic disease of the gums as well.
Reply:Greyhounds need their teeth cleaned at least weekly.


If her gums are bleeding you will need to take her to the vet to have the teeth scaled.


She is probably suffering some nasty gingivitis which needs to be seen by a vet as gums can become infected (which can spread down the dog's throat and end up costing you a LOT of money)
Reply:Get her a nice big raw bone. Chewing on the bone will help clean her teeth.


Some grooming shops will scrap the tarter off a dogs teeth without drugging the dog.


I have a 15 yr old dog who has never needed his teeth cleaned. My secret is a raw bone twice a month.