At our wits end with tartar / plaque buildup and bad breath

foxeye

We have 7 dogs. 1 GSD, and 6 miniature dachshunds. Two of the doxies get the worst build up of plaque and bad breath that one can imagine. We fed Nutro kibble feed. Even tried Nutro Dental feed, to no avail. Spent a small fortune on so called Greenies and other dental treats...what a waste. We have had these two dogs teeth cleaned and within 2 months time they have a heavy buildup of plaque again and their breath will knock you out it smells so bad. The two in quesiton are a momma and daughter longhaired doxies. They are the only two long hair we have, and the other 4 are all short / smooth coated doxies. None of the shorthairded have ever ever had their teeth cleaned and are relatively placque free. They all eat the same foods. We have tried that additive that is added to drinking water to change the ph inthe saliva and it makes no difference. Started to try the feeding RAW diet consisting of whole raw chicken wings and thinghs and turkey necks.........yet it makes no difference. Tried brushing their teeth which is a real battle and wife or me always winds up getting nipped or pinched in the ruckus. ANy help or ideas greatly appreciated. LIke I stated no problems with any of the other 5 dogs and plaque buildup, just the two long haired females.

Aggie

I swear by these things: http://www.cetdental.com/good_to_chew.asp
but they can be a little pricey, and you have to get them at a vet. the CET chews. I buy big bags and cut them smaller- comes out a little cheaper.

Many times, esp in small dogs, teeth don't align properly, and so things when eaten don't move in the mouth like they would a normal dog, and some dogs simply have VERY chronic, bad plaque. Aside from dentals, I'm not sure what all you can do- perhaps someone else will have some suggestions!

briteday

Two of our dogs came to us with hideous dental disease and resulting missing teeth.

I would try to find a food (raw was a good choice, maybe you didn't feed it long enough to notice a difference) that doesn't have carbs of any kind...no grains, no potatoes. Carbs break down into sugars which feed the bacteria that forms the plaque. No sugar = no plaque.

Also, when you have the dogs' teeth cleaned by the vet you canask for a sealant type product called Oravet to be applied. After the vet application you use a swab to keep up the treatments at home. You only have to apply it weekly. I would also have a groomer or vet show you how to brush the dogs' teeth without a hassle. I use a battery operated human brush (Colgate motion brush $4 at Walmart) and doggy toothpaste, never human toothpaste. The battery brush allows me to concentrate on getting al the teeth brushed properly without having to concentrate on moving the brush properly. You may need to de-sensitize your dogs to the sound of the brush but mine were fine with it right from the start.

1. professional cleaning and ask for Oravet gel
2. carb free diet
3. daily brushing
4. weekly Oravet follow up at home

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