How do you clean or brush dog's teeth?

ChrissyBz

I'm going to throw my name on top of the pile and say RMB and Big beef bones. My little ones get chicken wings. Since I started this, even with giving them homecooked wet food, their teeth sparkle. Even our old 11 yo Rottie's teeth are shiny white.

Bailizzle812: Theres a LOT of bad press on greenies. I've stopped giving them.

AkiraleShiba

There is actually a big lawsuit against the company that makes Geenies, so I,d rather be safe than sorry.

Mamanem

I am totally confused. I've heard all my life to never give chicken bones to a dog because they will choke on them!! Most all these post say chicken is Ok. Have I been taught incorrectly? I have a Bichon........ do I just give her a whole chicken neck or wing? Boil it first, or what? And, thanks.........

AkiraleShiba

The point is not to process them to avoid the danger of spliters ... I know a lot of people that give whole chicken necks to their dogs but I never did myself. I am pretty sure some one else more knowledgeable about which parts of chicken bones should be given will answer.

Lonewolfblue

Be confused no longer. Why do chicken legs splinter? It is because they are cooked. Raw chicken legs are fine, they will not splinter, and is perfectly ok for dogs to eat. The cooking causes the bones to become brittle, and they will then splinter and not be safe.

Puppy & Dog Forums

 

tag_in_spe

Ahhh my dog has a cavity.. It's hard to get a good look at it.. and even harder to get a picture of .. I don't understand why the vet didn't say anything about it! Maybe it's just a chipped tooth? I don't think so though.. it has discoloration to it.. What do I need to do to help prevent cavities? I'm already changing his diet, possibly to Core by Wellness. Would a dental bone work?

Sharon R.

Vets will not agree with the whole bones thing. Ignore them. Raw bones are great for your dog. I feed a good amount of chicken leg quarters (I have 3 large dogs), also chicken backs, turkey necks, beef and pork ribs. But if you don't want to go to a completely raw diet, another good thing for cleaning teeth is raw carrots. I feed almost no veggies to my dogs, but they really enjoy carrots. I usually give them one a day each as a snack.

mosbysmom

I found this thread when looking for information on raw bones - so much good info here!

I've gotten Mosby more used to brushing but I don't keep up with it regularly so I wanted to try raw bones mixed in with some of this other treats. I also give him dental treats like Bright Bites. That combined with brushing seems to be doing well.

How messy are raw bones when dogs chew them? Mosby's favorite spot to take treats to chew on it on the carpeted-landing of my stairs...a spot that stains easily...

GatsbysMom

I would also like to know how messy raw bones are... and if they stain... I live in the city, so it's not possible for me to throw the bone and the dog out in the yard together.

zhaor

Well it is a bloody bone .
You want bones with meat on them cause that's what the dog's pulling off with their teeth. I find tendons on the bone to work well as it takes more chewing to rip off.

I have my dog in the bathroom since our bathroom is tiled. Plus then it make me have to clean the bathroom . A kitchen floor would work too but I don't let my dog in the kitchen anymore.

Keechak

The raw bones I give to my dogs do not stain the carpet. But just to be safe I do gently wash the carpet after they are done. but usually the dog licks up any flavor left in the carpet and does a pretty good job of cleaning it for you.

hanksimon

To summarize a few items:

1. Never give cooked bones b/c they can splinter causing significant damage to a dog's mouth and intestines.
2. Also, don't give "Hard" frozen things to dogs, b/c the cold can increase the possbility of cracked teeth. Instead, let the items partially thaw. Frozen meat (and frozen bananas) may be soft enough for chewing. Solid ice is too hard and too cold - according to my Vet.
3. My Dentist gives raw turkey necks to his poodles.

However -
1. My Vet "will not let" me give raw bones to my retriever, b/c he a very strong chewer and he swallows everything. So, the Vet is concerned about sharp corners or large pieces, even with raw bones. The Vet has no problem with raw bones - only with certain dogs... and mine is one of them.

2. So, I brush his teeth every two or three days... but first I had the Vet clean the dog's teeth very well, b/c brushing doesn't remove all plaque and tartar, after forming. However, with good brushing, I have avoided further dental cleanings. (I use the toothpaste from PetsMart)

3. I have a Lab and my technique is not special. I call him over, stick one hand in his mouth to hold the lips back, and brush with the other hand (top then bottom teeth), while he "fights" me to lick and chew on the brush. It's a great game to him - maybe of keep away.

4. I do the right side, then I put a little more paste on and do the left side. Then as reward, I let him lick the brush. I don't brush for a specific time, I brush for location starting at the back of the top and moving forward on each tooth, trying to physically brush anything away. Then I return to the back of the bottom teeth and try to brush up to massage gums and brush anything away. Every 3 days seems to work fine.

5. I give him a carrot every day with his food, but I haven't seen that the special dog food or that the carrot can replace brushing.

And my Vet is happy with my dog's teeth... so I'm satisfied.

- Hank Simon

SandyPuppy

That explains the reaction. The meds and the seaweed probably have the same affect, thus giving both would basically be the same as overdosing.

LilMissSunshine

kenya is on the raw diet, so gets raw bones obviously. her teeth are pearly white

but ive heard of a baby toothbrush/hydrogen peroxide or baking soda works well for dogs..

my moms bichon is on a normal dog food diet (wellness) but also gets raw bones twice a week for his teeth and they are perfect! my vet says he has the best teeth for a 6 year old toy breed he has ever seen


and kenya!



also, dunno if this is anything but kenya LOVES to have the hose sprayed in/around her mouth on the "shower" setting lol my mom calls it water flossing!

Chevy16

I was just wondering what is a good age to start feeding them raw bones.
I have a boxer that is 10 wks?

The vet just gave me a tooth brush and paste so im going to try that but if it doesnt work then ill go to useing bones.

Boxers dont really have big teeth right now in the front at this age he really has to use his back teeth alot for hard treats and his food?

just wondering what age ?
Thanks

Keechak

I wouldn't bother cleaning puppy teeth, they are just going to fall out anyways.

Binkalette

I've been using Petzlife Oral gell.. I dont' know how well it works yet, though it's got great reviews.. Neither of my dogs have any plaque on their teeth yet anyway.. Zoey turns 1 on Saturday, and Maggie is only 5 months sooo.. I'm hoping it works well enough to keep the tarter at bay though.. the gell and tooth brushing is pretty much my only option because my husband doesn't want to feed them anything raw...

Chevy16

Very true. lol ..

so after they get all their big boy teeth lol

Lynnj

We keep an eye on their teeth and Brian, in particular, has a bit of a problem with tartar buildup but to date we have never had to have them cleaned at the vet.

Our first dog, Maggie, had her teeth cleaned at the dentist once. She had a lump removed, and our vet thought it would be a good idea to have her teeth cleaned while she's under.

moluno

It would still be a good idea to get him used to a toothbrush before then. Even if you rely on RMBs and end up never using the brush... might as well get him to like it just in case. I've brushed Juno's teeth every day since we got her (she's 6 months old) and now she comes running and sits at my feet when she sees the toothbrush haha.

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