Chewing Items For Teeth

[Walliered]

Oh, I forgot to ask. Are the bones from Pet Smart from the USA?

[RedHead]

My favourite chewy is pork hocks (raw). The tough skin on them makes them really good teeth cleeners on top of all the chewy meat and bone They last way longer than any other chew I have fed, but you wouldn't want to feed them more than 2-3 times per week. I get them at the grocery store, people make soup with them.

[HoundHeavenAZ]

My favourite chewy is pork hocks (raw). The tough skin on them makes them really good teeth cleeners on top of all the chewy meat and bone They last way longer than any other chew I have fed, but you wouldn't want to feed them more than 2-3 times per week. I get them at the grocery store, people make soup with them.

Good to know - I've seen them but never tried them. Will grab some next time I see them.

[schultzlc]

Luna really likes booda bones. She has a terribly sensitive tummy, but these sit fine with her (it took me forever to find something that didn't make her sick). They have nice textured nubbins that do a really good job of scraping away at plaque.

 

I would love to try a turkey neck sometime, but have yet to find them around here...

Don't know how far you are from Richmond, but I can get turkey necks at Kroger, Food Lion and Walmart. I can get chicken backs sometimes at Kroger and I can get Food Lion to order chicken feet.

 

Thanks for the info! I'm out in Farmville, and our mini versions of these three stores don't carry such items. The next time I'm in Richmond, I'll have to see what I can find.

[Guest BlackandTan]

So should they be thawed or is frozen better for the teeth?

Is there many people who use as just treats? Would I be better off putting them on a half raw diet?

[mom2four]

Ours have just discovered antlers. They love them.

[Guest newgreymama]

holy cow! I was at Petsmart today and saw the antlers--my word they are spendy! :/ Do they last a good long time? the "big" ones didn't seem all that large, so I was a bit worried that they are a choking hazard? Our little dog isn't a big chewer, but our new Grey seems to really like to chew, so if it is good for the teeth, we will definitely invest in one, but someone reassure me that they're worth it. lol

[RileysLegacy]

I'm so bummed, I rarely give my dogs marrow bones but got some recently to give Puzzle a special treat in his travel bag. He now has a fractured a tooth that needs to come out I never really worried b/c in the past my dogs chewed on marrow bones all the time w/o ever a problem.

 

The only other chew my dogs like are bully sticks. But one of my friend's iggy died last year from swallowing too big of a piece He was only 5. I still give them to Legs but take it away when it gets to be 4 or 5".

 

I feel that they need to chew, but there is really nothing that is totally safe Mine won't touch antlers. I've tried other RMBs such as hooves, necks, backs, but those almost always cause stomach upset

[KingsMom]

I'm also always on the look out for good american made, long lasting chews. King really loves to chew and it gets expensive to buy the things that really last a long time. Recently I spoke with a holistic vet who recommended apples. I was surprised but tried it. Most days I core one for each dog after dinner. They don't last too long but they are good for teeth cleaning, healthy and cheap. At first Dazie wouldn't eat the peel on the pink lady apples but now that we're on to Galas she will eat the peel.

 

Also, it seems to be the trick we have needed for King's poo. He has always had softish poo and the fiber in the apples has provided nice easy to pick up pieces. I wish I had tried this years ago!

 

I still give a longer lasting chew about once a week but it's better than giving them daily!

[tbhounds]

I'm so bummed, I rarely give my dogs marrow bones but got some recently to give Puzzle a special treat in his travel bag. He now has a fractured a tooth that needs to come out I never really worried b/c in the past my dogs chewed on marrow bones all the time w/o ever a problem.

 

The only other chew my dogs like are bully sticks. But one of my friend's iggy died last year from swallowing too big of a piece He was only 5. I still give them to Legs but take it away when it gets to be 4 or 5".

 

I feel that they need to chew, but there is really nothing that is totally safe Mine won't touch antlers. I've tried other RMBs such as hooves, necks, backs, but those almost always cause stomach upset

I refrained from posting because I sound like a broken record and quite frankly I always get slammed but, here ya go--bones break teeth folks. Bones especially weight baring bones can and do cause slab fractures. At our clinic it's a regular finding and the cause is always from feeding bones. Slab fractures can be painful and are a source of infection so, it's usually recommended to have them extracted.

Shame because dogs love bones and yes, to an extent they will help to scale some teeth but, they can and often cause damage to the teeth ending your pup in the dental chair.

Many folks feed bulky sticks--however, they are not without their risks too. My own girl fractured her carnassial tooth by chewing on a bully stick--$700 later she is sporting a new crown on her tooth.

You have to weight out in your mind risk vs benefit. Brushing daily is the best defense against dental disease. Ok-off my soapbox now.

[RedHead]

Weight bearing bones such as marrow/leg bones are the ones to most likely cause fractures...I have never heard of teeth being chipped on smaller meaty bones such as necks, backs, etc. (unless a dog's teeth were already diseased or weakened and even then it would be rare). I know people who feed these to cats. Meaty/sinew type bones actually clean teeth better than any of the smoked or raw meatless larger bones. In my experience, far superior than even brushing. When you feed larger bones frozen it also numbs the dog's mouth, which sometimes dulls the feeling so they may chomp a little harder as well.

[Guest BlackandTan]

Weight bearing bones such as marrow/leg bones are the ones to most likely cause fractures...I have never heard of teeth being chipped on smaller meaty bones such as necks, backs, etc. (unless a dog's teeth were already diseased or weakened and even then it would be rare). I know people who feed these to cats. Meaty/sinew type bones actually clean teeth better than any of the smoked or raw meatless larger bones. In my experience, far superior than even brushing. When you feed larger bones frozen it also numbs the dog's mouth, which sometimes dulls the feeling so they may chomp a little harder as well.

I agree with RedHead! I introduced Turkey, Chicken and DUck necks to my pups daily diet and there teeth look so much better after a week of this. If we revert them back there carniverous ancestry they didnt have anything to brush teeth.. I quit the teeth brushing, I dont think it makes one bit of difference.

[tbhounds]

Feeding turkey necks etc will help to some extent but, it will not help scale the lingual side of the teeth. Brushing DOES make a difference (if you do it properly).

I performed a dental prophy on a raw feed only hound today--his teeth initially looked like he had mild tartar but, it ended up not being the case. He had major tartar on the lingual side of the teeth and around and under the gum line. He also had gum recession with root exposure that needed root planing.

So, this hound will need more aggressive daily brushing to avoid extractions in the future-very near future.

I don't want to start a debate here but, please don't think by feeding turkey necks you can eliminate daily brushing to maintain your hounds good oral health.

[Guest Giselle]

I refrained from posting because I sound like a broken record and quite frankly I always get slammed but, here ya go--bones break teeth folks. Bones especially weight baring bones can and do cause slab fractures. At our clinic it's a regular finding and the cause is always from feeding bones. Slab fractures can be painful and are a source of infection so, it's usually recommended to have them extracted.

Shame because dogs love bones and yes, to an extent they will help to scale some teeth but, they can and often cause damage to the teeth ending your pup in the dental chair.

Many folks feed bulky sticks--however, they are not without their risks too. My own girl fractured her carnassial tooth by chewing on a bully stick--$700 later she is sporting a new crown on her tooth.

You have to weight out in your mind risk vs benefit. Brushing daily is the best defense against dental disease. Ok-off my soapbox now.

I think this is especially true for dogs who can tolerate higher levels of pain/aversives, too. My grey would never have chewed this hard, but I know a lot of Labs or bully mixes who'd keep chewing beyond the point of tooth breakage.

 

Ideally, the chew needs to be hard and abrasive enough to provide general scraping of surface plaque. However, it also needs to soften considerably with saliva and be able to break into smaller components (which, of course, then raises the risk of choking). I've come to the conclusion that there are no great chews, but some are better than others.

 

Raw, cartilaginous, non-weight bearing bones are great, but, for kibble fed dogs, they're a major cause of diarrhea. I'd like to feed them, but I can't. Cooked bones are too hard and brittle. Commercial dog chews don't last long enough, and some are too hard while others too soft. In the end, I prefer using rubber toys, like the "Canine Genius". When stuffed with the right food and doused in chicken broth, it keeps the Dobermutt occupied and cleaning her teeth for a very long time. The best commercial chews I've found are Zukes chews, but these are terribly expensive.

[Guest june]

Finally found a place close by (30 minute drive) where I can get raw turkey necks. I didn't have time this weekend but next weekend my girls are in for a treat. I'm just hoping they don't get upset tums from the raw; they are kibble-fed and have not had raw since they've been with me which 2 to 9 years depending on the dog.

[Guest Sonya_Thomas]

Dr. Machery is a greyhound vet at Grassmere Animal Hospital in Nashville. She has 7 (I think) greyhounds of her own, and I trust her explicitly when it comes to advice. I asked her what to give Rosie to chew on, and she suggested beef trachea. She said they are great at cleaning the teeth, so much so that she does not do dentals on her own dogs. We buy the 12" trachea's at Nashville Pet Products, then use a bandsaw to cut them into 6 smaller pieces. We give Rosie one every 2-3 nights. She LOVES them, has done well on them for a year, and her teeth look good to me.

[JenniferS]

I used to give fresh or frozen raw marrow bones and Quiet Man LOVED them, but he got a slab fracture from one and had to eventually have that tooth removed. Rawhides always make me nervous, but I have found the ones that are smooth without knots on the end are better than the knotted ones which they tend to pull apart and can choke. I think I gave a turkey neck only once (or maybe it was a chicken neck?) and he swallowed it whole so it freaked me out and I never gave it again. I've bought antlers but they get bored of them quickly. I am now trying to find something else for Razzy, not so much to clean her teeth, but to occupy her energy, especially with the winter coming. I bought an "Everlasting treat ball" from Starmark, and she popped the treat out within 5 minutes, another choking hazard. And I would also never give greenies again, another choking hazard. I would love to hear more suggestions & success stories, I am at a loss.

[Greydawg]

C.E.T. Veggie Dents!

One per day, per dog.

 

 

 

 

[Guest FrankieWylie]

I was just looking today at all the bones in Pet Supplies Plus. So, the animal bones they have....are they all smoked?

 

I was just looking today at all the bones in Pet Supplies Plus. So, the animal bones they have....are they all smoked?

[GreyWrangler]

Mine get short ribs.

[sobesmom]

 

Is there many people who use as just treats? Would I be better off putting them on a half raw diet?

 

Me! I'm a kibble feeder, but I give raw bones for teeth whenever I can. If they're super meaty, or something like a chicken carcass that will be consumed, I'll use them instead of a meal, but if it's just a big bone that's being grawed but not eaten (like a marrow bone with nothing left in or on it) I keep on the kibble schedule. Sporadic raw is fine for most dogs.

[sobesmom]

 

I feel that they need to chew, but there is really nothing that is totally safe

 

Correct. It's a calculated risk, like most things in life. Of course, a lot of what you "should" or "shouldn't" give depends on the individual dog. Beyond that - yes, there's risk in everything.

 

Except Canned Unicorn Meat. That is failsafe. (Just trying to lighten the mood of my heavy-sounding post.)

[Guest sirsmom]

I feel that they need to chew, but there is really nothing that is totally safe

 

Correct. It's a calculated risk, like most things in life. Of course, a lot of what you "should" or "shouldn't" give depends on the individual dog. Beyond that - yes, there's risk in everything.

 

Except Canned Unicorn Meat. That is failsafe. (Just trying to lighten the mood of my heavy-sounding post.)

Dentals are a risk, too; maybe even higher

[TINMANPDX]

Dr. Machery is a greyhound vet at Grassmere Animal Hospital in Nashville. She has 7 (I think) greyhounds of her own, and I trust her explicitly when it comes to advice. I asked her what to give Rosie to chew on, and she suggested beef trachea. She said they are great at cleaning the teeth, so much so that she does not do dentals on her own dogs. We buy the 12" trachea's at Nashville Pet Products, then use a bandsaw to cut them into 6 smaller pieces. We give Rosie one every 2-3 nights. She LOVES them, has done well on them for a year, and her teeth look good to me.

 

I just got my order from Best Bully Sticks yesterday - green tripe strips, beef trachea, bully sticks and beef tendons. Can't believe the size of the trachea and bully sticks ... Humongous. Gave both of mine a trachea last night and it took Lea about a half hour to chew hers up. Elliott took about an hour, but he is missing a lot of teeth, and Lea has a full set. They went nuts over Them. The bbs site says the trachea are high in glucosamine condroitan (sp?) low in fat and high in protein too. They have a slight odor, but not offensive. They were only $1.61 apiece - cheaper than bully sticks.

http://www.bestbullysticks.com/home/bbs_1353121878810/page_30_11/beef_trachea_12_inch.html.

 

We also give the occasional raw duck or chicken feet and raw turkey necks now and again.

 

Edited November 18, 2012 by TINMANPDX

[Guest mainegrey]

Could anyone explain what beef trachea is like? It seems so tiny, I mean it is hollow and thin on the sides, and it looks brittle. Am I wrong? Are they really hard and chewy? Are they smelly? How long do they last in comparison to a bully stick?

If there're any vets around, Have you encountered any horror stories involving beef trachea?

They are SO cheap, and I really want to give them a shot if they are as good as they sound