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.
Cute headband Sherry!!
Thanks! Target. Haha.
xo,
s
What a cutie!
I totally know the feeling. Our chi is ten and when we first got her teeth cleaned I was on pins and needles all day until the vet called. So glad Burger had an easy time!
Have you tried Bully Sticks? My dog had plaque-y teeth until he started chewing those – now we don’t even need to brush them. Burger’s a cutie!
Ooh, never tried them. Thanks for the recommendation!
xo,
s
Not knocking the suggestions, but bully sticks are make from… well… the manly part of a bull (and I don’t mean the rocky mountain oysters).
Just an FYI lol. They’re great for dogs, but I just can’t bring myself to let my dog lick me after they eat them.
I was in heaven the first time my dog came home after having his teeth cleaned. His breath had never smelled better!
We took our 6 year old puggle, Gaia, to the vet to get her teeth cleaned for the first time this year too! Scared pups are the saddest, but we’ve got to keep them healthy :)
What do you use to brush his teeth?
I use this little rubber brush that slips onto my finger and some natural dog toothpaste from the vet. I think they also sell it at PetSmart too though. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
So glad to hear it went well! Our pup has the same procedure scheduled tomorrow, and I’m already so nervous about it. He’s almost six and we’ve never had a teeth cleaning before, so I hope all goes well. I may need to try brushing at home too!
Totally ashamed to ask this, but …. is that the missoni headband??
And I LOVE burger’s bandana. what a handsome accessory!
Haha, yes. I love it! I got a pack of them so I’ll probably wear them every day for the next year.
xo,
s
do you seriously brush his teeth. EVERY. night?! That’s true love!
I do it on the couch at night in front of the TV. I try to do it every single day but some nights I might forget. Maybe six nights a week? Burger hates it though. It’s a two minute wrestling match.
xo,
s
Wait… you brush his teeth EVERY night? I guess it make sense, people do it, but I’ve owned dogs and never brushed them that often… I just didn’t think it was necessary… intriguing…. now i feel like a terrible owner.
I do it on the sofa at night watching TV. I try to do it every single day but some nights I might forget. Maybe six nights a week? Burger hates it though. It’s a wrestling match.
xo,
s
oh burgs you are a cute pup!
Is that the new missoni headbands?!
Haha, yes! I’m in love. It was actually a pack of headbands, so they’ll probably pop up everywhere because I wear the same thing every day!
xo,
s
Whenever Ricki has to get his teeth cleaned it’s always an adventure. and he comes home a little loopy from being put under.
but you can’t put a price on better smelling puppy breath! lookin’ good burg! :)
Aww. Look at Burger’s pretty brown eyes in those photos! Love Burgs!
Oh burgs!
Our family dog went MAD for these dentastix http://www.pedigree.com/oralcare/about-dentastix.aspx from pedigrees, and she wasn’t even that in to treats. But what you’re already doing seems to work, so unless he gets crankier about having his teeth cleaned as he gets older I’d stick with it.
Thanks for the link! Now that his teeth are perfectly white again (it’s kind of amazing!) we’re planning to keep them that way with chew sticks and teeth brushing for sure!
xo,
s
Our chihuahua/terrier is 8.5 mo. old and I’ve been less that stellar about brushing his teeth. I had no idea chihuahuas were known to have bad teeth! This is enough incentive for me to buckle down, for sure…whether he likes it or not. LOL. At least he gets a Dentastix every day as his crate treat.
Glad Burger came through with flying colors! Love his bandanna!
You only wrestle Burger for 2 minutes to clean his teeth? JEALOUS! We mean to brush our Jack Russel’s teeth daily, but it happens maybe monthly and of course she hates it. It sometimes takes both of us, only holding her and petting and the other fighting the moving clenched jaw (which is also oddly trying to lick the toothpaste).
It depends on the breed, some have worse teeth than others, and other health issues on how important brushing is. Our dog has a heart murmur and we were told it was extra important to brush her teeth so the plaque wouldn’t accumulate and lodge free and cause all sorts of doggie health chaos. And of course, she’s hated every dental treat we’ve tried (Greenies, DentaStix, etc.)
Does Burger try to run away when he sees the toothbrush? Any tips on stealth for getting those doggy whites white?
He tries to lick it too! Such a weirdo. When he sees the little tube of toothpaste come out her gets all nervous and wiggly (that might be a chihuahua thing) but doesn’t run away. Just gets very submissive and sometimes even rolls onto his belly. But of course once I stick my finger in his mouth he’s not submissive anymore and tries to wrestle. Haha. But he alternates between being very mad and licking the toothpaste so about a minute or two later it’s all over (his mouth is tiny- haha).
xo,
s
Aww poor baby! I hate when they have to go under! But they are always to lovey dovey when you get them back! I am glad to see B is feeling better!
Thanks for being such great pet owners! I also LOVE that last photo of the Burg, it would look great on the gallery wall methinks :)
Agreed!
xo,
s
haha! If your looking at your site look at the picture of Sherry holding burger giving the little pouty face then scroll down to Clara’s weekly button on the sidebar. You know where C gets her little pouty face from. You guys look so alike. So cute!
Haha, hilarious.
xo,
s
off topic, just saw Clara’s monthly photo. A little more info on the photo would be good. Maybe not in the mood this month? Still super cute in a serious way. LOL
Here’s a post all about the photo-taking process from a while back. And of course we have plans to share a YHLife post about it asap. Hopefully today!
xo,
s
Oh my goodness, that scarf is adorable! I always miss my little doggie when he’s at the vet or groomers. I always feel so bad that they are locked up in a cage and not getting loved on. :(
That’s so great that Burger didn’t have any problems with his teeth. My cat actually had to go get some teeth removed. I doubt he would even entertain the idea of letting me brush the teeth he has left.
been there! our dog is not a fan of the vet’s office and it’s torture for us and her to get those teeth cleaned!
I started reading your blog because of Burger, he is adorable! I’m a Chi owner too, I have three. Two are almost 15 years old. They are notoriously cranky about grooming, but do the best you can and Burger will be your furbaby for a long time.
Best wishes to you and the “Burg”
We had our chihuahua’s teeth cleaned a month or so ago. One of the teeth was so bad it fell out during the cleaning and then she had to have another one pulled. :-( So sad. But other than that she was/is good to go. Glad Burger did well!
Aw isn’t it just terrible when they’re not there? Our pup tore his ACL a few months ago and had to stay overnight at the vet for surgery and recovery for all of 4th of July weekend…it broke my heart every time we had to come home to an empty house until we could go pick him up that Tuesday afternoon. Luckily he has been on the mend for the past few months and hopefully he’ll be allowed to start chasing his favorite green ball in the neighborhood park soon!
Thank you so much for doing that for your dog! I work at an emergency and specialty veterinary hospital and you have no idea the how heartbreaking it is when small dog pet owners bring there pups in and all there teeth have to be removed. I know its hard to wrestle them down and brush but it is so very important with the smaller breeds And worth it! Extractions cost a pretty penny and your dogs can be in severe pain for months before you realize it’s their teeth that’s bothering them.
We have to drop our dog, Eddie, off at the vet tomorrow for extractions. :( We adopted him when he was around 5-8 (he’s anywhere from 10-12 right now) and he was very poorly cared for before he became a Boyle. (Like, incorrectly healed broken ribs and scars under his coat bad).
I feel the worst b/c when we adopted him he was already missing lots of teeth from decay and some of his bigger teeth were chipped in half. After his last regular check up the vet said the chipped ones have to go. We did what we could but it is time…and I am nervous. :(
Emily
Don’t be nervous Emily! He’s going to be just fine! Burger sends him lots of wet kisses.
xo,
s
Eddie did great (I think it was the virtual kisses)! He was totally out of it and we had to carry him inside and out (he’s 48lbs – we got our work out in for the day taking care of him)! Thanks for the love!
Emily
So glad! Go Eddie!
xo,
s
The last time I took my dog to the vet, (to get shots,) I put him up on the exam table and he promptly shed a TON of fur. It was all over everything. The vet said that being nervous can do that. Lol!
Oh my gosh- poor guy!
xo,
s
We have a 2 year old chihuahua and our vet also recommended brushing his teeth daily. We try to do it every night, but sometimes forget to. He doesn’t mind getting his teeth brushed, but he always tries to lick all the toothpaste away! Next time we go to the vet, I’m definitely going to ask about getting his teeth cleaned.
Way to brush those teeth every night! I own a pet shop & just want to caution people about the ingredients in some of those dental chewies…sometimes they cause more harm than good. Do your research ;) My girls get raw bones, which I realize aren’t right for every home, but make sure you know what your feeding those pups.
Thanks Amy! Good tip!
xo,
s
When I adopted my lab, Elvis, he had already had 12 teeth pulled, which is really rare for a big dog (thanks, former owners!). The vet said they usually only see tooth decay in smaller breeds. His breath was so offensive when I got him that I had the vet clean his teeth and he wound up having two more pulled. I brush his teeth now, but he might have to lose a canine tooth soon. Poor guy. :(
Oh man, poor Elvis! Burger sends his love.
xo,
s
Ok, I know this is a weird question, but do you take Burger to Sycamore Vet Hospital? My family took our pets there when I was a kid, and I feel like I recognize it from your pictures. Slightly deja vu :-)
Yes! Wow- can’t believe you recognized it!
xo,
s
We don’t ever brush our dogs teeth – I guess that makes us bad puppy parents. How big is Burger? I have a chihuahua (Beefy) that is 8 lbs and they think she’s fat. She’s a big, barrel chested girl but she is a little big… hehe… My other pup, a 40 lb mix breed had a trip to the vet today for an over night stay for heartworms. I’m a little nervous! Heartworms are horrible and EXPENSIVE!
Oh no! Poor pup! Burger is around 8-9 lbs, but he’s pretty tall. The doc always says he’s right on track for weight since he has such long legs and a long nose. Haha. He’s very deer-like.
xo,
s
Oh the joys of teeth brushing. I’m a sucker for a dog in a bandana!
I never heard that about the tendency for poor teeth in this breed, interesting! (And hooray that you’re bucking that particular trend, lol!) Our retriever mix is what they call an “aggressive” chewer . . . at 9.5, she never ever chews things she shouldn’t, but she could gnaw on her (black) Kong all day. She greets visitors with it in her gaped jaws, she has literally remodeled the bone on the peak of her head, because the trapezius (neck) muscles are SO strong from her carrying it around all the time – seriously, her head is much pointy-er on top, it’s kinda funny.
Anyway, she has zero tartar/plaque and perfect teeth . . . although I do brush her some too (not every night . . . ) I am positive it’s from working away at that Kong, I’m sure it acts like one of those pointy gum things on a human toothbrush. The vet was really surprised to see such great teeth on an older dog. I can’t really recommend ENCOURAGING a high-chew-needs dog lol . . . but it’s been really interesting to see this outcome. Our other (late) dog did not care for chew toys, and she did have some significant dental buildup by her elder years.
Haha, sounds like it’s a healthy habit for her!
xo,
s
I don’t know what vet you go to, but Helping Hands Veterinary Surgical and Dental Care in Carytown is an awesome place just for teeth cleanings and surgeries. You should check them out if you haven’t heard of them! :)
Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Love that last pic!!
Last month when I took our dachshund, Roscoe, to the vet for his check up the vet mentioned a new procedure for teeth cleaning where you don’t have to put them under. When it is time again for Burger’s teeth cleaning you may want to ask!! He is a champ for letting you brush his teeth every night!
Thanks for the tip! Never heard of that!
xo,
s
Oh guys! You need to get yourselves out of the dark ages when it comes to doggie oral hygiene :)
http://www.plaqueoff.com/for-animals/product
Never heard of it! Thanks!
xo,
s
We have a rescue greyhound and they have notoriously bad teeth also. We try to brush his teeth every night (but he’s 75 pounds haha!) but he does the same clenched-jaw-but-i-want-to-eat-the-toothpaste-too move! We were just at the vet though and she said his teeth are still looking pretty good for a 7 year old!
I definitely second the bully sticks suggestion that someone mentioned earlier. Don’t know if Burger is a chewer, but the Nylabones are also helpful. Our 1 year old hound looooves to go to town on those things and they hold up really well and her teeth look great! (though I do have to start brushing them soon!)
We developed quite a warm relationship with our tech when our older chihuahua had his teeth cleaned regularly. She’d come out and say cheerfully, “only one (or two) fell out this time!” Although he never got a bandana, she’d always give him a kiss on the cheek as she handed him back to me. His teeth might have been clean but his breath was still awful!
I am so freaked about putting my bulldog under anasthesia that I actually bought a tooth scraper and clean his teeth at home! Talk about a wrestling match! I brush them more often than I scrape them, but not every day…wrestling with a 55 pound dog with a HUGE gaping maw of a mouth is NOT FUN! LOL!
What a cutie!
Awwwww, Burger! He’s like a little hipster with that bandana.
I DID miss this post! Poor Burger! Now that I have a chihuahua of my own, it’s good to know they have crummy teeth!
Hi John & Sherry,
Burger’s suuuch a sweetheart & I’m glad everything went okay for him. My little doggie’s teeth needed some help recently (even though I brush them & use natural toothpaste – not every day, though). She’s about the same weight as Burg Baby. I was in tears because she was slacking off on eating (I figured it may be her teeth), but didn’t want to subject her to anesthesia.
After lots of research & many phone calls, I thankfully found a holistic vet that was willing to conduct a phone consultation for a slight fee (she’s out of town). She highly recommended goat’s milk (since it doesn’t contain antibiotics/hormones & it’s *naturally* homogenized, along with lots of other healthy attributes – perhaps superior to organic milk). I buy Meyenberg brand (in a can) & get it at the local grocery store (Walmart carries it too). It’s reasonably priced (~$2.98/can & lasts a pretty long time – I pour it on her all-natural, dry dog food in the mornings). She loves it & it’s made a difference in her teeth & I’m sooo glad that vet gave me such a valuable, healthy, safe tip.
P.S. – do y’all feed Burg Baby your kale stalks? My doggie LOVES to crunch on the super-healthy, organic kale stalks (I give her some of the left-over stalks when I make smoothies). So cute to watch her go to town on the stalks (kinda loud – Ha) & they help clean her teeth, too! She eats other organic, crunchy vegetables to keep her teeth & body healthy, but she’s crazy over the kale! :)
Love that tip! Thanks so much! We’ll also have to give some kale stalks to Burger. Never thought about it but he eats kale (when Clara drops it, haha) so hopefully he’ll love that too!
xo,
s
You’re so welcome, Sherry! So cute that Burger eats Clara’s kale droppings. He knows a good thing! Ha. I hope he enjoys the stalks, too. His eyes are so pretty.
P.S. – I meant to include the word “cow’s” in 2nd paragraph above “…perhaps superior to organic *cow’s* milk.” You probably knew exactly what I meant. :)
Glad to hear all’s well with Burger….I’ve got four dogs so I know.
By the way, love the purse.Where’d you get it? Thanks
That’s from a boutique in NYC called Purty Girl about six years ago. Still going strong!
xo,
s
Burger, you are so cute! And I know what you mean about what it’s like when he’s not home. Our house feels so empty when our critters aren’t home. Blissfully quiet, but empty!