do any of you clean your dogs teeth ? i use the pedigree dentastix, are these ok or should i be cleaning his teeth ? jasper being a lab as been very mouthy so not been able to do his teeth, ...... not even sure if he as all his second teeth yet, not going in there to count them, not just yet, he is gentle though
Re: cleaning teeth Hi Lynne My lot pretty much clean their own teeth with kibble (Eukanuba), vast quantities of assorted fruit and veg (mostly raw) and nylabones. However, I have finger toothbrushes which I run round their gums irregularly. Simply so that they're used to having their teeth checked and if there's a problem they don't mind me 'grovelling' in their mouths. They all get fingers round their teeth and under their tongues from an early age, even before those needle puppy teeth drop out. I have noticed on my old lass (13 now) that she's beginning to collect some deposits on one upper molar so that one gets a bit more attention than the rest of her mouth. Dentastix are chomped in two bites here so we don't bother, I can't see that can possibly do anything to clean their teeth, however a friend with a lurcher says his lasts him a good half an hour to an hour, so I guess it depends on the dog. Kerryn
Re: cleaning teeth I find that the best things for teeth cleaning are foods that the dog has to slice through and/or use their molars on (meaty bones, big chunks of raw veg etc). We do use a toothbrush too though, now and then. Toothbrushes do a good job. We have a couple of styles of brush which I'll take a pic of when I manage to get up
Re: cleaning teeth yes would love to see the photos,......i do have a look in his mouth in fact one of his teeth fell out in my hand the stix last him about 10 mins, he as nylabones, meaty bones from the butchers,and raw veg, sounds like i am doing the right thing got to get him a toothbrush, his teeth are lovely
Re: cleaning teeth Here's the toothbrush and toothpaste we use. We do also have one that fits over the end of a finger, like a long thimble, but I can't find that one. This one here works especially well for back teeth.
Re: cleaning teeth thank you will go down to the pet store.....don't want to neglect him....how often do you clean them ?
Re: cleaning teeth I have to admit to being a bit over committed to this Lynne.......someone with a black lab told me she does her dogs teeth every day and to start as soon as we got Dexter,so I did,ive kept it up religiously because as ive said a million times before his diet is just kibble and he doesnt get his chops around those meaty bones other dogs enjoy :'( it's become just part of our day....don't get me wrong,there is wrestling involved ......but in a controlled way! I use 2 toothbrushes a week.....sounds a lot( I bulk buy from the supermarket ...cheap ones) but my method is probably flawed....Dex chews on one while I'm busy scrubbing away with the other one,then I rub his gums with the rubber finger cover and I have even found a little 'sock' that goes over your finger to rub around.Im not claiming to be perfect...some cleans are better than others but I've always thought at its most basic level' something' is better than nothing and its good practice for having his mouth touched and handled.
Re: cleaning teeth Lynne!!!! My Facebook statues last night was " can't believe Amy is letting Toby touch her ears and mouth without moving" I try to do it myself but as you know it just gets up with getting mouthed on. I do keep trying! But last night Toby was doing all sorts and she just laid down looking at him! I have chicken toothpaste which she just licks at the moment, was brushing but gums look quite sore with all thoses teeth coming out at once. She has bones. To but still nervous I gave her the wrong kind. Yesterday it was a big fat one with the round bits at the end. He gave me a thinner bit too but that look like its too thin and might shatter?
Re: cleaning teeth Is the purpose of cleaning puppy teeth to get them used to it being done while young, or is is actually important for health? Feeling guilty I haven't started this yet, even though was issued with brush and paste at the first vet visit - because Charlie is just going to chew up the brush and probably my fingers too! I'll have to get on with it of course. Any tips for how to go about it and still have fingers at the end?
Re: cleaning teeth I know Jade!Lynne!!!Jasper is the most NOT neglected dog in the Universe Jade,I hear you over the bones,I think I use Dexters sensitive tummy as an excuse to mask my fear of them...It can be a bit of a different world over here.....English being understood properly can be tricky ( not that im criticising as I have no Arabic,Hindi,Philipino whatsoever!)and dog care can be a bit lost in cultural understanding....i asked at the Butcher counter in the supermarket here if they had Meaty Bones.....by the time I had worked through 3 assistants,I was on my 4 th explanation and this guy started picking up Rack of Lamb,lamb chops,and a very inappropriate lamb steak containing a tiny bone about the size of a penny!! So my fledgling confidence was knocked.....I'd rather just keep brushing for now and hope no one tells Dexter that Meaty Bones live amongst us! X
Re: cleaning teeth Julie,I guess it's just the modern way to keep tartar forming on their teeth which can cause them gum problems as they get older.In the past ( and I guess going back to their origins)when their diets were more 'natural/raw' the food they ate cleaned their teeth adequately....I've read articles about dogs with really poorly mouths and a change to a raw diet has had spectacular results. Rightly or wrongly a raw diet isn't for us so I'm brushing to compensate! The way that works for us is I do it the same time everyday(Dexter is run a bit on routine)......brush him,lie him on his bed,wash his face ,eye drops,teeth.....and the whole thing takes about 10-15 mins.squeeze of toothpaste on one toothbrush(supermarket one)that i hold and he chews on while I poke the brush in and brush...as much as I can get too,I said earlier on this thread,some cleans are better than others,but i do do it everyday.Ill be interested to hear other replies to hear how others manage it. Dexter was 5 months when he got to us and had most of his big teeth.I am sure he had never had his teeth brushed in his life til he met me......Poor Dog,his life!He wasn't keen at first and it was no way as efficient as it is now,but he always let me in his mouth and I just used to roll the toothbrush round,let him chew and get the feel of it and gradually we have got to where we are now.....hope that helps
Re: cleaning teeth Just thought,I dont even know if you should do it if they are still so young that they have baby teeth and new ones coming through,might be distressing while there mouths are tender and be a shame to put them off by it being painful if its something you want to do x
Re: cleaning teeth Thanks - I think the routine thing is key to getting things done efficiently and am going to have a few more. I'll ask at the vet next week, but I think the nurse (who issued me with the toothbrush along with a long list of does and don'ts) said it was just to get him used to it at first so I guess I should start doing some gentle cleans. His mouth doesn't seem at all sore, teething isn't bothering him one bit. Yet, anyway.
Re: cleaning teeth [quote author=jade805 link=topic=1862.msg14864#msg14864 date=1372572178] She has bones. To but still nervous I gave her the wrong kind. Yesterday it was a big fat one with the round bits at the end. He gave me a thinner bit too but that look like its too thin and might shatter? [/quote] The big fat bones with the round bits at the end are perfect. She will chew the knobs, and then you decide whether she can keep the big middle bit or not. I would go with your gut feeling for now about the thinner bone - if you think it's not safe, then don't give it to her. It's a bit of a learning curve with bones - just take your time and give her the occasional raw meaty bone - she will love it and it's so good for her teeth and jaws. But keep an eye on her.
Re: cleaning teeth [quote author=Dexter link=topic=1862.msg14867#msg14867 date=1372573374] I know Jade!Lynne!!!Jasper is the most NOT neglected dog in the Universe Jade,I hear you over the bones,I think I use Dexters sensitive tummy as an excuse to mask my fear of them...It can be a bit of a different world over here.....English being understood properly can be tricky ( not that im criticising as I have no Arabic,Hindi,Philipino whatsoever!)and dog care can be a bit lost in cultural understanding....i asked at the Butcher counter in the supermarket here if they had Meaty Bones.....by the time I had worked through 3 assistants,I was on my 4 th explanation and this guy started picking up Rack of Lamb,lamb chops,and a very inappropriate lamb steak containing a tiny bone about the size of a penny!! So my fledgling confidence was knocked.....I'd rather just keep brushing for now and hope no one tells Dexter that Meaty Bones live amongst us! X [/quote] If you ever do find you want to try him on less scary bones, raw chicken necks are a great way to go. If you buy a full chicken, he can have the neck and the wing tips without you needing to worry about any sharp bones at all. Just make sure they are raw. And I know quail is a staple in the ME - Poppy happily crunches through a whole raw quail, thinks it's a delicious snack (not that she gets it often, but I'm a great one for buying cheap stuff for the dog that's about to go out of date). The things we do for our dogs, eh?
Re: cleaning teeth We go for cheap meat that's on special as well. Angela, you could try asking for lamb necks or lamb ribs. Quail is a great idea as a 'gateway' bone experience. But don't feel that you are depriving Dexter if you're not comfortable with bones. With your teeth brushing routine he'll have fantastic chompers his whole life. Dexter has a wonderful life with you and he is very lucky so I really hope you don't actually think that he is missing out on anything. If I was a dog, I'd be happy to be your dog! Incidentally, my old vet (now 99% retired) told me that some people actually floss their dogs' teeth. A bit beyond me, I'm afraid
Re: cleaning teeth Thanks Rachael,you are very kind,I'm lucky that he is such a good dog that I have got a great foundation to start from,.and for the bone tips.Its always interesting to hear how different things work,Im like a sponge soaking it all up! Karen( Thankyou) has just mentioned the quail as well so going forward that is what I could try .....ill let you know
Re: cleaning teeth Lest I unfairly get any credit - I was just seconding Karen's very good idea about the quail I didn't think of it myself
Re: cleaning teeth Sorry whoops,thankyous wrong way round!my indulgence time reading on here is over until this eve,my day cranks up now so was rushing byeeeee 8)
