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The Good Girl Way, Birmingham (2026)

14/09/2026

If I could go back to the beginning of Lily’s dental journey, there is so much I would tell myself.

I would say that dental disease can be quietly developing even when your dog is still eating, playing and behaving normally.

I would say that unpleasant breath isn’t always “just dog breath,” and that redness, bleeding or tartar around the gumline deserves attention.

I would remind myself that ten years old did not automatically make Lily too old for an anaesthetic.

Age was one part of the decision - not the whole decision. Her individual health, pre-anaesthetic assessment, blood results and veterinary monitoring all mattered too.

I would also say that booking a dental check does not commit you to the treatment automatically, but it does give you the information, options and estimated costs you need to make an informed decision.

Most importantly, I would tell myself not to be so worried.
No anaesthetic is completely without risk, and every dog’s circumstances are different. But leaving dental disease untreated carries risks too: ongoing discomfort, infection, damage beneath the gumline and possible tooth loss.

Lily’s result exceeded everything I expected.
Her tartar was removed, her teeth were beautifully clean, and thankfully, her dental X-rays showed that no extractions were needed.

If I had understood how thorough the procedure would be and how well Lily would recover - I would have discussed it with our vet way sooner.

I hope she never needs another professional dental, but if her veterinary team recommended one in the future, I would not hesitate simply because I now understand the difference it made ( results speak for themselves - last slide).

That is why I shared every part of this journey: the warning signs, the fear, the anaesthetic, the procedure, the recovery, the cost, the insurance small print and what we do differently now.

If you’re worried about your dog’s teeth, you don’t need to know every answer today.
Simply begin by booking the dental check.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better so you can give them the life they deserve.

13/09/2026

Lily has been raw-fed since she was 8 weeks old and has regularly enjoyed raw meaty bones and natural chews throughout her life.

We believed all that chewing was keeping her teeth naturally clean - and it may have provided some mechanical benefit.

But it did not prevent plaque from accumulating around her gumline or stop her from developing gingivitis.

That was one of the biggest lessons from Lily’s journey.
Raw feeding, bones and natural chews are not a guarantee of dental health.
They cannot reliably clean every tooth or reach every area where plaque collects.

Our biggest change is brushing Lily’s teeth every evening.
We use a soft bamboo toothbrush and Dorwest Roast Dinner Toothpaste made for dogs, which we chose because we feel comfortable with its formulation and ingredients.

However, toothpaste cannot replace the gentle brushing action that disrupts soft plaque before it hardens into tartar.

Lily doesn’t love having her teeth brushed, so we’re building cooperation rather than forcing her mouth open.
Sessions are short, calm and rewarded.
Some evenings we manage more than others - and that is real life.
We also still offer natural chews because Lily enjoys them, but we consider their ingredients, hardness and size, alongside her individual chewing style.

“Natural” doesn’t automatically mean safe and “dental” on a packet doesn’t automatically mean effective.

We also regularly check Lily’s gums, breath and chewing and ask for her mouth to be examined during veterinary visits.

Most importantly, we understand the limits of home care. Brushing helps control soft plaque, but it cannot remove established tartar or treat disease beneath the gumline.

The aim is a consistent, realistic routine that helps us notice changes early and protect Lily’s comfort.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better so you can give them the life they deserve.

12/09/2026

The anaesthetic frightened me - but the unknown cost worried me too.

Loving our dogs doesn’t remove financial reality, so I’m sharing Lily’s exact figures to help other owners prepare.

Our original estimate was £1,052.03.
It allowed for a Grade 3 dental with possible extractions, scale and polish, plus IV fluids.
The price couldn’t be confirmed until Lily was anaesthetised, examined and X-rayed.
Thankfully, she needed no extractions.

Her final bill was:
Grade 1–2 dental: £502
IV fluids: £144
Total: £646
We paid the full £646 when we collected her.

Petplan Insurance later reimbursed £440.80.
After our £95 fixed excess and £110.20 age-related contribution (20% of total treatment), our actual cost was £205.20.

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

At insurance renewal, Lily’s annual premium increased from £656.52 to £787.83 - approximately 20%.
This happened after her claim, but we cannot say the claim caused it.
Age, veterinary costs and general policy pricing may also affect premiums.

Then came the small print we nearly missed.

Lily’s 12-month Essential policy covers gingivitis and related treatment until 6 August 2027, subject to the £3,000 condition limit.

However, her renewal certificate states that claims connected to her mouth, teeth and gums will be excluded from 7 August 2027.

That future exclusion was not yet visible online.

The lesson?
Don’t stop at “claim approved.”
Check the treatment window, benefit limit, excess, age-related contribution, renewal price and future exclusions. Read the full renewal certificate - not only the online summary.

Every policy is different.
These are Lily’s exact figures and terms.
Insurance helped, but understanding its limits was just as important.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better so you can give them the life they deserve.

11/09/2026

The call I had been waiting for finally came:
Lily was awake.

Her dental clean had gone well, and no teeth had needed removing.

We collected her at around 4 pm. After spending the day imagining every outcome, seeing her walk back out to us brought enormous relief.

Lily had received injectable anti-inflammatory pain relief.
Following our discharge conversation, we offered her the plain chicken and rice we had already made.
She ate, settled comfortably and quickly began behaving like herself again.

Her recovery was much easier than I had expected - but Lily’s experience was individual.

Because she had no extractions, she had no surgical wounds inside her mouth.
A dog who has teeth removed, more advanced disease or other health conditions may need softer food, medication and closer monitoring.

After a general anaesthetic, some dogs may initially be sleepy, wobbly, confused, unsettled or less interested in food.
They need somewhere warm and quiet to rest, supervision while unsteady, and food, water and medication given according to their vet’s instructions.

Contact your vet if your dog is difficult to wake, has breathing difficulties, collapses, develops pale or blue gums, vomits repeatedly, cannot keep water down, appears increasingly distressed or painful, or has persistent bleeding.

REMEMBER - YOU KNOW YOUR DOG BEST
If something feels wrong, call - even if you cannot explain exactly why.

Before leaving the vets, make sure you understand what your dog should eat, which medication they received, when normal activity can resume and whom to contact overnight (emergency vet).

Lily’s smooth recovery made me realise how much of my worry came from not knowing what to expect.
Clear instructions turned that worry into something manageable: keep her comfortable, observe her closely and know when to ask for help.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better so you can give them the life they deserve.

10/09/2026

The result we hoped for and pleasantly surprised that Lily kept all of her teeth.

Before treatment, we knew she had tartar, gingivitis and early periodontal changes.

What we couldn’t know from looking inside her mouth was whether disease had affected her tooth roots or surrounding bone.

Under general anaesthetic, the veterinary team examined Lily’s whole mouth, cleaned above and beneath the gumline and took 13 dental X-ray views.
Her final treatment was recorded as a Grade 1–2 dental.

Most importantly, no extractions were needed.
Every tooth was scaled and polished, and the visible result exceeded my expectations.
Her teeth were brilliantly clean.

But white teeth were not the most important outcome.
The real relief was knowing her mouth had been properly examined, hidden structures assessed, and every tooth could remain.

This is why professional dental cannot be compared with simply removing visible tartar from an awake dog.

A surface cleaning may make teeth look whiter, but it cannot provide dental X-rays or thorough cleaning beneath the gums.

I’m so grateful we acted while Lily’s disease was still considered early.

Early assessment cannot guarantee another dog will avoid extractions, but waiting for obvious pain would only give dental disease more time to progress.

If I had understood how thorough the procedure was and how good the result could be, I would have discussed it with our vet way sooner.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better so you can give them the life they deserve.

09/09/2026

But a professional dental is much more than making teeth look cleaner.

We signed consent for a dental under general anaesthetic, with possible extractions if damaged teeth were found. We also received an estimated cost rather than a guaranteed final price.

Once anaesthetised, the vet can examine the whole mouth - not only the surfaces we see when lifting a dog’s lip.

They can assess every tooth, examine the gums and look for loose, fractured or painful teeth.
Plaque and hardened tartar are then scaled from above and beneath the gumline.

That below-gum cleaning matters because periodontal disease develops in the tissues supporting the teeth.

Removing only visible tartar may improve appearances without treating hidden disease.

After scaling, the teeth are polished to smooth their surfaces and make it harder for plaque to reattach.

Dental X-rays reveal what the eye cannot: tooth roots, surrounding bone, infection, fractures and damage beneath the gums.

If a tooth is painful or cannot be saved, it may need extracting. This is why the final treatment - and cost cannot always be confirmed beforehand.

A complete dental requires general anaesthesia.
An awake dog cannot safely remain still while every tooth is examined, X-rayed and cleaned beneath the gums.

I worried about what Lily’s vet might discover - but I would rather they found and treated hidden disease than gave us clean-looking teeth and false reassurance.

The result that matters isn’t simply a whiter smile, but rather a healthier, more comfortable mouth.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better - so you can give them the life they deserve.

08/09/2026

The dental cleaning didn’t frighten me.
The general anaesthetic did.

Lily is 10 years old, and my mind went straight to the question so many senior-dog owners fear:
“What if she doesn’t wake up?”

Anaesthesia is never entirely without risk, and older dogs may be more likely to have underlying conditions affecting how their bodies respond.

But age alone does not determine whether a dog is suitable for anaesthesia.

Risk is individual. It depends on health, medical history, existing conditions, the procedure and how the dog is monitored.

Before proceeding, Lily’s history, March blood results and pre-operative examination were considered.
Her bloods had been confirmed as normal, including her kidney and liver markers.

IV fluids were also recommended to support her circulation and organs during the anaesthetic.
Her age mattered - but so did her actual health.

We also had to consider the risk of doing nothing.
Untreated dental disease could mean increasing pain, infection, damage beneath the gumline and eventual tooth loss.

Our decision wasn’t between risk and no risk.
It was between a carefully assessed anaesthetic risk now and allowing a known disease to progress.

Understanding Lily’s plan didn’t make me less worried when I left her at the practice - she is our family, we love her more than words can ever describe, and clinical reasoning cannot switch off love or worry.

But it did help us move from fear towards an informed decision.

Ask your vet how your dog’s risk will be assessed, which checks are appropriate and how they will be monitored and supported.

Age deserves careful consideration, but it should not be the only reason a dog is denied treatment that could protect their quality of life.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better - so you can give them the life they deserve.

07/09/2026

LILY’S DENTAL JOURNEY PART 1.

Lily never stopped enjoying her food, chewing her treats or behaving like herself, but her mouth was quietly telling us something wasn’t right.

Her breath had become increasingly unpleasant, there was visible brown tartar on some teeth, while parts of her gumline looked red, inflamed and occasionally bled whilst brushed.

None of it felt like an emergency. It would have been easy to dismiss these changes as normal ageing - or simply “doggy breath”- but together, they were enough for us to book a veterinary dental check.

On 11 June 2026, Lily’s clinical notes recorded “tartar ++ and gingivitis, especially on upper K9.”
Our vet described the changes as the initial stages of periodontal disease and recommended a professional dental clean under general anaesthetic.

Lily is 10, so of course I was worried about the anaesthetic, what the vet might find beneath her gums, whether she would need extractions, how she would recover - and what it all might cost.

But I was also concerned of what could happen if we waited.

Dogs can continue eating and behaving normally despite dental discomfort. If we waited for Lily to refuse food or show unmistakable signs of pain, the disease could become much more advanced.

We decided that acting early was the right the right decision for her.

I’m sharing Lily’s complete journey because it contains the information I wish I had known: the warning signs, anaesthetic decision, professional treatment, X-ray info, recovery, costs, insurance small print and what we do differently now.

This is Lily’s individual experience, not a substitute for veterinary advice. But I hope it helps another concerned owner feel less worried and more prepared.

If you notice bad breath, tartar, inflamed or bleeding gums, or changes in chewing, book a dental check.

Finding out what is happening doesn’t commit you blindly to the treatment - it gives you the information needed to make the right decision for your dog.

Follow Linda | The Good Girl Way to understand your dog better - so you can give them the life they deserve.

The Good Girl Way

14/09/2026

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12/09/2026

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