Can Raw Bones Help With Plaque

[dbullwinkel]

Missy's back teeth are a mess. When I brush them she bleeds. The vet recommended a dental and possible extractions--with a total price of over $400..$ is a little tight now. I was wondering if I gave her raw bones would they help clean up the teeth? I am trying to brush more requlary and use listerine in water as well for her gums. If the bones are a good idea, please tell me what type to giver her.

[Jackandgrey]

Well I can say both mine's teeth are better since I started giving them raw turkey necks. They weren't as bad as yours sound but even at 2x's a week for a month has done good things.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

We have had very good success with raw beef knuckle bones for helping with plaque removal. Just make sure to supervise when they are chewing!

[ahicks51]

I used to think that feeding raw was all about the bones and chewing physically removing plaque. It *does* work, but I think the mechanism is different; if it were the physical action of bones and flesh abrading away tartar, then how would they know how to stop? Why don't the gums- which are softer- get torn up?

 

Now I think it's due to the virtual absence of carbohydrates. While bagged food is rich in starch, sugars, and plant material, raw food has very little carbohydrate content. There is no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates in the canine.

 

Anyway- it sure works. Although Minerva still needs brushing, they're vastly improved over when we used bagged food. It's remarkable.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I used to think that feeding raw was all about the bones and chewing physically removing plaque. It *does* work, but I think the mechanism is different; if it were the physical action of bones and flesh abrading away tartar, then how would they know how to stop? Why don't the gums- which are softer- get torn up?

 

You know, that does make one wonder, doesn't it? Our experience, though, is that the action of gnawing on the bone does indeed remove plaque. When we first started with raw bones, Frank's teeth were particularly yucky and you could literally see where the plaque was being taken off in chunks (gross, I know, sorry!) And his gums were not affected, other than to eventually become healthier looking. I had been lax about giving him bones for a period of time and his teeth began to look a bit yucky again (I know, bad Mommy!) then once we continued with the bones, the results were the same. I am not a raw feeder, just the bones as a weekly snack and for teeth cleaaning.

[Guest Spiff]

We don't feed raw either... but a joint bone from time to time VASTLY improves Spiff's teeth!

 

We get a joint with cartilage (sp?) on it - I also look for bones that don't have small sharp pieces sticking off. In the past, when Spiff has been able to break off these small pieces, he threw them up later on.

Edited May 23, 2007 by Spiff

[dbullwinkel]

do you give the bones frozen. I am so new at this and afraid I will do something to harm them.

[Lilysmom]

raw bones do help, no frozen though. If you are going to give bones be sure they are non-splintering bones and big enough it can't be swallowed whole. You can give this

 

Raw Beef Bones

 

I actually found a non-smoked knuckle bone that did wonders for Lily and Marx's teeth

[Guest poopsie1]

I give Stanley a couple of beef marrow bones a couple of times a week and his teeth are beautiful. I get them right in the supermarket and they are pretty inexpensive (about a $1.50 for a package of two larger ones and around $2.00 for a package of six small ones). Stanley loves them. I put them right in the freezer and give it to him frozen. He will take it and lick it until it softens up a little and then starts gnawing. One thing I have noticed, though, is if I give him too many he gets a little constipated.

[Guest needlenoselover]

Ok, I am a raw feeder, so I am giving you the tiny bit of wisdom I have regarding this.

 

I don't give Heather large leg bones of any kind. (knuckle) They are too hard and can cause the to teeth crack and break. I feed turkey necks, chicken legs/quarters, any softer bones are fine. Not frozen either, sometimes partially, but not fully frozen. You can give a turkey neck 2x a week and see how the teeth are doing. Although you may still need to have some teeth extracted, the remaining teeth should benefit from the bones.

 

I am also in agreement with what ahicks51 said about the bagged food. There really is no need for a dog to have any carbs. That isn't what they were meant to eat. And if you do start to feed a raw diet, you will notice fresher breath and smaller poos. No fillers to get rid of in the body.

 

Ok, I'm rambling, sorry about that. I hope this helped and good luck!!

[Guest Ola]

I don't give Heather large leg bones of any kind. (knuckle) They are too hard and can cause the to teeth crack and break.

I definitely agree with this! If your dog is not much of a chewer may be okay, but for dogs that chew a lot cracked teeth are a big risk (especially the molars and premolars). I don't give beef marrow or knuckle bones, however I've given pork cuts containing the leg bone (i.e. pork hocks) as well as poultry ones.

 

Also, it sounds like your grey may be a bit sore - I would definitely recommend a softer bone like turkey necks. I would give one every few days, and after a couple of weeks you should see improvement. However, keep in mind that if her teeth or gums are already infected, nothing you can do on the surface will fix that.

 

BTW, some people are tempted to cut the turkey necks (or whatever RMB you are using) into small pieces because feeding raw bones scares them. Don't do this, it will defeat the whole purpose (tooth cleaning).

[Guest ss556]

OK, here's my question - are they not a good idea for a grey with kidney disease? I was planning on getting a frozen turkey neck and giving one to him this weekend, when I am home to see if he gets the big "D" or whatever. I found a local place that sells them for 79 cents a pound. Alan's teeth are bad, tartar, red lined gums, etc. but vet doesnt' want to do a dental for him b/c of the KD & high blood pressure. But if it would help him, I will definitley try.

[Guest GreytfullDad]

1. As a RAW feeder also I agree with ahicks51 on the bagged food issue ref: carbs

 

2. Turkey necks are greyt for dental care as a treat 2X a week or so

 

3. If there is already some bleeding and damage, a dental may be neccessary regardless, but for the continued care of the other teeth I think turkey necks or chicken leg quarters are a good start

 

4. As for the dog with KD, check with the vet and ask some of the more vet savvy folks (Burpdog you out there?). I believe the addition of turkey neck would help the tooth problem but am unsure what if any effect it might have on the KD SORRY

 

Good luck to all .

[Guest SurlyJen]

Feeding your dog frozen raw meat and bones are just fine...my dog eats his meals frozen every day. His teeth, breath and gums are marvelous.

[NeylasMom]

If you're talking about extractions, she may have already progressed to periodontal disease, which can't be addressed even by feeding raw bones. I would second Ola's suggest to start with something a bit easier and see how she handles them, but given what the vet is recommending, I might do the dental and then start giving RMBs to help with the issue in the future.

 

I hope that's not the case, and if it isn't (she just has gingivitis) then the RMBs will reverse the damage.

 

FYI, feeding frozen is fine, but I wouldn't in her case, again because her gums may be sore. No reason not to give raw meaty bones to a dog with kidney disease either. I believe others have said phosphorous is the true culprit with kidney disease but if you're concerned about protein levels, most raw meaty bones hover at or just below 20%.

[Guest sheila]

I give knuckle bones for chewing and turkey necks daily. Kiowas teeth have never needed a dental though occasionally I take a scaler to his canines for a little plaque forming. It chips right off. I have also never brushed his teeth and the vet says his teeth look great. Natasha is another matter. Though her back teeth are OK her canines form a harder plaque that doesn't readily chip off and w/o regular brushing her gums will get red and bleed so I have to stay on top of that. I have recently begun using Oxy-fresh in her water to see if that will help. Do your dogs actually drink water with Listerene in it?

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

I do try to avoid the actual leg bones and stick to the knuckles which have more cartilage and are softer.

[Guest patti909]

I have heard this before about the turkey necks...here is my problem: Gracie is allergic to poultry. it is my guess that the bones count. any suggestions?

[Guest Ola]

Is Gracie allergic to both chicken and turkey? The RMBs have meat on them as well, not just bones. However, some dogs are allergic to a certain meat source in kibble but can handle the raw meat fine. That said, I can understand you not wanting to test that theory out right away.

 

I would consider some pork ribs (as in multiple ribs attached together, not single ribs!) or riblets (around here that's the triangular part at the end of the rib slab). Lamb items can be good, but can have a fair amount of fat on it, but you could try lamb neck bones or pork neck bones. Most beef bones are quite hard (compared to pork and lamb) so I prefer to stay away from them for the most part.

[Guest sheila]

I have heard this before about the turkey necks...here is my problem: Gracie is allergic to poultry. it is my guess that the bones count. any suggestions?

I was told that Natasha has problems with turkey and to avoid any turkey based foods. However she gets a turkey neck a day and seems to have no ill effects.

[Guest patti909]

Yes, Gracie is allergic to chicken and turkey. Her skin breaks out just from alittl ebit of the meat.

 

But the ribs or lamb and pork necks sounds like a greyt idea. I will see if I can find soem for this weekend and let you know how that works!! Thanks.

[Guest longdogs]

Bones definitely do help. I don't count myself as a 'raw' feeder although my greys do get raw meat and bones quite regularly now. When I first got them I didn't use raw meat at all. They had their teeth cleaned before adoption but still weren't in great shape. Nugget had minor plaque and discoloration, William was quite a bit worse and Angel was awful, with teeth missing, bad teeth and worse gums, but by the time she arrived we knew what to do. We first tried brushing and dental chews without good success. Our vet wasn't too keen on raw bones so we tried tough chunks of old beef. These worked better than brushing and the chews. To cut the story short, I decided to give bones a try and the results came almost immediately. Angel could hardly chew a bone when she arrived and they used to make her mouth bleed. She's so much better now.

 

I also believe that carbohydrate-rich foods should be used cautiously. A good quality hard kibble seems to be OK but I don't like soft commercial foods and avoid anything sugary. Good bones I think are essential, dogs need to bite and chew. The best bones are difficult ones where the dog must use all its teeth to get the meat off. Really meaty ones are much better than plain bones, in fact I don't use plain bones at all because it just fills their stomach with a paste of fragments. Failing that, a really tough chunk of meat is a good idea. If you can get it with the skin on, so much the better. Pork skin is particularly tough if you can find a lean enough chunk. The cheapest, gristly, cuts are the best if they are not too fatty.