Teeth

[Charlies_Dad]

Our new boy Stewie appears to have some nasty looking teeth and he only just turned 4. Our two angels, Charlie and Jack both had good teeth and accepted us brushing their teeth and spraying with Petzlife. Stewie however will have none of it. He is really sensitive to the smell and taste and curls up his lips and moves his head away. For now because he is new, I am not forcing him and just spraying his teeth which he does not like but I can do it quickly. Besides going for a dental which is my final option, has anyone had similar issues and overcome it some way? Just a FYI, treats as a positive incentive are a no-go as we have yet to find a treat he likes, PB doesn't work, tofu doesn't work (all our pups have loved it)...the only thing he has tried was a small piece of fruit cake from Whole Foods that Lynn was able to get him to take but it has sugar and not something we wish to encourage.

 

Any ideas before calling our local dental vet? His back teeth have a lot of plaque and his gums are red back there.

 

Tks.

Edited December 20, 2012 by Charlies_Dad

[Guest IrskasMom]

I have the very same Problem. Morty is not New to us , so that is no Issue. Morty had a Dental in July of this Year . We seen the Vet 2 Days ago for his stumped Toe and he looked in his Mouth ( no Problem for the Vet ) . His Teeth are awful and his Gums are infected. How can this happen ? Vet put him on Clavamax and the redness of his Gums are better . But how can I avoid this again . He will not let me see his Teeth nor Brush them. What is that

Petzlife and where can I get it ?? Treats are not an Option , Morty is like Stewie.

Edited December 21, 2012 by IrskasMom

[Batmom]

If he's got lots of plaque, he needs a dental first to get all that cleaned out. (Sometimes dogs have brownish looking gunk that can be flaked off with a sturdy thumbnail. If gums are red, tho, there's likely some crud under the gumline and that needs a dental.)

 

Then, daily brushing and/or dental chews/appropriate bones if he can have them.

 

 

 

tbhounds is going to smack me, but I have had a couple dogs who allow fairly serious cleaning while awake (by our vet's main dental technician, supervised by our vet). Obviously not an option if you need a root canal or have severe gum regression, etc. Also not an option, I feel, if the dog has to be manhandled.

[PattyE]

As far as treats go, when Joey first came to us, he needed to take meds for an infection. He was very difficult. He didn't like anything until I tried raw hamburger. That worked and from there, I was able to introduce him to other things. Good luck!

[mychip1]

Our EZ has horrible teeth and has never let us near him to work on them. No treats have really worked including the dental sticks, etc. Unfortunately dentals were the only option until recently when he just got beyond an age where we wanted to take the chance.

 

That being said, I agree that if they are really bad, he may need a dental to get them on track....Some people have had some luck, though, with "awake" procedures picking off the tarter if it isn't too fused on. Might be worth chatting with your vet about that.

 

We have tried the petzlife. Some people have said it works wonders, but I must admit that we weren't consistent because even that stressed him out.

 

I can't believe he doesn't like any of the things you have offered him....(except Fruitcake)....

[mom2four]

Kyle, i agree that if the gums are involved a dental is needed first.

Our vet does do the "under sedation only" dentals with good results! Of course the dogs are put under if they need more extensive work.

 

In the last 4 months we have started giving out dogs Elk Anters (from a company in Pickering) and we have not had to do dentals on 3 of the Greys that have had their annual exams in that time. The vet was happy what the antlers were doing. She said their gums looked good. Might this be a starting point for Stewie? I can tell you that I thought our Tosca was in for a dental, but the vet said it was not needed.

 

Good luck with your new boy!

[greysmom]

Our Copper had a horrible "Greyhound Mouth" and could have had a full dental every 6 months. He got the same food, the same treats, the same chew bones as the others, but their teeth are beautiful and his just always were bad.

 

He probably doesn't want you messing with his mouth because it hurts him. You might consider a round ob antibiotics before soing any dental work to clear any infection that might be lodged in his gums. We did have *some* success with the PetzLife spray with Copper, but you have to be very religious about applying it every day. He also alternated between Pedegree Dentasticks and Purina Busy Bones.

 

Treats to try - Vienna Sausages, Liverwurst, regular hot dogs, cheese, freeze dried liver, roasted chicken breast - anything meaty and smelly. Once he gets the idea, then you should be able to try other things.

 

Raw meaty bones can also work wonders for teeth.

Edited December 20, 2012 by greysmom

[Guest undergreysspell]

My mixed breed also wouldn't let me get near his teeth, but when I got my grey and started using petrodex beef flavored toothpaste on her he wanted some as a treat.So I got started by just putting some on the end of my finger and letting him lick it off - then gradually I started rubbing it on his teeth with my finger while he would try to lick it off . I found arm&hammer makes a microfiber fabric finger brush and then progressed to putting some on it and rubbing his teeth . Now he lets me use this and I can rub all his teeth . The only problem is he loves the taste of the toothpaste so much that he constantly licks while I'm trying to go over his teeth! But it does the job and at 14 (tomorrow ) his teeth are beautiful . He won't let me use a regular toothbrush, or plastic finger brush but the microfiber fabric one does great.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

cant say I blame him for not wanting tofu. I second the raw bone comment. Try a raw turkey neck a few days a week, as well as a beef knuckle for 20-30 minutes 3 times a week and you will be amazed at how clean his teeth will get.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Nixon and Ruby both came to us with lots of tartar.

 

On the vets recomendation, we started giving them large beef knuckle bones to chew on twice a week for an hour or so, and even the vet is amazed at how much their teeth have improved.

 

This is certainly an inexpensive thing to try out.

 

[teri_d]

oh kyle, I haven't been on by much lately and didn't realize you had a new baby.....

love it and congrats....pictures anywhere?

[tbhounds]

If he's got lots of plaque, he needs a dental first to get all that cleaned out. (Sometimes dogs have brownish looking gunk that can be flaked off with a sturdy thumbnail. If gums are red, tho, there's likely some crud under the gumline and that needs a dental.)

 

Then, daily brushing and/or dental chews/appropriate bones if he can have them.

 

 

 

tbhounds is going to smack me, but I have had a couple dogs who allow fairly serious cleaning while awake (by our vet's main dental technician, supervised by our vet). Obviously not an option if you need a root canal or have severe gum regression, etc. Also not an option, I feel, if the dog has to be manhandled.

Smack down!!! Never an option IMHO :-). You would be purely grooming the teeth not performing a proper dentistry :-). I do agree, however, that periodic oral groomings in between dentals can be of benefit- I do that with my own hounds.

[tbhounds]

To get your guy accustomed to brushing I would just start out by placing some pet toothpaste on your finger--slowly introduce it by rubbing it on his gum line or let him lick it off your finger (hopefully, he'll like the taste). Try not to pursue it beyond his comfort zone. Hopefully, in time he will accept the paste more and more-at that time I would place the paste on a very soft child's toothbrush and slowly brush a tooth or two--again never being pushy or going beyond his comfort zone. I would hope in time his would look forward to some yummy toothpaste and allow you to do more and more brushing.

One thing I will warn you about is feeding bones. Bones break teeth. Marrow bones, knuckle bones..... can and will often cause slab fractures of the carnassials (the big ones on the top). Just extracted two from a lab this week--owner admitted feeding bones. I would stick to turkey necks.

[duncan41]

A complete dental is the wisest way to start with antibiotics as after care to take care of any lingering infection. Until you desensitize him to having his teeth brushed, bully sticks, turkey necks and knuckle bones are all good suggestions. Hopefully with regular brushing and other prophylactic measures, his mouth will be manageable.

 

A friend had a grey with teeth like that. She got him to accept an electric toothbrush but despite white, plaque free, sparkling teeth, he had the worst breath! Even a full dental only kept the sewer breath at bay for about 2 weeks. She ended up pulsing Flagyl, brushing and turkey necks which helped a lot!

[a_daerr]

Another vote for a dental first, then you can work on ways to maintain. When we fostered Payne, he was also 4-years-old and had awful teeth. After his dental, we maintained with a water additive (Dental Fresh) and lots of good bones. Henry is 5 and had never needed a dental.

[Sambuca]

Have you tried giving him fish or meat as a treat? That usually works around here.

[KickReturn]

Poor Stewie.

 

Turkey necks have been mentioned above but I will put a fine spin on it here:

 

Order a 30lb box from your butcher. (Cost will be 1.50 to $2 per pound)

Separate and individually wrap. If they are huge cut them in half (you will need a cleaver). Store in the freezer

Feed semi frozen. You should be able to bend them but they should not be too soft.

Give one every day in the yard after a walk or perhaps before bed.

 

If you haven't done this before you will be amazed at the improvement. This will take care of all but the canine teeth and the front nibblers (as I like to call them).

 

To deal with the canines find a toothpaste your dog likes (Petrodex Beef flavoured works around here). Apply to super soft brush and let him lick it off. Repeat for several days and very slowly work up to giving light scrub of the canines at the gum line. As soon as he pulls away end the brushing. If you force it he will associate the smell of toothpaste with a bad experience. It will take a bit longer until you are able to brush the nibblers. After several weeks of Turkey necks and light brushing I would be surprised if he didn't let you do a full brushing.

 

FWIW I do all my brushing when Hester is lying down on his side. I do whichever side is up and get the other side when it is up. It took 6 months of daily care to get teeth that appear as though they will never require a dental.

 

Finally Stewie is new (how new?) so go slow.

Edited December 21, 2012 by KickReturn

[Guest SealDogMermaid]

Our EZ has horrible teeth and has never let us near him to work on them. No treats have really worked including the dental sticks, etc. Unfortunately dentals were the only option until recently when he just got beyond an age where we wanted to take the chance.

 

That being said, I agree that if they are really bad, he may need a dental to get them on track....Some people have had some luck, though, with "awake" procedures picking off the tarter if it isn't too fused on. Might be worth chatting with your vet about that.

 

We have tried the petzlife. Some people have said it works wonders, but I must admit that we weren't consistent because even that stressed him out.

 

I can't believe he doesn't like any of the things you have offered him....(except Fruitcake)....

can i ask how old EZ is? Our 9 y/o Cody also has a bad dental problem and we want to at least get him a cleaning but we are concerned that he may be too old to go under? He may even need a tooth out imho (the wide one halfway back on the upper jaw - seems to be the trouble-maker), but being that it is a large one we really want to avoid it if possible. My concern is if he can still safely go under this time he may not be able to in the future so not sure if we should just get the tooth out now or get a cleaning and try to battle it with brushing for the rest of his life :-/ He has had cleanings before and the gum line came back down a bit, but even with sticking to a strict brushing regimen afterword the bad breath and brown stuff came creeping back :-( Just curious as to what you would consider the "cut-off age" to be and what your experiences are with the state of his teeth.

[IndyandHollyluv]

Hi there. Because Stewie is so young, I would vote for a dental. Bad teeth and gum inflammation are enough to make anyone miserable and grouchy. All of my (angel) hounds had an annual dental plus toothbrushing.

 

In June, I adopted a senior Collie mix (he's now 12+). His breath was just awful. Almost brought tears to my eyes whenever he breathed on me! Took him for a dental a few weeks ago. Vet tech said she scaled "chunks" of tartar off his teeth. My vet provides before and after photos which is pretty cool - and, wow, what a difference! Also xrays revealed bone loss and gum recession and he had a bad upper pre-molar which needed to come out. So one extraction, too.

 

Oh, when I initially introduced toothpaste on my finger to the dog - he looked at me like I was attempting to poison him! Clearly, his owners never brushed his toofers. I started out putting (poultry) toothpaste on my finger - and now he likes it and is receptive. It just takes time.

 

My current dilemma is my 13+ female greyhound, who I adopted in April. She had a dental in January, but for whatever reason, they left a now totally stinky, rotten upper molar in her mouth. Don't know why they didn't extract it? So I'm torn about whether to take her in for a dental and hope for the best or let it be. Her breath is absolutely foul and I'm concerned about any discomfort she may be experiencing.

 

So I'm a big fan of dental care. Good luck with Stewie!!

[Charlies_Dad]

Thanks everyone. We will be scheduling a dental for Stewie to get his teeth back in shape and then I'll slowly get him used to brushing.

 

can i ask how old EZ is? Our 9 y/o Cody also has a bad dental problem and we want to at least get him a cleaning but we are concerned that he may be too old to go under? He may even need a tooth out imho (the wide one halfway back on the upper jaw - seems to be the trouble-maker), but being that it is a large one we really want to avoid it if possible. My concern is if he can still safely go under this time he may not be able to in the future so not sure if we should just get the tooth out now or get a cleaning and try to battle it with brushing for the rest of his life :-/ He has had cleanings before and the gum line came back down a bit, but even with sticking to a strict brushing regimen afterword the bad breath and brown stuff came creeping back :-( Just curious as to what you would consider the "cut-off age" to be and what your experiences are with the state of his teeth.

I'm not sure how old EZ is however we had our Shelby go for two dentals, one at 11yrs and another at 12yrs as she came to us with horrid teeth. The first dental involved pulling 17 teeth, the second another 5-6. So 9yrs is not too old for a dental. You may need to have the vet check his heart though first.

[Wonder]

You can add Plaque-off to kibble on a daily basis along with daily brushing and crunchy treats/bones, etc.

 

http://store.adogsdreamseattle.com/product_info.php/cPath/213_220/products_id/257

 

I've been using it for my hounds and it really works well. I also brush and give bones.

[Guest SealDogMermaid]

Thanks everyone. We will be scheduling a dental for Stewie to get his teeth back in shape and then I'll slowly get him used to brushing.

 

 

I'm not sure how old EZ is however we had our Shelby go for two dentals, one at 11yrs and another at 12yrs as she came to us with horrid teeth. The first dental involved pulling 17 teeth, the second another 5-6. So 9yrs is not too old for a dental. You may need to have the vet check his heart though first.

oh thank you! That makes me feel a bit more at ease :-) The vet did say he is going to do bloodwork beforehand to make sure everything is ok before he goes under. Good luck with Stewie!

[Guest SealDogMermaid]

You can add Plaque-off to kibble on a daily basis along with daily brushing and crunchy treats/bones, etc.

 

http://store.adogsdreamseattle.com/product_info.php/cPath/213_220/products_id/257

 

I've been using it for my hounds and it really works well. I also brush and give bones.

might try this myself - i know it says that it works to remove existing plaque, but in your experience does it work well to remove the existing plaque or does it work more as a preventative? I only ask because we tried using the Leba spray (which has been recommended on GT a lot and works for many) but it didnt do much to the existing build up on codys teeth despite following instructions for intensive treatment :-/

[Wonder]

might try this myself - i know it says that it works to remove existing plaque, but in your experience does it work well to remove the existing plaque or does it work more as a preventative? I only ask because we tried using the Leba spray (which has been recommended on GT a lot and works for many) but it didnt do much to the existing build up on codys teeth despite following instructions for intensive treatment :-/

 

It did remove existing especially after chewing on a bone.

[Guest SealDogMermaid]

It did remove existing especially after chewing on a bone.

perfect! We will def have to give it a try then! Thanks for the link!