Dental scaling in a 7-year-old Sheltie with bad breath
Channel: Dr David Sing
Date: 27/10/2014

Oct 28, 2014.  A father and young adult daughter presented this gentle 7-year-old male Sheltie for dental scaling. A friend's Maltese had died after dental scaling by another vet and so the owners were worried about anaesthetic death. "Dogs usually do not die under anaesthesia or after anaesthesia," I said to the father. "Unless the dog has heart disease or poor health." 

A thorough physical examination showed that this Sheltie with bad breath was generally healthy in heart and lungs. 

The heart beats were irregular. 50% sedation  of domitor and ketamine IV calmed this nervous Sheltie. 

In this case, I gave an IV drip, with IV baytril, frusemide and Vit B complex.   

It is very important to provide a very close monitoring of the maintenance of isoflurane gas at 0-2%, oxygen flow rate at 2 litres/minute to ensure that minimal anaesthesia is being given. The dog did wake up in the midst of dental scaling as the maintenance dose was 0.5%. He was intubated again and maintained at 2%. The dog woke up fast and went home 3 hours later.  Follow up 2 days later showed that the dog is OK. The dog had been given dry dog food and milk since young. He likes only certain brands of milk. Well beloved family dog and in excellent body condition.