Hartz toothpaste?

iheartdogs

I brush my dog's teeth ( almost ) every night with Hartz toothpaste and was wondering if I should switch to a different one. I've heard alot about Hartz and it sounds kinda harmful to dogs? do any of u even brush ur dogs teeth? or should I just get her teeth cleaned every once in a while?

bigdawgs

I congratulate you on brushing your dogs teeth. Most people don't. I try to once a week, but dont always get it done. Hartz is fine. If you can get your dog to accept brushing with out, thats great, too./ The main reason for the paste is to make the brushing more acceptable. You can not brush and take your dog to the vet for a cleaning, but, It is done under anasthesia, so you have to think of it the same as a surgery as far as price and side effects.

iheartdogs

thanx! I think I'll just stick with brushing! I'll try without the paste and see how it works out!

OwnedBySix

Good for you...I am a bad mommy in that I don't brush my pup's teeth unless I think of it I do give soup bones and dental chews a couple times a week, which so far has worked. And to answer your question, I agree with bigdawgs

bigdawgs

The greenies dog chews are wonderful to add to a dental regimen. They really do help.

Killerdrgn

i hear greenies has a high incedence of getting dogs killed. i think it was that people were buying too large of a treat and the dogs wolfed it down and then it became indigestible and the dogs died.

sheltieluver4

Hey ya'll, well im planning on brushing my future pups teeth with the Hartz brand toothpaste. I bought some not to long ago, it was beef falvored {eww} lol. Yeah i didnt see anything wrong with it, but like u said, ive heard a lot of people say Hartz isnt good, but im going to c how my future pup basil is going to take to it, if she goes along fine with it, then im sure nothings wrong

Cheetah

I don't brush my dogs' teeth anymore regularly (although I DO get my pups used to it). I just give them marrow bones/RMBs and get annual cleanings at the vet. But I don't think the Hartz toothpaste has harmed any dogs. I think mainly it's the flea stuff that is potentially harmful.

I also stopped feeding Greenies (and anything else similar)... Too much of a risk of the dog biting off a huge piece and either choking or getting a blockage. >@_@<

sheltieluver4

Yeah cheetah, ive heard about those greenies, but i found some treats that take a while for a dog 2 break, so as they r chewing, it cleans there teeth, and when they do break it down, its chewy, so its ok, im getting my puppy soon, and i dont want nothing 2 go wrong, so im checking

OwnedBySix

Ah the Greenies debate...

My opinion is this - the amount of Greenies fed compared to the amount of dogs that have been found to have problems is my indicator. Also, this case has not even been decided. You all are very aware of the sue-happy people we have in the world. We don't even know how many of these cases actually WERE dogs affected by Greenies. Did you know that dogs die every day due to choking on regular old kibble, RMB's and just about every other dog toy/treat on the market? Many of the ingredients in these other products are ALSO highly undigestable.

My dogs love Greenies, and their teeth look good, so I will continue to feed them. If we worried about every miniscule risk in the world, none of us would ever drive, would we?

The key is supervision, no matter what you are feeding your dog.

sheltieluver4

Yeah i hope ,my little Basil likes them, i mean, i will be brushing her teeth about 1 a week, and giving her those greenies,plus the vet, so there shouldnt be a problem. I mean sure Some, not all, might have a few "unhealthy" ingreients, but come on, they were made for dogs, u have decide what u want for your dog, if u think its bad dont buy it, but most are safe i think. But hey, thats my opinion lol hehehe

iheartdogs

I feed my dog these dentibone things, which she loves! (she doesn't like hard treats like greenies/bones/etc...) but I always supervise her, even when she's eating her regular food! But she's really polite, eats slowly...never in a hurry, but I will always worry about her. I guess that's something that comes with owning a dog!

GSD lover

I give my dogs dental mint/chews. They are supposed to be great for there teeth. I tried the brushing the teeth thing for a few months and it was like a game to them. They would take the toothbrush and run off and try to start a game of chase.

ThxForNothing

Good job on brushing your dogs teeth. I've tried to give both of these dogs Greenies, but they just turned their noses up. They seriously avoid those things as if they were the plague..

sheltieluver4

Um GSD lover, where do u find doggy mints? I think thats kinda cute and i know they r needed sometimes, 2 words *doggy breath* lol I heard about those, but cant find them

NewfCrazy

Haven't been around in awhile, but thought that I'd join in on the "Greenie debate" LOL

Of my two newfs, one would puke up the greenies almost immediately, and the other would bite off such huge chunks that she'd surely develop a blockage, so no greenies for them.

Greenies are just like rawhide in that they don't digest (greenies have plastic in them). If the dog swallows small enough pieces to pass through the digestive system, then great. If they don't then they run the risk of a blockage. Some dogs can eat them and some dogs can't.

I saw the tv interview where the manufacturer's of greenies were defending their product. The number of dogs that have problems are just a small percentage compared to the number of dogs that don't. The package also says right on it that if your dog tends to bite big chunks off of them, that you shouldn't give them the greenies. Although it doesn't say why. It also recommends the greenie chips for those dogs who bite off big chunks.

As for the toothpaste - I'm guilty of not brushing my dogs teeth. I give them sterilized shank bones and that keeps the tartar from forming.