bad teeth

Question
My toy poodle has really bad teeth. Apparently I didn't have her teeth cleaned often enough. Now she is old and fragile and I'm afraid to put her to sleep.  Is there a product that would help her teeth now that they are bad. Her breath is awful.

Answer
Hello Iva,
Unfortunately, as with our teeth, if we don't take care of them we loose them.  With our dogs its the same.  If your dogs teeth aren't properly cared for, she will loose them also.  If your dog has some teeth that are loose, you should take her to the Vet to have those removed.  They only cause her pain when she eats and can get infected at the root.  When that happens, bacteria from the infection can get into the bloodstream and go to the heart.  This can cause infection around the heart and eventually cause the dog to have Heart Disease or worse.  
It is best to just have those bad teeth pulled.  
With her other teeth, there is a product made by the Pet Kiss company that you put into your dogs water that will help remove the plaque that has built up and will also help freshen your dogs breath.  
You can find this product at: http://www.petkiss.com/Plaque_and_Tartar_Control.html
If you don't want to put your dog under to do the procedure, you might ask the Vet if he can just scrape the tartar off the teeth.  

You can also brush your dogs teeth to help keep them clean and the breath fresh.  You will need to buy a pet specific toothpaste as human toothpaste can cause stomach upset.  Most places that sell the Pet toothpaste will also sell the toothbrushes, or you can use any toothbrush.  Be sure to get a soft or medium firmness so that you don't do damage to the gums of the dog.

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.  

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim