# Bleeding gums?



## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

I have noticed that when I give Nala her Zuke bones ( a wheat free, corn free natural edible dental chew) there seems to be blood on the bone. Is this bad????

I also noticed it when I used to give her rawhide or other chews.

Annie


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## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

Unless, her gums are inflamed I don't think it something to be overly worried about. I noticed this in my dogs when I first started giving them chews. Probably, just her gums getting used to the chew. Kinda like when you haven't brushed your teeth for awhile and it bleeds.


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## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

Thanks for the reply. That makes me feel better. I just looked at her gums and they look okay to me.

Annie


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## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

No problem =) The more she chews the bleeding will go away.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

How old is Nala? Has your vet looked at her teeth & gums lately? She may have early signs of gum disease, but bleeding doesn't necessarily mean that is true either. It is worth having it checked out.


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## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

Nala just turned three. She was recently at the vet but she didn't mention her teeth. We were doing blood work etc. I started giving her Petzlife Oral Care Spray. ( I read about it somewhere on the forum and then a woman in a pet store recommended it. She is not fond of the spray but I am going to give it a try!)

I will have the vet really look at her teeth next month.

Annie


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## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

You might try incorporating some tripe into her diet as it improves gum and teeth health. I can tell you that I've noticed major improvement in both of my Havs and the rest of the crew. Let me tell you Sophie had the worst of the two but they both were pretty rank. Seriously, she could probably knock someone out just by opening her mouth. uke: :laugh: It smelled like something died in there! So, after 2 months of adding 2x daily to her feedings it has helped both her breath and tartar build up. They were also chewing on cow hooves that I'd say were part of the help.


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## Annie Clark (Nov 6, 2008)

What exactly is tripe?

Annie


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## rdanielle (Sep 2, 2008)

Tripe is the stomach of ruminating animals. These animals (i.e. cattle, buffalo, sheep, deer, goats, antelope, etc.) are classified as being four-footed, hooved, cud chewing mamals with a stomach that consists of four chambers. The four chambers of such a stomach are known as the rumen, reticulum, omasum and the abomasum. The food the animal eats (i.e. grass, hay) is swallowed unchewed and passes into the rumen and reticulum where it is then regurgitated, chewed and mixed with saliva. It is again swallowed and then passed through the reticulum and omasum into the abomasum, where it is then further broken down by the gastric juices, amino acids and other digestive enzymes. Yummy! 
So how can something so disgusting, be so good? These same gastric juices and enzymes not only aid the animal in digestion, but also aid the dog in digesting and efficiently utilizing his food. The amino acids are necessary for muscular development and, the other gastric juices, I believe, are the best cleaner for their teeth! 
In an analysis of a sample of green tripe by a Woodson-Tenant Lab in Atlanta, Georgia, it was discovered that the calciumhosphorous ratio is 1:1, the overall pH is on the acidic side which is better for digestion, protein is 15.1, fat 11.7 and it contained the essential fatty acids, Linoleic and Linolenic, in their recommended proportions. Also discovered, was the presence of Lactic Acid Bacteria. Lactic Acid Bacteria, also known as _Lactobacillus Acidophilus_, is the good intestinal bacteria. It is the main ingredient in probiotics. 
Finally, because of it's rubbery texture, serving it in large chunks also aids the canine in strengthening it's jaw muscles and has an added benefit as a form of canine dental floss.

www.greentripe.com

Solid Gold makes a canned version that is available at Petco. This is what I use.


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