Teeth

[Shalista]

So bax used to be raw fed and he had the most gorgeous pearly whites. Ever since i switched him to kibble they've gotten worse and worse and now they are downright gross.

I've tried chews with him but he's not really a chewing kind of dog and has stopped accepting any of the brands ive tried.

I've desensitized him enough to tolerate me putting my finger in his mouth and poking at his teeth for a few seconds. What kind of tooth brushing products do you guys use?

 

[poptart]

I use a normal toothbrush, just a cheap human one. I use Beaphar toothpaste because it is meat flavoured and he's more willing to accept it.

 

[JoanneF]

I use Virbac - the enzymes are supposed to speed up the breakdown of the bacteria. But I have recently been recommended Logic. You can use a rough weave rag on your finger rather than a brush if that would be easier.

I also have started using braided ostrich tendons - if you can get these, they are absolutely amazing. T is not a big chewed but these chew quite easily and sort of go bristly, you can hear him chomping on the strands. And I have also put canine toothpaste on the tendon its so he is effectively brushing his own teeth.

 

[JudyN]

Before I raw-fed Jasper I tried various toothpastes - he spat them all out apart from Logic, so I'd at least try that if Bax doesn't like others.

Could you give him just the occasional chicken wing to benefit his teeth? I know you'd prefer him to be vegan, but manky teeth are going to give him pain and you large bills in the long run.

 

[Mad Murphy]

walking this afternoon we met a beagle buddy of Bennys, she is now 15.The same age as when Benny died. Benny ate primarily raw and he died with pure white ,perfect teeth, Bailey has had to have several teeth removed because they were so badly decayed..She has had a lifetime of dry food..Just saying..

 

[Flobo]

There are a few seaweed based or other herbal products you can add to food to help prevent the build up of plaque, have never used them myself so don't know how well they work..might be worth having a look or a try if you want to avoid animal products?

 

[Shalista]

i made a commitment to bax so im not above adding raw back into his diet for his health, i do want to try other options first before i throw in the kibble towel

 

[JudyN]

It probably wouldn't have to be either/or. Just the occasional chicken wing could make a lot of difference and though it's often said you shouldn't mix kibble & raw, plenty of people do with no problem at all.

 

[Shalista]

It probably wouldn't have to be either/or. Just the occasional chicken wing could make a lot of difference and though it's often said you shouldn't mix kibble & raw, plenty of people do with no problem at all.

why wouldnt you mix it? i mean food is food right? i know doing a hard and fast switcheroo can cause soem stomach upsrt if you dont wean but just adding some extra raw shouldnt matter to much right?

 

[JudyN]

why wouldnt you mix it?

The theory is that raw meat is safe because dogs have short guts so the food passes through faster, giving bacteria less time to breed. But kibble slows the transit time so there's more chance of bacterial infections. Also, kibble can raise the pH of the stomach acid, making it harder for the dog to digest bone (which needs more acidic digestive juices). More here: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/can-you-mix-raw-dog-food-with-kibble/

For these reasons, it was suggested that unlike changing brands of kibble, you should go from kibble to raw overnight rather than doing it gradually.

However, I've seen at least one experiment where kibble passed through a dog faster than raw, and I've never heard anyone say that their dogs had a problem with feeding kibble & raw together. So it's more 'unproven hypothesis'.

 

[Mad Murphy]

Dry passed though Murphy quicker than a rat up a drainpipe...

Years ago we did feed our dogs a mix they had dry in the morning and raw in the evening, and they never had any problem with it.

 

[excuseme]

I would suggest regular use of raw bones for cleaning teeth and healthy gums.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Rox is on dry food and for an 8 year old I think her teeth are pretty good.
I do my best to brush her teeth regularly using Beaphar liver flavoured toothpaste which she loves the taste of so makes the ordeal much more bearable for her. Then I use a fresh breath spray that has those special enzymes to help reduce plaque build up.
I’ve also been putting a seaweed/herb mix on her food called plaque X (from Amazon) which hasn’t reversed the slight build up she already has but it hasn’t got any worse since using it so maybe it does help, it’s hard to know when you use a few different things, maybe it’s one or two things that are working or the combination of them all.
Unfortunately she’s gone off plain rawhide so I have to find alternative chews to help with teeth cleaning like flavoured rawhide.
I have seen the teeth cleaning things that you add the toothpaste to and the dog just chews at it for 10 minutes, maybe that would be a good option if he’s not keen on you brushing his teeth? Not sure how good they are, I guess it depends how much the dog chews at it. Mind you you’ve said he isn’t a chewer, maybe a meat flavoured paste would encourage him.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GingerUP-T...43&hvtargid=aud-545671390501:pla-772323519744

 

[arealhuman]

We use Loigc with a small dog toothbrush. Tried that seaweed stuff, some additives to water, none showed any noticeable effect. He's not the best at having his teeth brushed though, might try @JoanneF's tips.

 

[JudyN]

I've started brushing Jasper's teeth with a Lintbells microfibre tooth cleaner & Logic - the other day when he was lying in the garden panting in the heat I thought his gums at the back looked inflamed. The next day though, they looked fine so maybe it was just something to do with the light & him being hot.

Anyway, I'm having a devil of a job getting to the upper outside gums, which is where I think he could use it most. He doesn't resist as such, but he can't understand why I'm making such hard work of giving him this lovely treat!

 

[JoanneF]

He doesn't resist as such, but he can't understand why I'm making such hard work of giving him this lovely treat!

Ostrich tendons - honestly, they are amazing ...

 

[JudyN]

If they last for a decent-length chew, I'd be worried about him guarding them. His carcasses will keep most of his teeth healthy, I think the problem areas are in places that chewing doesn't really reach.

Gob shot below - I can only really see these teeth when he's panting because he's too hot but can't be bothered getting up to go indoors! Not too bad for a 9-year-old

 

[JoanneF]

They actually don't last long - I can break one in half for T by bending it back and forward about half a dozen times so it would be easily eaten in one sitting.

 

[Jack-Russell-Lover]

Beautiful teeth @JudyN I’ve just ordered the microfibre tooth cleaner to try!

 

[arealhuman]

I've started brushing Jasper's teeth with a Lintbells microfibre tooth cleaner & Logic

Just ordered one of these, see if I have better success than with a brush!