We are the outlier here, in that we don't brush our dogs teeth, and the vet always says they look great. They do chew on Nyla bones and some real bones as well as wood from our yard. None of our dogs have ever lost a tooth, though our first rescue lab had a canine that died and turned dark when she was 12 or so, but it was not sensitive and did not bother her. The vet said to just leave it also long as it did not cause a problem for her.
Belle's teeth were beautiful, without brushing, until the last year of her life, she ate lots of rawhides. Suddenly they became dreadfully coated and quite horrible. I wonder whether they could have contributed to her kidney problems, but it really doesn't do to dwell. All I can do now is to do things differently this time around.
I've started brushing Simba's teeth, after a lot of dithering on this. He is 5 years old now, and we got him as a "hand-me-down" when he was 9 months old. He was very resistant to handling at the beginning and bit us a time or two, so the thought of trying to put my finger or a brush in his mouth was a little intimidating. However I noticed some tartar on his canines a few months back and after having a less than happy vet visit last time I thought I had better give teeth cleaning a try. Just to avoid an unnecessary vet visit due to teeth problems! Simba has settled down considerably since we got him, of course, and is pretty much a love bug, but it was still pretty scary to actually try to put my finger in his mouth. I thought that would be better than the brush, at least at first to get him used to it. He actually tolerated it pretty well (i used the clicker at first) and now I use my finger with a finger brush. I use an enzyme type toothpaste and I think it works pretty well. One canine is much clearer now and the other one is better, but still has some tartar. It's not getting any more on it though, so victory! I try to brush them every day.
I got Honey a toothbrush and paste, and when she's had a rest from swimming and having a bath, we'll continue the spa experience. I wonder how cooperative she's going to be.
@Lisa and @momofone Good luck with the teeth brushing xx I have moved on a little further with Charlie. As I find it quite difficult to reach the back molars with him sitting infront of me so I have been training him to lay on his side with his head flat on the floor, cue "lay down" clean that side then cue "roll over" which he does, head flat on the floor, clean the other side. Works like a dream and he lays completely still, closes his eyes whilst I brush his teeth and he is in doggie heaven, strange boy! x
Ha ha Charlie... Simba spends the whole time trying to lick the brush...and my hand...and the brush...
Oh yes that sounds about right Lisa, so what I do with Hattie & Charlie is clean some teeth then let them lick the toothbrush, clean some more teeth lick the toothbrush and so on that way I can get them to stay still clean all their teeth and they know what's coming! xx
I've jumped on the teeth-cleaning bandwagon with the Pig. But I am having a few issues. The first is, I can't seem to find her bottom set of teeth! She is fine now with me putting my finger (with a finger brush on) into her mouth to do her top back molars, top canines and her cute little incisors at the front (outer side only). She even gets a little bit sleepy like @charlie But, she keeps her mouth shut for this, I just reach into her flappy muzzle! Her lower teeth are completely hidden and inaccessible by her tongue and lower jowls. Does everyone else actually have their dog sit with their mouth open to do their teeth? This seems to be something quite difficult to train? And the second issue is, I have been trying to use logic toothpaste but the trouble is she likes it too much. If it is on the brush, she fights and gnashes to get it to the front of her mouth so she can taste it. So I have to resort to brushing with no paste, which she tolerates, then trying to shove some on her teeth with my finger before it's licked off as her reward but it is rather perilous. Any tips from the master brushers out there? I figure brushing with no paste is better that not brushing at all...and it seems like a really difficult 'leave it' exercise to have something tasty actually put in your mouth and not be allowed to chew and mouth it!
My advice is, persevere and they get used to it, and it becomes easier to do the lower ones as they relax. Don't feel you have to get every single bit of every tooth from the get-go, or you'll get both of you stressed out. I have a brush-a-bit-lick-a-bit policy with my lot. They all like the taste, but now are happy to sit and let me brush then have a good old chew of the brush afterwards.
thanks! I just can't seem to access the lower teeth at all unless I prise her jaw open and this is not a relaxing thing for her! Her lower lips are held firmly over her lower teeth by her top teeth. How did you get them to begin to open their jaws? I guess she does open her jaws if I have toothpaste on the brush, but then she is absolutely desperate to get the brush to the front of her mouth to eat it. It's like if I had put some sausage at the back of her mouth expecting her not to try to eat it until I tell her...that is way past our training abilities...
With Willow and Shadow, I just started with their top teeth. Actually, just the top canines. It was lift the lip, touch the tooth, let them lick. We built up to brushing them. Once they were happy with that, I would finish the session with sliding my finger along the length of their teeth to the back, then immediately letting them lick the brush. That's how I built up to working on the back teeth. Then, as they were licking the brush, I would play with their lower lips gently, to get them used to me curling them back. It took a while to get there, and I'm still not fastidious in getting every tooth every time; we just do what they're happy with every day, and they're comfortable enough to com and sit by me when I get the toothpaste out. With Luna, I took a different approach, because she was a bit head-shy as a puppy due to having eye drops, so I simply put the toothpaste on the finger brush and let her chew it. To get her used to it being in her mouth. And gradually started moving it around in her mouth. That was quicker and easier, but it did depend on her being a typical crocopup, really - Willow and Shadow wouldn't bite the brush, they would only lick it, so that was no use for getting it into their mouths.
@Lara It is very much a case of slowly slowly catchy monkey. I really only started brushing one or two top teeth then very slowly worked my way along. Over time, if you make it a relaxing experience for Indie she will get used to having her teeth brushed and her you fiddling in her mouth so the lower ones will become easier to access. I do now find it much easier to clean Charlie's teeth with him laying on his side but again this took time but there's no rush. I also think a Labrador cross' mouth is maybe a little different to a Labrador. Hattie's is different to Charlie's. For a long time every tooth I cleaned they would get a teeny tiny fish treat which seems counter productive but they knew and were more than willing so it worked. Now they only get a fishkin treat after a complete teeth clean xx
I hold Coco's jaw closed-ish - VERY LIGHTLY - while I brush back and forth, I can move the brush to do top and bottom. All the time, he is trying to lick the brush, and he will let me lift his lips to make sure I'm brushing everything. The ones he's not keen on, are his front teeth and canines, but he doesn't mind too much, he wriggles. He will sit and wait until we're finished and I have washed the brush - then he gets his fish skin cube. I apply the gel to the brush, press it into the bristles with my finger, and Coco gets to lick my finger before each brush (we do it in 3 goes - side, side, front - it suggests 5cm for a big dog - 2cm each side, 1 cm front) - this keeps him interested as he LOVES the Logic gel.
Thanks that is helpful! Indie would definitely bite the brush if paste was on it so perhaps I'll start using the paste again and put up with some gnashing, and take it slowly. She is very calm without the paste, almost asleep, but lower teeth resolutely hidden, so I guess I'll take a step back to go forward!
Ah yes it would be nice to have her on her side one day! That's PhD level Tooth Cleaning and we are just getting out of nursery interesting about the different shaped mouths...Indie seems to have many layers of jibbly black muzzle flaps that are tucked over her bottom teeth and held there by her top canines. No wonder she is a drool bucket
Seems fish skin cubes are the tooth-cleaning treat of choice, I best get some! That's a good idea about using the lick of the finger/brush as the reward - I guess if she knows I will bring the paste to the front of her mouth and allow a lick regularly I can build up her not manically gnashing between times. I do think we might do better if dog toothpaste wasn't so yummy - the Pig calmly tolerates boring things for a treat quite well, it's when the treat is being waved around inside her mouth is when the problems start! If anyone has experience of a less yummy toothpaste than logic, let me know!
I use my fingers as the toothpaste contains enzymes which dissolve plaque, so the brushing isn't needed as it is with human toothpaste. I asked my vet why human toothpaste can't be the same and he said something about testing. I'm still not sure why it's safe for dogs and not us? .
