Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM, new blog post, in case you have not read it, on a holistic approach to anesthesia for Pets by Shawn Messonnier, DVM, especially for teeth cleaning...

My friend and colleague, Dr. Shawn Messonnier, was very kind to pen this article on anesthesia for pets – particularly in regards to dental cleanings. Dr. Messonnier, a 1987 graduate of Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine, opened Paws & Claws Animal Hospital in Plano, Texas, in 1991. He has written several articles for many of the top pet publications in the nation. - Jean Dodds, DVM

Most pets have periodontal disease that must be addressed. This involves cleaning the teeth, and a proper dental cleaning must be done under sedation/anesthesia in order to thoroughly treat the periodontal pockets below the gum line that accompany dental disease.

A holistic approach to anesthesia is a safe alternative to traditional anesthetics. The holistic approach allows minimal amounts of sedation/anesthesia to be used, minimizing risk to the patient, even in older dogs and cats, and ensuring a quick and complete recovery. We typically do dental cleanings and tumor removals using this approach on small and medium-sized dogs and cats 15 years of age and older without any harm to the pet! For larger and giant sized breeds, the age to be cautious with anesthesia can be 10-12years.

At my clinic in Plano, Texas, we’ve had great success using this holistic anesthetic approach, so much so that we get patients from around the area (and even from out of state) in order to minimize the risk of sedation and anesthesia. By using this approach we’ve been able to help even high risk patients have necessary surgery for cleaning the teeth and removing tumors.

The approach involves a proper pre-sedation evaluation, and choosing the right anesthetic based upon this evaluation. Tiny doses of sedatives/anesthetics are used, just enough to allow the pet to lightly sleep while the teeth are properly and thoroughly cleaned. With this approach, the pet is barely asleep, minimizing the risks so often seen with more traditional anesthesia (depressed heart and lung function, lowered body temperature, etc.) Once the procedure is finished the pet can go home fully awake (without the hangover effect so commonly seen with traditional anesthesia) and acting totally normal.

There is no reason your pet, even an older pet, shouldn’t have proper medical care just because of a fear of anesthesia. Please look into a more gentle, safe, and natural approach to anesthesia and surgery and your pet will not only survive but even thrive and awake healthier!

http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/139796181181/holistic-anesthesia-dental-dogs