Hello, I have a question regarding my dog's teeth.  Charlie is a 9 year old, 35 pound rat terrier; the vet says he's large for his breed (he's not obese).  Anyways, last check-up, which was in January 2008, my vet said that Charlie should get a dental cleaning.  At the time they had done some blood work to check on the initial diagnosis of a level 3 heart murmur, which was later discovered through a $150 test to be a level 1 at the most . . . I guess it's not too bad a price for peace of mind.  He's a rescue dog that was around 3 when we got him and I was ignorant about teeth until my vet mentioned the cleaning.  Is it safe for a healthy 9 year old dog to be put under?  He was anesthetized when he was five for the removal of a small, painful growth on his paw; he came out of it fine.  Another concern is the cost of a dental cleaning.  It was estimated to cost around $400!  A poster on another forum suggested to another poster that the Humane Society was the way to go for dental cleaning since it only cost him $150, but I can't find anything on the Humane Scoety site that says anything about offering dental cleaning.  Any input is appreciated.  Thanks.

Thanks for the input.  I went to my vet today to get some bloodwork and antibiotics to administer 3 days before his cleaning.  The cost . . . $400+Possible Extractions = ~Up to $700!  I was fine with 400, but the possible 700 shocked me.  My pet insurance doesnt' cover dental procedures, but my vet knows I have some type of insurance plan.  I wonder if that has an effect on their quotes. They said some of his teeth have signficiant plaque and tartar that should be removed, especially due to his heart murmur.  There's no question that he's getting the procedure, and the safest place is my current vet, because as you said, she knows about his history.

Here's a little history on Charlie:

He's a Rescue Dog that we got when when he was three.  We were ignorant about canine dental care and didn't pay much attention to his bad breath.  I made sure he took his heart worm and flea medication, but I was completely unaware of the severity of his dental condition.  Oh well, I love him and he's getting that cleaning.