Plack Gone

[SAVED2]

Because our Frannie got liver problems from being put to sleep for different problems the vet said no more or she wont wake up , she is 8 now and has not had a dental in over 3 years and she wont let the vet chip the tarter off her rear molars , so we went to Petsmart and bought a baG of KNUCKLE BONES , THE LARGE ONES well she has gone crazy chewing on them and her teeth after 2 days look like puppy teeth.

[Tallgreydogmom]

I get the marrow bones from the butcher shop. They are the femur bones. They have them once a week. We have all seniors. It keeps the Tatar down pretty well. Of course some of them have very few teeth so they suck on the bone.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

A lot of people swear by raw turkey necks. Say it keeps their teeth pearly white! Haven't tried it myself but my kids do get lots of bones and antlers to chew. Seems to keep the whippets looking good, but Maggie doesn't chew them so it doesn't help her!

[Guest KennelMom]

We give large, weight bearing bones to *some* but not all of our dogs. I would be especially hesitant if the vet has no-go'd further anesthesia...With those big, dense, heavy bones there is a risk of tooth chips, slab fractures or all manner of breaking a tooth, which would require anesthesia to deal with. The dogs in our pack that have crappy, plaque prone teeth also seem to have soft teeth, which are definitely prone to injury from dense bones...those are the dogs that do not get weight bearing bones (like knuckler or femur bones from large animals). Plus, the ones at Petsmart are usually smoked.

 

for a dog like your Frannie, I'd stick with smaller bones that require a lot of chewing - turkey necks, chicken thighs or backs. Maybe even some pigs feet depending on her teeth.

[Guest RichardUK]

I use raw chicken wings, raw spare ribs, and raw bones from the butcher daily - All of my dogs teeth have been fine ever since.

 

Brutus my large GSD had very poor smelly crusted teeth when he arrived and the vet wanted to remove a number - I refused as I 'only' wanted him as a guard dog - teeth extraction and cleaning would have been far too expensive for such a dog (I fell in love later). He had Dragon breath. So I fed him bones daily - within two months the plaque had gone - and gums tightened - breath sweetened - NINETEEN years later his teeth had been clean since I started the bone diet - breath sweet - He died at 21 with a full set of clean teeth. Plus the bones made the stools hard.

 

I sent in Ben for a teeth clean when he arrived - the vet removed 12 without permission. Since then I've used diet to remove plaque - it works - I examine once a week - bone diet works. Used it for every dog I've had.

[Guest Figmama]

I've used the raw turkey necks but probably not often enough to make a big impact on plaque build up.

I think there are some oral rinses out there now you might check on or ask your Vet about.

Or, try even rubbing daily with a damp, terry cloth wash cloth.

Also, not sure if you have it available there, but there is a woman in town here that offers teeth cleanings without anesthesia. I have a Vet tech friend that cleans her dog's teeth with no anesthesia.

Due to Ranger's illness, he will not be getting any more teeth cleanings, most likely, and I was thinking about trying the no anesthetic cleaning for him as he does not do well with anesthetic.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Because a lot of turkey necks can quickly unbalance a diet, they are very high in a lot of minerals and throw the critical ratios off. I have started to use MEATY ribs to clean teeth. So far my experiment has worked well. They are too dense for them to eat them, but soft enough not to crack teeth. They will chew on them for a quite a long time after the meat is gone. They are big enough (about 8" long) so no one has attempted to swallow them.

 

If you can find them the day they expire you can stock up for cheap.

[Time4ANap]

Because a lot of turkey necks can quickly unbalance a diet, they are very high in a lot of minerals and throw the critical ratios off. I have started to use MEATY ribs to clean teeth. So far my experiment has worked well. They are too dense for them to eat them, but soft enough not to crack teeth. They will chew on them for a quite a long time after the meat is gone. They are big enough (about 8" long) so no one has attempted to swallow them.

 

If you can find them the day they expire you can stock up for cheap.

 

 

Are these beef ribs or pork? (I'm assuming beef but wanted to double check) We use marrow bones but need some variety here. Rocket has learned the art of getting the marrow out and leaving the bone unchewed.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Because a lot of turkey necks can quickly unbalance a diet, they are very high in a lot of minerals and throw the critical ratios off. I have started to use MEATY ribs to clean teeth. So far my experiment has worked well. They are too dense for them to eat them, but soft enough not to crack teeth. They will chew on them for a quite a long time after the meat is gone. They are big enough (about 8" long) so no one has attempted to swallow them.

 

If you can find them the day they expire you can stock up for cheap.

 

 

Are these beef ribs or pork? (I'm assuming beef but wanted to double check) We use marrow bones but need some variety here. Rocket has learned the art of getting the marrow out and leaving the bone unchewed.

Beef. Haven't found any pork ribs big enough.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

We give the beef ribs, too. try giving two or three attached together; they will really gnaw at them to get them apart.

[Guest RichardUK]

I help to run an adoption kennels of 50 dogs and a racing kennels of up to 90 dogs - each dog if suitable is kept unmuzzled as one of a pair in a "room" 6ft wide 8ft deep and 8ft high with a raised bed at one end. Singles in a "room" 3ft wide 8ft high 8ft deep.

 

We feed raw chicken wings almost daily (except racing days) the only problem encountered was at home when a soft chicken bone stuck across the roof of the mouth between left and right side teeth - Dog couldn't get it out because he couldn't get a claw behind it - very easy for me to remove. We feed various raw bones pork lamb or beef (the size almost immaterial) at least weekly - but the smaller bones seem to be eaten and clean in between teeth better. No problems encountered - but we monitor each and every dog while bones are eaten - not clever to leave a bone in a kennel with two dogs who are comparative strangers. At home my three share bones amicably - but each dog chose its other companions freely - at the kennels it is different as dogs change companions fairly often.

 

All our dogs have their teeth cleaned manually without any anaesthetic without problems - during the cleaning the examination exposes any tooth requiring extraction due to abscess or caries - this is very rare indeed as the dogs are young. We've never had a dog break a tooth at the kennels during bone eating (though the odd one through collisions) - but have had broken teeth with returned adoptions or new racers

 

We run a monthly nail clip for $7.50 - teeth clean for $27. It is certainly less risky than a trip to the vet.

Edited May 29, 2011 by RichardUK

[Guest KennelMom]

I never had much luck with chicken wings...they're too small and don't require the dog to chew much, if at all. Same thing with chicken necks...no chewing required.

[Guest BrianRke]

Im gonna have to try this. I've never given my dogs a bone of any sort.

[Guest KennelMom]

just make sure it's raw. always raw.

[GeorgeofNE]

George had a dental when I first adopted him, and had a rough time with the anesthesia, so unless it's a life and death thing, I'm not inclined to have him knocked out again. He gets marrow bones every Saturday and Sunday, and his teeth are sparkly! No plaque whatsoever.

[Guest RichardUK]

I never had much luck with chicken wings...they're too small and don't require the dog to chew much, if at all. Same thing with chicken necks...no chewing required.

 

I've never seen a greyhound swallow a chicken wing without chewing in all my years watching greyhounds eat chicken wings - all our dogs chew them. Never tried chicken necks

[Guest KennelMom]

That's why I said it doesn't require them to "chew much"...a crunch or two and it's usually down the hatch....unlike a back, frame or quarter that requires more work to get it small enough to swallow.

 

I've seen a greyhound swallow a drumstick whole.

[Guest GreysAndMoreGreys]

Raw Beef ribs are what we hand out here just because they are easier to find.

But poor Kevin, he sees a package of ribs and gets all excited, just to be let down that they are for the hounds

 

Humans can have the pork ribs in this house but the beef are off limits to hounds only

[zimsmom]

Can someone suggest somethng other than marrow or knuckle bones for plaque. My 2nd grey loves them but then she gets a very upset stomach & severe diarrhea. The greenies do nothing & then my other grey pukes them up. (sorry to be so graphic). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Guest RichardUK]

Can someone suggest somethng other than marrow or knuckle bones for plaque. My 2nd grey loves them but then she gets a very upset stomach & severe diarrhea. The greenies do nothing & then my other grey pukes them up. (sorry to be so graphic). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Well - I use raw chicken wings with great success - but whether these are good for a dog suffering diarrhoea is another matter. I don't know whether you can buy "Dentastix" in the US but some use them.

Edited May 31, 2011 by RichardUK