# bad teeth!



## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i just don't know what to do. django is 4 1/2 and has had his teeth cleaned 3x already, last time was in march. it's been 4 months and they are awful again. i brush them every other day, but they are yellow and tarter has already formed on the gumline. i cant put him under agian, i need advice! he eats his wellness dog food (i'm switching over to evo in 2 weeks) his ziwi soft treats and a hard treat, all good for him. he gets an occassional rawhide but that's it.


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## Eva (Jun 20, 2008)

My lab gets raw bones (chicken wings, legs, backs, beef ribs,ect..)twice a week and they really help to keep his teeth clean. He's 7 1/2 and has sparkly white teeth with very little buildup on the back ones.


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## EstrellaVila (Nov 30, 2007)

I would look at the types of treats he is getting. When we stopped giving Carmen store bought dog "training treats" at petsmart (which she ADORED) her teeth got way better. They get a duck & potato treat now which has molasses in it and if I give them too many you can tell right away on their teeth. Do what you would do with a kid, start cutting out the sugars. Any sugary/sweet ingredient in the treats needs to be evaluated. The dry food should scrape off some of the stuff on the teeth, they also specially make dry food which can also clean teeth since it is a harder texture. I do not believe they make the special kind in brands like wellness or evo, its always something I see at the vets. Greenies and raw hides help as well. If you get his teeth cleaned again you may want to consider using a product that coats the teeth with waxy product to prevent tartar buildup (cant recall the name, but I can look it up when I get home). Also, we got a great mouth wash for the dogs called dentahex (something like that) which helps break up the stuff.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Talk to your vet to make sure it isn't a problem, but you can probably get a lot more aggressive in your teeth brushing routine too. We have a dental specialist at one of our veterinary clinics and she recommends brushing twice a day when you need to get aggressive about it. I don't know if that can be done over a long period of time, but I don't know why it couldn't.

What products are you using on his teeth? Are you using an enzymatic toothpaste? 

You probably know this already, but for the sake of others reading this, enzymatic toothpastes don't need to be "brushed". They are applied to the teeth, especially the top back teeth at the gumline and the dog's tongue does the rest of the work in dispursing it throughout the mouth.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

what type of the enzymatic toothpaste do you use Kimberly? Do you use a brush as well?


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I usually use Petrodex (chicken flavor), but I also use C.E.T. on occasion. I have both brands around the house. C.E.T. is the brand sold by my veterinarian, but it does just about the same thing for nearly twice the price. Petrodex is really easy to find. 

Either brand, my dogs love it, which makes it even easier to use.


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

I'm going to look into getting that--I noticed both my boys need a teeth cleaning. Do you have to brush them as well?


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Oh sorry - I didn't answer that part.

Sometimes I use a brush and sometimes I don't - if I'm in a hurry to get it done, I just put a dab on my finger and put on their upper molars (one blob each side) and go on to the next dog. 

If I use a brush, I let one of the lick the toothbrush afterwards. They think the toothpaste is a treat, so I use a command and the first one to follow gets to suck the toothbrush. LOL


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Thanks Kimberly! I'll try it. I hope my boys think it's a treat too!:wink:


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Brush Away*

Brush Away has worked wonders for my two dogs. It kills bacteria on contact, www.petzlife.com

All natural, for daily use. Gets rid of those brown spots and stains. My dogs just have to deal with it, sort of like we floss.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

no,his toothpaste is not enzymatic, never heard of enzymatic. it'sj ust a regular petdental toothpaste.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

I went to walmart and found knuckle bones that they LOVE. Nigel was getting plaque, but now it's gone. I have the C.E.T. chews from entirelypets.com but they don't seem to chew on them as much. They chew so hard on the knuckle bone, at first, I thought they would break their teeth. They all love it, even Simon. 

I also buy Hartz Dentist Best, it says it has something in it that blocks tatar, they all like that too. 

They hate having their teeth brushed, and these seem to be doing the job. They all have white teeth.


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## DanielBMe (Nov 25, 2007)

I'd go with some bones. Something like beef necks if possible. They really help to keep the teeth clean. Bogart is 2 and his teeth are pearly white.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I think some dogs are just prone to more build up! I knew early on belle had too many teeth and not enough mouth! Now, we are on a szhedule of nightly petzlife gel and I try to brush every once in awhile but she loves a good raw bone. My other two aren't raw crazy but love bullies!


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

I have to say that I can't wait to get Ricky back on raw meaty bones. He had them off and on for almost a month and more than half the plaque and yellowing was gone! It's the best "toothbrush" in the world! :biggrin1: :brushteeth: Once his liver enzyme is back to normal, I'm giving them both the RMB's.

I also use Petzlife, but only once/week or so, when I remember it. I think it helps a great deal. There is Leba III on the market and I've heard good things about it from others, but it's pricey. Still, if it means avoiding dental cleaning and anesthesia, then it's worth every penny! Here's the site for that: http://www.lebalab.com/

The thing with kibble is that it softens and becomes like granola bars, or cookies in the mouth, sticking to the teeth. If you were to look at your dogs' teeth right after they eat, there are kibble crumbs lingering and that may be why there are so many dental issues.

http://rawfed.com/myths/damage.html

Interesting read!


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

i was using the lebaIII and my vet told me it's a bad product and recommende i not use it anymore. i used it all the time and saw no improvement. maybe will pull it out agian and give it a try. his teeth aren't as bad so maybe it will work better this go around. i bought the toothpaste recommended. he's going for a physical next month before we leave for our trip in september, want to make sure he's good to go before he goes to the puppy nanny.


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## mugsy & me (Feb 3, 2008)

i've seen a liquid that you put in the dog's water, forget the name, anyone try something like that before? did it work?

joe


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

Joe,

I think I know the product you are talking about, but can't think of the name. I was going to buy it for my dog, but my friend who is a scientist, looked at the ingredients and said that it's the same thing as antifreeze and not to give it to my dogs.


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## mugsy & me (Feb 3, 2008)

juliav said:


> Joe,
> 
> I think I know the product you are talking about, but can't think of the name. I was going to buy it for my dog, but my friend who is a scientist, looked at the ingredients and said that it's the same thing as antifreeze and not to give it to my dogs.


the same as antifreeze?
that would make them really sick!

joe


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## Hav a lot of pets (Apr 4, 2008)

A lot of tartar is calcifications on the teeth. Some people get it easily, and some animals get it easily. Calcium deposits are tough--and the stuff to remove them is usually pretty harsh. This is a lot like the stuff that gums up shower heads and leaves stains on toilet bowls. Natural consistent chewing (something like rawhides or large bones that will not splinter) does wonders!

I really do not know if you can change your (or an animal's) rate of calcium depositing--the reason I have to use daily disposable contact lenses. Please let me know if there is now research that states how to lower this. I would LOVE to save $$$ on contacts.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

my issue is that my pup has beef allergies and a very sensitive belly, i would be afraid to give him another kind of bone that could potentially make him sick
i bought the enzymatic toothpaste, i have set up a physical with his vet in 2 weeks, so we will see what she has to say. i'll take the lebaIII with me. i send back feedback on product.


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## Hav a lot of pets (Apr 4, 2008)

With sensitive tummies, there are also toys like Orcas that some puppies find a lot of fun to chew on--sort of flexible chewing toys in different shapes.

Although, I find my puppy likes stuffies or "lovies" more than the harder toys which, of course, do not clean teeth well at all.

If dogs have very sensitive tummies, I would not want to use ropes either unless you are watching that no flosses get swallowed.

Good luck!


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