bad teeth?

This may be the reason why Runner doesn't want dry food. I haven't gone raw yet as I'm having trouble finding good priced beef close to me. I'm still researching. I've subscribed and joined many raw groups.

BUT, her teeth I think are bad. I tried to brush them today as her breath is really bad. She tried to bite the brush. Her gums bled easily. She yellped when the brush touched her teeth. I just barely touched them.

she needs a good cleaning, but my vet said they would do it for hundreds. Any other tries anywhere else?

When I got Kaedyn, no raw bone could ever lift off the tarter he had. You might need to fork over the money to have the teeth cleaned initially, then brushing and/or regular raw bones will keep them nice and clean. You can also give her a raw bone here and there while she's still being fed kibble. Chicken and beef bones are incredibly cheap. Even if you can only feed them once a week, that's still better than no bones at all!

I'm having the same problem with Charlie. He has very bad breath and his gums by his teeth are VERY red. But like you dental cleaning is so very expensive... HJ is getting some dental stuff for them from the store tonight, any tips on weekly stuff we can do or give to them (treats, etc) we can give them that can help?? I've seen some stuff you can put in their water that supposedly helps with tartar and plaque buid-up, does anyone have any experience with this?

Of course, if it comes down to it and we need to take him to have a dental cleaning or his health is at risk, I will do it, no problem. But he does not seem to be in any pain, his gums aren't bleeding, they are just very red and his breath is AWFUL lol

I don't know where you live here in DFW, but it shouldn't cost hundreds. Maybe check with other vets. Millie's cleaning was less than $100.

If the teeth are very bad, you need to have them cleaned. Bad teeth can cause severe health issues, believe it or not.

Like others said try checking the prices of other vets. They vary in prices a lot, at least around here. Reggie's teeth got so bad he had an infection in his neck and he had to have all but 3 teeth pulled.

Once you get them cleaned if you can't do raw bones you can always brush her teeth regularly. It shouldn't be that hard once her teeth and gums are no longer sore. Nebo has never had a raw bone in his life, just regular brushing, and his teeth do not have tartar/buildup. My goal is for him to never require professional dental cleaning.

Oh, and hi Micki! It's nice to see you again! :D

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Originally Posted by micki76

I don't know where you live here in DFW, but it shouldn't cost hundreds. Maybe check with other vets. Millie's cleaning was less than $100.

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Wow! I don't think I've ever paid less than $200.

Buster's teeth have always been a problem. When we got Buster he was 6 years old and he had the most horrible teeth I've ever seen on any dog. The first thing we did was get them cleaned, he needed a ton pulled. The vet told us at that point that the damage was already done, his teeth were all in bad shape and cleaning can only do so much. The vet told us that Buster would most likely be toothless someday, even if we take the best care possible of his teeth from this point on. He's now 11 and won't chew anything, I do brush his teeth though. We still get them checked regularly by the vet. When we had them checked a few months ago the vet found a couple that needed to be pulled, so we had his other teeth cleaned when they put him under to pull the ones that needed to be pulled.

Winchester teeth had a fair amount of build up on them. When we switched him from Purina to Nutro Lamb and Rice, Dental Care, they have improved so much that the vet said he no longer needs a cleaning at this point. But his gums weren't bleeding. I hope you find something that works for Runner, it sounds like she is going to need a cleaning!