My dog has hair loss from getting his teeth cleaned... help?

Question

My dog got his teeth cleaned at the vet yesterday,and now he has a huge patch on his left arm,no hair! i'm worried,it looks terrible.When his teeth were cleaned,they didnt use a toothbrush they just did it the other way, or however they do it,my mom took him shes not home now,,but is this normal?? or is it a harmless side effect,hes not l*****g it or anything,but what is this?!!

thanks

Answer 1

The vet will have used an intravenous anaesthetic (IV) to make teh dog unconscious while doing the dental work. It's standard because if there are sore teeth, and the vet is poking around, they'd get bitten otherwise no matter how nice the dog may be.

To make sure the needle that goes into the vein for the IV anaesthetic is clean and does not cause an infection, they clip a small area of hair over the skin and scrub it with aniseptics.

It causes no harm to the dog, but very occasionaly a dog will develop a rash if iodine was used. Most vets don't use iodine anymore, so don't worry. The hair will grow back and he will be fine.  

Answer 2

It's probably where they shaved him for the IV.

When a vet cleans a dog teeth, they put the dog under anesthesia and use dental tools and possibly an ultrasonic device to clean the teeth.  When animals go under, they are typically placed with an IV to provide medications and fluids.

Answer 3

LOL!  I would be scared too, if I didnt' know what it was.  They have to use a sedative on dogs to clean their teeth.  They shave a spot for the IV.  There is nothing to worry about.  I am glad to see that you take such good care of your dog.

Answer 4

To properly clean his teeth they had to put him to sleep with medication just like when people have surgery. Because he has so much hair they had to shave an area off so they could put the needle in his vein. The hair will grow back soon.