Brushing Teeth

[Guest tubbys]

I just wanted everyones opinion on which to use for my greys teeth i've read a lot about petzlife gel on this site but what do guys think about chlorhexidine sold by foster and smith. does it work the same because it's less expensive? I just want to get what would be best for her. I've been working my up to a toothbrush we aren't there yet i can currently just use the finger brush on her teeth and she will only let me get her outside teeth . any suggestions would be helpful. i have been brushing them every ight before bed

Edited February 5, 2012 by tubbys

[Guest verthib]

The clorahex is for germs and bacteria. While it has good affects, you should try an enzymatic toothpaste. I did buy the Petzlife gel at the recommendation of other GTers but I hate putting it on my finger. I have to wash my hands first, squirt some, which inevitably falls off my finger, then run my fingers throughout their mouths and wash my hands again. It's just such a pain. I ordered their peppermint spray instead. I do also brush their teeth with toothpaste. And then plan to use the spray before bed.

[PrairieProf]

Have you considered Petzlife spray as an option? You don't have to brush at all to use that, and it works really well. I found the gel a lot ickier (especially as I got the kind with salmon oil -- stinkorama). I know there's some knockoff product with the same ingredients that's cheaper, but I don't recall the name, maybe someone else does. They have TV ads for it. BTW I have found Petzlife is cheapest on Amazon.com -- costs much less than in stores.

 

Haven't used chlorhexidine. Alternating brushing with dog toothpaste (enzymatic) one night with Petzlife spray the next night is what we've settled into with excellent results.

Edited February 5, 2012 by PrairieProf

[jetcitywoman]

Another vote for enzymatic toothpaste. Also you don't need to brush the insides, just the outside by the cheeks. The dogs saliva and tongue naturally keeps the inside surfaces clean enough.

 

And my little secret that bugs Dh: I give them a little training treat after toothbrushes are done as a reward. Not big cookie kinds that they need to chew, little ones they can swallow whole. They still lick and toss their heads while brushing, but they always come and line up for toothbrushing time!

[PrairieProf]

Beth really likes the taste of the toothpaste, getting a little lick of it off my finger at the end is her treat.

[Guest snakes]

I have used both at one time or another. The gel usually slipped off my finger before i could get it on the tooth, very awkward. the spray is easier but they don't like the feeling of the spray hitting the teeth/gums (they tolerate it though). They love the chicken flavor CET toothpaste and it works the best of any toothpaste i have used. I found the Biotene water additive to be really helpfull, but sometimes they don't like to drink the water, i had to dilute it more than the package said to -- it still worked well.

I only brush the outsides of the teeth.

[silverfish]

I used to sometimes use the chlorhexidine wipes for my old guy Jack between brushing because his saliva was horribly sticky and he'd already lost most of his teeth. The impregnated gauze pads are pretty good at getting any deposits off.

 

When I told the vet, he said it was fine .. providing you didn't mind their teeth going yellow. He said chlorhexidine will stain them. I didn't actually mind, with Jack. He was old and practically toothless and wasn't going to win any beauty contests, and all I was concerned with was keeping his mouth healthy.

 

However, his teeth did go yellow, so the vet was right. Not a problem if you don't mind it, but for Sid (or any therapy dog) it would be, because people could think his mouth was gunky.

 

The enzymatic toothpaste is better anyway, and does a more thorough job. For in between cleaning now I use an activated silver microfibre finger stall.

 

Oh, and I mostly brush the outside, too. The only teeth I make an effort to get all the way round are the canines. You can do it with damp gauze if she doesn't like the brush in there.

[Guest verthib]

I use toothpaste and my dogs' mouths stinck!!! That's why I ordered the chlorahex. I heard if you eliminate the germs the breath will improve. It hasn't arrived yet.

[sweetdogs]

Another vote for enzymatic toothpaste. Also you don't need to brush the insides, just the outside by the cheeks. The dogs saliva and tongue naturally keeps the inside surfaces clean enough.

 

I used to think this too, but my Conor has brown buildup on the inside surfaces of his teeth. He has great teeth, is raw fed & gets his teeth brushed with enzymatic toothpaste & a biotene gel daily but yuck. So now I'm trying to get his electric toothbrush to the inside of his mouth without him clamping it between his jaws. Or maybe he just needs to cut out the cigars.

[silverfish]

I use toothpaste and my dogs' mouths stinck!!! That's why I ordered the chlorahex. I heard if you eliminate the germs the breath will improve. It hasn't arrived yet.

 

Well... if your dog's teeth are brushed and are clean, and their mouths still stink, maybe there are other problems? All kinds of things can make their breath smelly, from kidney disease to tooth decay or a simple upset stomach.

 

Are their teeth white and shiny, or are there tartar deposits? Brushing teeth is very unlikely to get rid of hardened tartar, and chlorhexidine will do nothing for it either, it's a job for a vet.

 

Or maybe he just needs to cut out the cigars.

 

Keep him away from the red wine, too!

[Guest verthib]

I use toothpaste and my dogs' mouths stinck!!! That's why I ordered the chlorahex. I heard if you eliminate the germs the breath will improve. It hasn't arrived yet.

 

Well... if your dog's teeth are brushed and are clean, and their mouths still stink, maybe there are other problems? All kinds of things can make their breath smelly, from kidney disease to tooth decay or a simple upset stomach.

 

Are their teeth white and shiny, or are there tartar deposits? Brushing teeth is very unlikely to get rid of hardened tartar, and chlorhexidine will do nothing for it either, it's a job for a vet.

 

Or maybe he just needs to cut out the cigars.

 

Keep him away from the red wine, too!

 

Both have had their teeth cleaned in the past 6 months or so and neither have health problems other than trying to find the right food. Angus has soft stool.

[Guest tubbys]

right now her teeth r GREAT! I do use tooth paste.i brush every night I also put the addittive in the water. but i was interested in the petzlife i read about it on this site and i'm interested.. do the teeth have to be bad to use it or can u use it on teeth that r in good shape?

[PrairieProf]

Absolutely you can use Petzlife, it will help keep the teeth good.

[JenniferS]

I use Petzlife gel and CET enzymatic toothpaste together on the toothbrush. The CET doesn't smell greyt, so the combination of the two gives them fresher breath.

[Guest greygirls2]

I brush their teeth with the PetzLife gel, the use the spray in between on days they've had a good chew, like a turkey neck. It's worked well for us and even my fosters straight from the track with awful gummed up teeth. None of my greys have needed dentals and they are 7 & 8 yrs old now. JJ went to the Bridge with beautiful pearly white toothies...............

[Guest wmlcml6]

My Hope has horrible breath because her diet is mostly protein and she doesn't eat anything crunchy to help clean her teeth. I recently read in Whole Dog Journal that coconut oil is good to use for pet teeth brushing. Since Hope likes the taste, I tried it. I've been doing it about a month now (every day instead of a couple of times a week which is all I could get out of her before with PetzLife) and she tries to eat the toothbrush! My husband even noticed her breath is getting better, and she's eating more. This weekend she even started letting me open her mouth wide so I can brush all the teeth on both sides. As a treat, she gets another little dab of coconut oil to eat. :-) Here is the article.

Edited February 6, 2012 by wmlcml6

[silverfish]

My Hope has horrible breath because her diet is mostly protein and she doesn't eat anything crunchy to help clean her teeth. I recently read in Whole Dog Journal that coconut oil is good to use for pet teeth brushing. ....... Here is the article.

 

Hmm. Forgive me for being skeptical, but that article reads like a snake oil advert. This stuff apparently cures everything from dandruff to cancer, arthritis and heart disease!

 

I did a little research, and found that to extract the oil requires some pretty nasty processes involving either acids, solvents or enzymes and/or bleaches at some stage, whether heat-treated (usually a no-no for good quality oil, though it is said that coconut oil is particularly heat stable) or cold pressed.

 

We've had various threads on GT discussing suspect foods and food processes, and having read further - because I never just take the first article's word for anything - I have to say I agree that using bleaches, enzymes, acids or solvents in foodstuffs isn't my idea of a great thing to do. So I'll probably pass on this one.

[sweetdogs]

My Hope has horrible breath because her diet is mostly protein and she doesn't eat anything crunchy to help clean her teeth. I recently read in Whole Dog Journal that coconut oil is good to use for pet teeth brushing. Since Hope likes the taste, I tried it. I've been doing it about a month now (every day instead of a couple of times a week which is all I could get out of her before with PetzLife) and she tries to eat the toothbrush! My husband even noticed her breath is getting better, and she's eating more. This weekend she even started letting me open her mouth wide so I can brush all the teeth on both sides. As a treat, she gets another little dab of coconut oil to eat. :-) Here is the article.

 

Interesting. Here is an article from PubMed on the antimicrobial action of coconut oil (among others) on oral critters. I might try it for my pups. Here is a big list of other research. (Of course from reading the Primal thread, you know how we lubs coconut oil. I cook with it every day.) There's also an ancient, but repulsive health remedy called oil pulling that's supposed to have wonderful health benefits, especially for the mouth. You wouldn't think that putting oil in your mouth would clean it, but it looks like that's exactly what might be happening.

[silverfish]

Interestingly, fatty acids that are produced at metabolic end-products by a number of these bacteria, were specifically inactive against the producing species, whilst substantially inhibiting the growth of other oral microorganisms.

 

Makes perfect sense to me: these bacteria are repressing the opposition!

 

I'd be interested in knowing how all the different oils stack up against each other.