Del Mar's Doggie Dentist Done Good?
Veterinarians Raise Questions
POSTED: 10:55 pm PST November 7,
2001
UPDATED: 8:32 am PST November 8,
2001
SAN DIEGO -- A Del Mar woman is running into some heavy criticism from local veterinarians for cleaning the teeth of cats and dogs.
Before domestication, animals like cats and dogs kept their teeth clean by chewing on bones, according to Rhonda Hansler of Gentle Dental. Now that the animals are given softer foods, cleaning their teeth has become a part of keeping them healthy. Gum diseases could lead to painful infections or far worse, 10News reported.Most veterinarians anesthetize the animals to avoid having to tussle with the animal, but some pet owners are concerned that anesthesia might be too much for some pets.
Cat owner Leslie Wisz told 10News that her cat, Mimi, was anesthetized once and almost didn't come back. So she takes Mimi to Hansler.Hansler prides herself on not using anesthesia on pets. She claims her method is cheaper, more effective and more humane.Instead of knocking the animal out, she wraps them in a towel."That way I know where the legs are and what position the dog's going to be in," Hansler explained. "It's a burrito wrap, that's what we call it."Hansler then gets to work, scraping the teeth of the animals. She said that the animals are usually pretty calm as she cleans their teeth."I really believe part of the reason they are calm and they lay there is because they know that I'm helping them," she said.Dr. Rob Tugend argues that Hansler is not helping enough.
"There is just no way to get underneath the gum, to get inside of the dog's mouth, without having the dog under anesthesia," Tugend told 10News.Despite Hansler's 25 years as a dental assistant, Tugend said her method of tooth cleaning is simply not effective."We can cosmetically clean the tartar off the visible surfaces that you can see, but we can't get the tartar you can't see; we can't get the tartar beneath the gum," he said.Tugend said that effective teeth cleaning can sometimes be painful. An animal won't let you stick an instrument that hurts in the back of its mouth, where the real damage is done, he said.Tugend also said that because Hansler is neither a licensed veterinarian, nor supervised by one, her teeth cleaning business is illegal.
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Cat owner Leslie Wisz told 10News that her cat, Mimi, was anesthetized once and almost didn't come back. So she takes Mimi to Hansler.Hansler prides herself on not using anesthesia on pets. She claims her method is cheaper, more effective and more humane.Instead of knocking the animal out, she wraps them in a towel."That way I know where the legs are and what position the dog's going to be in," Hansler explained. "It's a burrito wrap, that's what we call it."Hansler then gets to work, scraping the teeth of the animals. She said that the animals are usually pretty calm as she cleans their teeth."I really believe part of the reason they are calm and they lay there is because they know that I'm helping them," she said.Dr. Rob Tugend argues that Hansler is not helping enough."There is just no way to get underneath the gum, to get inside of the dog's mouth, without having the dog under anesthesia," Tugend told 10News.Despite Hansler's 25 years as a dental assistant, Tugend said her method of tooth cleaning is simply not effective."We can cosmetically clean the tartar off the visible surfaces that you can see, but we can't get the tartar you can't see; we can't get the tartar beneath the gum," he said.Tugend said that effective teeth cleaning can sometimes be painful. An animal won't let you stick an instrument that hurts in the back of its mouth, where the real damage is done, he said.Tugend also said that because Hansler is neither a licensed veterinarian, nor supervised by one, her teeth cleaning business is illegal. Copyright 2007 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
