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However, the good news is that with a little home oral care provided by you, plaque build-up can be controlled and reduced before it ever has a chance to cause severe health problems in your pooch. Just follow these simple steps to cleaning your dog's pearly whites:
1. Only use toothpaste sold specifically for dogs. Dogs can't spit and will happily swallow any gunk squirted into their mouths, so never use human toothpaste; it isn't edible for dogs or humans (as many have figured out the hard way).
2. Depending on which tool is the easiest for you to work with, brush your dog's teeth with either a regular human toothbrush, fingerbrush, or a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. This may take a few sessions of experimenting.
3. Get situated in a position where you can comfortably grasp your dog's muzzle and lift his lips away from the teeth. You'll probably find this step to be tricky on your first attempt, but after several sessions of cleaning your dog's teeth, he'll become more accustomed to how this feels. If you've never done this before, a second human helper can help by either separating your dog's teeth or by soothing him with gentle petting.
4. If you've been to the dentist recently, this one should sound familiar: brush in a circular motion. Be sure that you brush each tooth with several circular revolutions.
5. Thoroughly brush along the gumline; this is the area where the dog's teeth appear to "meet" the gums. This step is necessary to dislodge bacteria that can collect in this region and lead to periodontal disease.
6. Finally, don't forget to brush your dog's back teeth, as these are the teeth and gums on which veterinarians tend to spot the most serious oral health problems.
Other tips:
- Remember to brush your dog's teeth on a regular basis -- at least twice per week -- and to have his teeth evaluated by a veterinarian once every year.
- If unmistakable tartar is already deposited on your dog's teeth, it may need to be removed by a veterinarian through a procedure called scaling.
- Feed your dog a brand of dry dog food and toss him the occasional hard dog biscuit or bone. This will help dislodge stubborn plaque anytime he engages in one of his favorite activities: eating!
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The well-known vets all advise NOT to feed dry dog food to your pet. They say that it causes tooth decay, and that your dog needs good meat, not found in any dry food, except the most expensive (best). I have been feeding my four dogs home-cooked meals of chicken (variety of meats), lean beef, along with brown rice and a few other vet-recommended ingredients. I use a slow cooker for about 8 hours, and the chicken comes out very tender. I also give them raw turkey necks or soup bones with meat about every week and she surely do love to chew on them! (The raw meat is always frozen first to kill bacteria, and then thawed for use).
Mavis, I can't believe that anyone would give their dog poultry. Turkey necks? They are full of small bones that can splinter and get caught in their throat. Based on what you've said here, I'd bet that your dog(s) are overweight, too. I've always used dry food (Purina) and my last dog, a beautiful white Lab, lived a healthy and happy life 5 1/2 years beyond her life expectancy, to 17 1/2. Re: the article, I once had a little old lady (busybody) in the vet's waiting room ask me, "Do you brush her teeth? What do you use?" I smiled and looked her in the eye and said "Pepsodent!" She said, "Oh, my God!" And moved away from us. My wife and I laughed for a couple of days about that one.
I often feed either food cooked specifically for the dogs OR raw (Bones and Raw Food) with the correct supplements. Dogs are perfectly suited to digest RAW BONES, but never, ever cooked bones. The cooked bones are the ones that can splinter and cause dangerous problems in their digestive tract.
Your full of CRAP! You don't have a clue what your talking about, and should keep your stupid comments to yourself!
Mavis, You are lucky your dog is still around with the things you've given it. Freezing raw meat doesn't kill any bacteria, that's why we don't "freeze" surgical instruments. Neck bones???? The vet can use those frozen surgical instruments to remove the tiny bones from your dogs esophagus and stomach and intestines. Dry food is much better for a housepet.
I find this comment awfully strange because I have only fed my 16 year old schnauzer dry dog food his entire long life. He has never even had one cleaning and the vet has commented how he wished he had teeth as good as my dog's. What works for one dog and its master does not mean it works for everyone.
I have one dog and he gets fed twice a day, soft food in the morning and semi-hard food later in the day. He also gets his teeth brushed three times a week. He does not like it too much but it gets done. He has a baby Elmo toothbrush and chicken flavor toothpaste. I try to make these three days kinda like a treat day for him. He starts with either a bath or a wipe down (short hair breed), then we clip his nails, clean his ears and finish with brushing his teeth and brushing his hair, what little he has. Yes, he is a little spoiled but he does not wear clothes and things and knows he is a pooch.
my vet has no problems with dry dog food for my guys at all. when it comes to cleaning there teeth, they stand at the sink just like you and i do and brush till they are pearley white..
ok just kidding, had to throw that in. i do not cook for my guys, wish they would for me. when my vet tells me they need there teeth cleaned that is the time when i will fork out the money and have them do it, since i do no there is no way at all will they let me go that far with out a struggle, and that is what it would be if i tried that one.
K.C.:
Do try to brush your dogs teeth; go to Petco or Petsmart, or phone 1-800-Petmeds,
as you can get toothpaste in either beef or poultry or peanut butter flavor that your dog will LOVE!!!!! My dog lets me brush her teeth every day, yours will get used to it, believe me. And it is sooooooo important. A dental cleaning and xrays at the vet's office runs into the many hundreds of dollars... prevention saves alot of money and will keep your dog healthier in the long run. Just like for us humans.
I long for the day when the myth about dry food exerting any beneficial effect on cats' and dogs' teeth stops being repeated. I wish that this reporter had done his homework regarding this issue instead of taking the easy way out and continuing to perpetuate this falsehood.
Thank you, Lisa Pierson. Finally, someone who gets it! Dry dog food is the worst for building up tartar on the teeth. The huge amounts of wheat or wheat glutin dog food companies use as cheap fillers sticks to their teeth. Brushing is the best way to keep their teeth clean. Nylint bones are also good for removing plaque. Do not believe anything the commercial dog food companies tell you about how "complete" their dog foods are. They use the cheapest ingredients and fillers for highest profits.
Try jamming a tooth brush in a dogs mouth? It's a stupid idea. Get an enzymatic toothpaste. Use your finger. Be gentle or you wont get another shot & neither will anyone else!!!! Once you get the dog toothpaste on their teeth, it sits in their mouth & does all the work. you can help your dog by giving them rawhide (raw uncolored is best) and raw carrots.
ps I too cook for my dog, but I read some books & educated myself on their needs before feeding him anything that would harm him.
Be smart people, do some research. These internet people are just trying to get the shock value they are not experts.
Please don't give your dog rawhide. As a veterinary assistant we know that if they end up swallowing the rawhide, it may or may not come out. It builds up in their tummys and causes many more problems. Try "bullysticks". They are a little more expensive, but completely digestible for your pets. My dog loves them.
We fed our Harrier/Collie mix (my childhood dog) ONLY dry dog food, brushed her teeth 1-2 times a week with Dog toothpaste, made sure she had the required vet checkups/required shots, and she lived to be over 17 years old. She had a good, long, healthy, quality life, and being a larger dog (almost as big as a Lab), 17 is a an EXCELLENT life span.
Her teeth were perfectly fine, and she was healthy, active, happy, and never overweight.
It is important to brush their teeth daily, but it is VERY important to let the vet do at least a yearly cleaning. Last week I sent in both my dogs for their teeth cleaning and they found tumors in my one dog's mouth, in the back. I would not have been able to find them on my own. After biopsies, we now know my dog has terminal cancer. If I had skipped his teeth cleaning, we would not have known and his last days would of been uncomfortable for him. So please make sure animals get their vet care as well, to catch things early, even if nothing is done at least your aware of it. My future animals will all get their teeth done now and my speedy will have an easier time making his transition.
I found two new products from ARK NATURALS that has taken the work out of brushing my dogs teeth. Both are completely natural and highly digestible. BREATHLESS Brush-Less chewable Tooth paste has a toothpaste center ,that controls plaque and tarter, inside a breath freshener. Most pets think these are treats..Plaque-Zapper stops plaque from sticking to teeth. Naturally available enzymes which are activated by saliva to 'zap" harmful mouth bacteria. Dissolve packet in pet's drinking water. Odorless, colorless, tastelss. NO chlorine derivatives. My golden retriever used to have plaque build up and I can see a difference since giving her the plaque zapper.
I use the Breath-Less Brushless-Toothpaste treat from Ark Naturals and my dog loves them! Now her breath is so much better and it makes me feel good that she doesn't have all that bacteria build-up in her mouth, and I don't have to physically brush her teeth, which I just don't have the time to do.
Does this ARK Natural really work ? And where do you get them at ?
Ark Naturals is based in Naples, FL. You probably can call them and see if there is a retailer in your area. They might have a website too.
The best way to help your hound with dental care is to give them crunchy snacks or dry food. Vitamin supplements are not a bad idea either. If your dog can't eat straight dry food (like mine) then moisten it a little by adding some vegetables or water. Dental care for your dog is VERY important and a lot of owners don't even think about their dog's teeth. Some breeds are more subject to disease in the teeth than others. If you have a dog who won't let you check their mouth at least ask your vet to when you bring your dog in for shots. It can save a lot of heart ache and needless pain on your pooch.