Seeking advice: My 12-year-old poodle has severe dental issues, but vets are conflicted about anesthesia due to his age and extreme sensitivities. What should I do?
Hi everyone, I could really use your advice because I'm completely torn and don't know what the best course of action is.
My poodle just turned 12. He is generally in good health and great shape. We haven't done any detailed bloodwork or tests recently because there didn't seem to be a need, overall, he is doing fantastic.
However, for the past few years, he’s been struggling with severe dental issues. His teeth are loose and falling out, one side of his jaw frequently swells up, he gets chronic infections, and he has to take antibiotics way too often.
We’ve taken him to several vets, and their opinions are completely divided. Some claim that he is too old to be put under anesthesia for dental work and extractions, and that the risk is just too high for his age. Other vets think the exact opposite and recommend doing the procedure.
To make matters more complicated, my dog is extremely sensitive to chemicals. He actually suffered from poisoning after using a standard spot-on tick treatment, and he even starts coughing just from the smell when I wash my hands with regular soap. Because of this extreme sensitivity, on top of his age, I am absolutely terrified of how he would react to general anesthesia.
What do you guys think is the smartest thing to do here? Has anyone been in a similar situation? Any advice would mean the world to me.