Daughters Evin and Addison with proud papa Graham Lynggard and Lucy, their Italian greyhound, who's smiling inside after having her teeth cleaned for Valentine's Day.
Don’t get the wrong impression. LaVerneOnline loves people, but it really loves dogs. I own a few myself. That’s why last week we featured Edward Mac, culinary chef for dogs through his company Culinary Canine Creations (http://www.laverneonline.com/2010/02/05/la-verne-entrepreneur-wont-roll-over-when-it-comes-to-his-culinary-canine-creations/ [1])
But did you ever think what happens after your cuddly canine consumes all that gourmet puppy chow. Unlike you and me, dogs don’t regularly brush and floss after meals unless they have the most conscientious of owners.
And they really should because they have more teeth, 42, than we do, with only 32. And their teeth will fall out just as their dog owners’ will if not properly cared for.
“Dogs’ and cats’ mouths are not unlike our own,” said Lisa Sosa, a mobile dental hygienist for dogs through a company called Canine Care that cleans teeth at Palace Pet Salon in La Verne the second Sunday of every month. “They get the build-up and gum recession, same as you and I. If left unchecked, their teeth and gums can cause kidney, liver and health problems down the line, which can lead to early death for your pets.”
Lisa Sosa aims to give her patients a smile as bright as hers.
Teeth cleaning by a vet can cost between $400 and $600. Sedating the dog is the reason for most of the expense. In fact, Lisa learned how to clean dogs’ teeth from her uncle, a veterinarian who regularly placed dogs under general anesthesia before cleaning their teeth. At Palace Pet Salon, the approximately 45-minute procedure costs $100, after receiving the $10 LaVerneOnline discount.
Sosa doesn’t use sedation, only trust and a tender touch to win the confidence of her canine patients, which come in all sizes and dispositions.
“Most dogs do very well having their teeth cleaned,” said Sosa, wearing a small lighted lamp that a miner might wear to explore a dark underground cavity. “I would say that we’re able to do about 98% of the dogs and cats brought to us. They are good patients. They are nervous, of course, but when they realize that we’re not going to hurt them, that what I’m going to do to them doesn’t hurt, they usually take a deep breath and settle down.
“There is that rare dog that is too nervous, that won’t settle down,” she added. “They won’t hold still for us so we can do what we need to do. In that case, they’ll need to go to the vet to be sedated.”
Sosa usually cradles and swaddles her patient, positioning the dog’s head in her lap. She hand-scales the teeth inside and out, reaching slightly under the gum line without causing the pooch any discomfort. Then she polishes and brushes the teeth. Many larger dogs have actually fallen asleep in her lap while she performs her dental dexterity.
According to Sosa, some dogs are blessed with good genes while others aren’t as fortunate, necessitating more frequent cleaning visits.
To give a dog a thorough teeth cleaning, you have to get up close and personal.
“Every dog is different,” Sosa said. “Dogs with healthy teeth and gums can get away with two check-ups a year. Other dogs, older dogs, with gum recession and problems with their mouth will do better with a monthly maintenance program that will restore health to their gums and to their mouth.”
In between cleanings, dog owners can purchase inexpensive finger brushers and mouthwashes from Palace Pet Salon that will help clean teeth and gums, control offensive breath (dog breath), and fight bacteria that causes plaque.
With all the services that owner Mark Levy provides our local animal dogs and cats is it any wonder that both people and pets refers to his place of business as a Palace.
For more information about getting your dog or cat’s teeth cleaned or any of Palace Pet salon’s other grooming services, call (909) 593-5714.