Getting A Dental

[DevilDog]

Another thread got me thinking about Roscoe's teeth, so while brushing them last night, I really got in there with my fingers and took a good look at the teeth in the back.

 

He has some redness of the gums around the tops of a few of his teeth, and a couple of them were bleeding just a tad (I had just brushed them so I assume I irritated them). The big teeth way in the back had some goop on them. I tried to scrape it off with my fingernail, but it was hard and stuck to the tooth. It was like a small glob of cement that was hardened onto it.

 

Roscoe naturally has gross-looking teeth. They are greyish-brown due to his mother being on antibiotics while pregnant (that's what I was told anyway) and it makes it a little more difficult for me to judge how clean his teeth are. I can't tell if they're really dirty or if its just the coloring.

 

So my first thought was "great.. he really needs a dental", but if I do that, it will have to wait until after Christmas. But I wonder.. is there a way that I can try to improve his teeth at home? Maybe then he wont have to get a dental at all. I only brush twice a week now. I can definitely do it more often, but he's a booger and his tongue is going all over the place and I know I'm not getting the most efficient brushing. But is there a way to scrape that hard stuff off his teeth and improve his gums??

 

I've read a bit about raw bones cleaning up teeth quite a bit. Roscoe eats kibble and I have zero interest in switching to a raw diet, so that's out. But I would be willing to get him the raw bones. So where do I get them? What kind and how often do I give him one?

 

Advice greatly appriciated.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I've never done this but I have a couple of friends who give their Greys soup bones they get from the butcher. I was amazed at how it keeps their teeth clean.

[NeylasMom]

Soup bones are generally marrow bones, which are from the cow's leg. Most raw feeders will tell you NOT to give leg bones. They're harder and can cause tooth breakage. I used to give them before I switched my dogs to raw, but I've heard too many stories from people whose dogs have broken teeth to recommend them any more.

 

The best tooth cleaning bones are going to be ones that take a long time to eat, and that require chewing in the back of the mouth. My personal favorite is a whole lamb neck, but you won't be able to find that in a grocery store so you'd have to be willing to dig a little to find raw food sources. The one thing you can find in the grocery store pretty easily, especially in an ethnic or very urban area is whole pig's feet. But I would not recommend those for a dog who has a sensitive stomach as pork is very fatty.

 

If you can't find good large bones easily, you might be better off subbing in a smaller raw meat bone for one meal once or twice a week. If you're going to do that, the best thing to give would be whole chicken breasts or chicken quarters (leg and thigh attached to each other). If you give those once or twice a week, over time you would see the cleaning effects I think.

 

Whatever you buy, be cautious of meats that are injected with solutions (ie. typically cheaper poultry). It's better to spend a little more on something higher quality that doesn't have anything artificial in it so you aren't left dealing with the big D. Also, the first time you do it, do it on a day when you'll be around in case your dog does get sick. Most dogs handle it fine, but those with sensitive stomachs might not.

 

I will say, I think it's a great idea. Neyla came off the track needing a dental pretty badly. A year later, we went in for our annual visit (I had been feeding her kibble in the AM/chicken in the PM) and the vet said her teeth were great. That was over 5 years ago and she has never had a dental, still doesn't need one!

[Hubcitypam]

The one thing you can find in the grocery store pretty easily, especially in an ethnic or very urban area is whole pig's feet. But I would not recommend those for a dog who has a sensitive stomach as pork is very fatty.

I asked a while go about feeding feet and the replies were basically don't feed feet because they are immersed in muck, urine and nastiness all day every day...but I only got a couple of replies. They are really OK?

[Guest LoveMyJoseyBean]

Try PetzLife Oral Gel. I have not used it yet (Josey's teeth are great), but I have heard very good things about it. Visit their website http://www.petzlife.com

 

I am ordering it for all my babies, because my kitties teeth are getting funky and I would rather not have her put under for a dental. You can also get it at Petsmart. (Call the store to see if they carry it , but I know they have it on their website.) I think there are a few people here on GT who have used it as well.

Edited November 19, 2008 by LoveMyJoseyBean

[DevilDog]

Try PetzLife Oral Gel. I have not used it yet (Josey's teeth are great), but I have heard very good things about it. Visit their website http://www.petzlife.com

 

I am ordering it for all my babies, because my kitties teeth are getting funky and I would rather not have her put under for a dental. You can also get it at Petsmart. (Call the store to see if they carry it , but I know they have it on their website.) I think there are a few people here on GT who have used it as well.

 

Wow, I checked out the website and it looks like a fantastic product! I'm going to pick some up this weekend and give it a shot. I'd rather try this before the bones.. Roscoe can turn into a real booger over those things.

[Guest Kitty_cat]

Hi DevilDog,

If Roscoe is cooperative you could try hand scaling his teeth yourself. You'll need to get someone who knows what they are doing to show you how, (like a vet technician) it's a delicate procedure. And you'll need good, sharp instruments. I've started doing this with Stewie and he's very cooperative, I do it while he's lying on his side on the couch. Many people say you can't get under the gum line with hand scaling (it's very important to get the tartar that's under the gums) but in my experience, if the dog is cooperative you can get under the gums. Good luck with whatever method you choose, here's to pearly whites!

[shel0306]

I give Oxtails as a treat and they seem to take a while to eat so I figure they work the teeth a bit. A little pricey but I get them at my grocers with no problem and just buy a package every other week or so.

[Guest hermione]

We give our girls raw turkey necks a couple of times a week. We get them at a local turkey farm and they tend to be pretty cheap. As a note, we don't feed our girls raw either.

[Guest redneck311chick]

We give our greys marrow bones. We have a connection with our local supermarket who gets us nice big ones. In some stores we looked at the bones are so small. We are more afraid of our greys breaking pieces off and choking so we change out the bones every week. We never had a problem with broken teeth. I hope what ever you use works. Our oldest grey is about 8 and the vet said she will need a dental real soon. We are so afraid to put her under. Once we gave our greys the bones there teeth are nice and white and we noticed less tarter. We feed kibble as well. Good luck

[NeylasMom]

The one thing you can find in the grocery store pretty easily, especially in an ethnic or very urban area is whole pig's feet. But I would not recommend those for a dog who has a sensitive stomach as pork is very fatty.

I asked a while go about feeding feet and the replies were basically don't feed feet because they are immersed in muck, urine and nastiness all day every day...but I only got a couple of replies. They are really OK?

 

Hmmm...well, they're being sold for people to consume so one would assume that they're safe for consumption. Of course, that assumption is based on an inherent level of trust in the people who deem our food safe, which I don't have (and which is why I don't usually eat commercially raised meat, or feed it to my dogs). Having said that, freezing generally kills bacteria and parasites, and grocery store meat has been frozen. If you wanted to be doubly safe, I suppose you could clean them off well and then deep-freeze them yourself before feeding. Even after all of that, our dogs, provided they have healthy immune systems are equipped to handle bacteria that we aren't. So for all of those reasons, I don't see why it would be a problem, at least not any more so than any other commercially raised meat product that has the potential to be contaminated and that we put into our bodies quite regularly.

 

 

Oxtails are a great option as someone else suggested, if you don't mind the price tag. The local asian markets here generally always have them, and for a slightly lower price. Again, as long as you don't care where your food comes from.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest chaoran22]

i'll second the comment on pork being bad for those dogs with sensitive stomachs - i had the worst diarhhea experience with my dog after giving him pork, not only was his diarrhea gross, he was actually sick/weak from having such bad diarrhea! his stomach isn't actually that sensitive either so give pork slowly to see how your dog reacts.

 

my vet told me not scale teeth yourself, i used to do it and she said that it scratches. when they do it under anesthesia, they scale underneath the gumline, and the polish so it's smooth. if you scale, while you can do under the gumline if your dog is good (mine was great about it), you can't polish afterward so you might leave scratches/grooves in their teeth that will cause more bacteria to grow, essentially creating a cavity starter for bacteria if you scratch the teeth. i used to scale all the time and while i'm not sure how likely it is that bacteria will grow in the scratches, i do know that i would scratch the teeth all the time while scaling, even if i was super careful to not use the tools at an angle and not scratch, i would just always feel my tool scratching accidentally. so while scaling is super easy and will chip that gross stuff off right away, i just wanted to throw this out there for you to consider. lots of people do scale themselves though.

 

i personally get them dentals and then be super vigilant about brushing so that after one dental, i don't have to get another one. but when they come off the track, their teeth are just so icky i like to start over with a clean slate. waiting until feb for a dental on my new girl b/c feb is pet dental month and my vet offers free anesthesia as a discount on a dental. so if you do end up getting a dental, you might want to see if your vet offers a discount for feb or not.

 

i also use turkey necks but i don't use them with enough regularity to know if they make a difference but my boy really likes it. haven't tried yet with my girl as i want her tummy to settle before introducing something like that.

 

ETA: something gross that you can try is using your own fingernail to try and chip that gross stuff off. i mean, it's super disgusting, but i actually tried it once and it worked on some teeth - and your fingernails won't scratch the teeth. yes i know it's super disgusting. but it worked for me once. i choose not to do it again though cause it was nasty....

Edited November 19, 2008 by chaoran22

[Guest tigerlily]

Try PetzLife Oral Gel. I have not used it yet (Josey's teeth are great), but I have heard very good things about it. Visit their website http://www.petzlife.com

 

I am ordering it for all my babies, because my kitties teeth are getting funky and I would rather not have her put under for a dental. You can also get it at Petsmart. (Call the store to see if they carry it , but I know they have it on their website.) I think there are a few people here on GT who have used it as well.

 

Wow, I checked out the website and it looks like a fantastic product! I'm going to pick some up this weekend and give it a shot. I'd rather try this before the bones.. Roscoe can turn into a real booger over those things.

 

i tried that on Sugar and it didnt do anything..a greenie every night fixed hers and no more red gums or plaque..they are expensive, but they do work.

 

[DevilDog]

^^gah. Not what I wanted to hear!

 

Well I'm just going to have to try some different things to see what works for him. I thank everyone for your suggestions! I wouldn't have known where to begin.

 

[Guest ellieb]

Are Greenies safe? I remember some negative press last year.

[Guest DebR]

I feed pig ears daily as well as a "Check Up" treat from Costco..and all 3 have great teeth, and Nova's are cleaner now than when I got her. She had had a dental before I got her too, so I'm very pleased with the results. The Check ups are supposed to be like Greenies, and clean their teeth, and they don't cost as much.

 

[Guest Sassy]

One more suggestion:

 

Make a 50/50 mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. We swap it on the teeth every once a week. When I have a dog come in with "yucky" looking teeth I start out more frequently. This combination debrides the teeth and neutralizes plaque. It doesn't take much. For 2-3 dogs I mix the 1/2 tsp of each and normally have some leftover. Hydrogen peroxide quickly loses it ability to work when exposed to light; so, mix it fresh each time. You can use swabs or fingers. I like these green foam "tooth cleaners" for humans which most medical care supply store have. For this use, these can be reused several times if you rinse them after each use. Do make sure to get to the back teeth, the small teeth between them and the incisors, and the inside surface of the teeth. That's when the long stick on the swap is nice.

 

 

The Check ups from Costco that DebR mentioned have a very simple natural ingredient list and seem to help too.

Edited November 20, 2008 by Sassy

[rschultz]

My grey actually lets me use a battery operated toothbrush on her as long as the doggie toothpaste tastes good. It really cleans those back teeth and gums well. maybe give that a try. My vet told me Mine wont need a cleaning cause of how well her teeth looked. It is hard to get in a habit of doing it daily but it does help. Oh by the way, she has a barbie toothbrush...lol

[Beautybabe]

The battery operated toothbrush is one of Emmet's favorite things. DH goes into the bathroom, puts the poultry flavored toothpaste on it and Emmet is licking his chops before DH comes into the room. Martin could care less.

[Guest chaoran22]

by the way - the petzlife oral gel also did nothing for my dog. i was skeptical because it was just a gel and it didn't look like it would do anything and i was right - it didn't. but i did see it at petsmart the other day so obviously for some people it works because they've expanded beyond a small mail order website to selling at petsmart so clearly the business is doing well.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Let me tell you our story; Frank had pretty tartared up teeth and his vet suggested a cleaning. I didn't really feel too warm and cozy about putting him under though, so we decided to try a modified raw diet. He eats kibble for lunch, and raw meat for dinner. Chicken leg quarters, pork ribs (in sections of three or four ribs), sometimes beef ribs (again, two or three attached.) They will not eat the beef rib bones, just gnaw the meat off; the other stuff they eat bones and all. Also pork necks, and other things when we find them, like turkey necks. He gets two cups of kibble in the morning and about 12 to 16 oz. of raw meaty bones at night. Always supervise when feeding the bones.

 

His teeth are clean now. No more tartar. I did have to do some brushing and a little scaling on his upper canines to get them clean at first, now just brushing keeps the tartar off.

 

Other people's advice was good, about checking the meat for additives and added salt. I made an interesting discovery today at the market when looking at the sodium content of various brands of chicken. Tyson was one of the highest; the big bag of leg quarters I got for .47 cents a pound was only about a third of what the Tyson was, so bargain brands aren't always the culprit, but just be sure to check.