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how often do you all take your dog to the dentist and what do you do to keep the teeth clean in between cleanings? i've heard recommendations about raw bones and other ways to do dental maintenance for dogs.

what about bright bites? has anyone used those? Their website explains that while brushing a dog’s teeth is the best way to maintain dental health, they help fight plaque and tartar build-up.

My old girl (now at the Bridge) had excellent teeth her whole life,

she only had a cleaning once. For a while, I did brush them but gave

it up. Bad mommy. What I usually did was give her lots of softish

sticks to chew, rope tugs and the like, a rope tug will nearly "floss"

their teeth.

She made it to 14 years 3 months though with her teeth very

strong and healthy, and only slightly yellowed.

:-4

I give my dogs raw hide chews, they seem to keep their teeth nice and clean. :-6

Well I don't want to scare you Pheasey but I'd never give a dog

rawhide chews... they can have salmonella bacteria and there is

some chance of choking hazard/intestinal obstruction.

Plus, when I did used to give them, they seemed to cause loose

poops... can't have THAT!!

:-2

valerie;846413 wrote: Well I don't want to scare you Pheasey but I'd never give a dog

rawhide chews... they can have salmonella bacteria and there is

some chance of choking hazard/intestinal obstruction.

Plus, when I did used to give them, they seemed to cause loose

poops... can't have THAT!!

:-2


Really I hadn't heard that before .. thanks for telling me they won't be having anymore. Whats the best thing? I used to clean their teeth with doggie toothpaste but it's very time consuming and I got lazy about it

Here is a link to some:

Treats

I've never used those particular ones but they are along the

lines of others I have used that work pretty well.

Nylabone makes good products.

Or rope tugs, that I mentioned earlier.

Wait on the Nylabones....they have been known to cause big problems when the stuff breaks off. Look for the bones/chews made of vegetable material instead of nylon or plastic because those are digestible.

Before my sheltie passed I used to brush her teeth and sometimes scale them myself. She loved the brushing and tolerated the scaling. I tried the rawhide but she tried to gulp them down once they got soft and I pulled 10-inch pieces out of her throat more than once before I learned my lesson.



I don't think I'd try to do that with my cat, though.



I never would have done with the dog either if it weren't for her horrendous breath. :yh_sick

My scrappy likes dentastixs

Chezzie;846746 wrote: My scrappy likes dentastixs









My dogs love those too ... trouble is Bradley (my shepherd 98lbs - 7 stone), takes one bite to devour - the teeth really don't see it.

RedGlitter;846520 wrote: Wait on the Nylabones....they have been known to cause big problems when the stuff breaks off. Look for the bones/chews made of vegetable material instead of nylon or plastic because those are digestible.


VERY good call, Red, I hadn't heard that. Thanks for the info.

:-6

I don't know about Nylabones, but Bright Bites were developed by veterinarians to prevent gum disease and have earned the VOHC seal. They are also digestible and come in star shaped to help clean the teeth. here's their website - http://www.brightbites.com/

I plan on taking my dogs to get their teeth cleaned every once in a while. I was feeding raw for a while but have stopped recently. I will start again. I have read that chewing raw meaty bones of small animals like chicken can help keep the teeth clean. Also the enzymes contained in raw meat is supposed to help as well. The tug rope is a good idea I have not heard of that until I read this post..

HippieMan86;1453175 wrote: I plan on taking my dogs to get their teeth cleaned every once in a while. I was feeding raw for a while but have stopped recently. I will start again. I have read that chewing raw meaty bones of small animals like chicken can help keep the teeth clean. Also the enzymes contained in raw meat is supposed to help as well. The tug rope is a good idea I have not heard of that until I read this post..


I've always understood that chicken bones splinter too much to feed to dogs as they're liable to stick in the throat and / or cause internal bleeding.

Pitstop loves Greenies. She demands one every evening after dinner.

Bryn Mawr;1454061 wrote: I've always understood that chicken bones splinter too much to feed to dogs as they're liable to stick in the throat and / or cause internal bleeding.


Only if cooked, raw is okay.

Yes, raw chicken bones are pliable enough to move through their bodies without harm. Cooked chicken bones are dangerous because the become hard and brittle.

valerie;1454080 wrote: Only if cooked, raw is okay.


Thanks for the correction, I'll know for the future