Re: teeth cleaning...A lot of dogs, maybe even a majority of dogs, have teeth that don’t present much of a problem, but many need brushing and/or specialized chews to keep their teeth clean and healthy...and others yet get tarter/plaque buildup no matter how what you do and this results in dental disease. Some of it is due to diet, some due to breed and some due to genetics.
I’ve had many, many dogs who haven’t needed any intervention on my part (that I knew of). But I now have one dog who needs daily brushing to keep his teeth clean. My other dog, in spite of all my efforts, still needs a dental done every couple of years. Since he’s a senior I also have to have blood work done to ensure he’s up for the anesthesia. If there are extractions (which there usually are for him), that’s an additional fee.
This isn’t an extravagance on my part, nor is it money grubbing on my Vet’s part. It’s a true medical requirement. At the least, poor dental health leads to bad breath and at the worst, poor dental health leads to an unhealthy dog and more Vet bills. Bacteria from (dirty or bad) teeth have a direct route into the bloodstream and are a major cause of heart disease in dogs.
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