Clean Teeth

[Taz_Zoee]

Zoee's teeth are not perfectly white....should they be? I bought a toothbrush and paste a while ago and my niece brushed her teeth. But they are still icky.
Are there any treats or other solutions (besides brushing or vets) that would make her teeth whiter?
Thanks!

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Kibble tends to stain teeth, and you'll probably never get them perfectly white again but feeding raw bones a few times a week will definitely help a lot. I don't brush my dogs' teeth, as it really doesn't seem to do anything. I just give them raw bones, and their teeth are all pretty clean.

[Seravieve]

I know that our two big chewers (Bunny and Eli) tend to have whiter teeth than Zeke.. Ive always thought that had to do with how much they chew on rubber bones and kongs. =)

[Giselle]

Yep, I feed Giselle and Ivy half raw half kibble so they still get the teeth-cleaning benefits of raw. They also get a lot of chews such as Bully Sticks and raw meaty bones.

Unless Zoee's teeth are really bad, you should be fine with a bunch of chews, teeth brushing, and/or raw bones. However, only feed raw bones if you're absolutely comfortable with it and well aware of the risks, such as intestinal blockage, cracked teeth (molars, especially), viruses, etc.

And give a couple kisses to Zoee for me

[Taz_Zoee]

Thanks for the responses!!
Yeah, I am a little leary of feeding raw bones...even more so after what you just said Sophie!! LOL
She does have a rubber bone thingy that she chews and chews on. I just got her a new one, because we lost the first one. Although, she doesn't seem to chew on it as much anymore.

Another question: How often should I have her teeth cleaned at the vet?

[Giselle]

Oh, don't let me scare you. Feeding raw is rather safe for the most part, but there are definitely risks and it's always good to expect the unexpected

As for dentals, do it as much as is necessary. Giselle got her first dental in Feb because it was oral health month and they were handing out promotions. With the exam and bloodwork, it costed a total of about $500. Lucky needs a dental so he'll be getting his soon, but I don't think Ivy will ever get a dental in her life. It's too pricy to do "just because" =P

[mruffruff]

Holy Cow!!! $500 will get me complete annual exams and shots for three dogs with two dentals.

I know I get a good deal at my vet's (Boy I love her ) but I know I only paid about $50 plus bloodwork when Scruffy had his teeth cleaned. He's 13 or 14 so bloodwork is required.

I have a lot of teeth-cleaning toys for my two to chew on. They have little rubber nubs to clean their teeth as they chew. Bella has only had to have a cleaning once in 5 years, Scruffy two or three times in his life.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

I've just started using this on Tobey and Archie and am quite impressed. Their teeth look less stained and they are certainly fresher to kiss

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.a...H37L50THW91V30

[dragondawg]

Zoee's teeth are not perfectly white....should they be? I bought a toothbrush and paste a while ago and my niece brushed her teeth. But they are still icky.
Are there any treats or other solutions (besides brushing or vets) that would make her teeth whiter?
Thanks!

Well I feed my dogs that evil (dry dog food) kibble and their teeth are pearly white- which is exactly what I would expect for 4 yr olds. I've never fed them bones, and if I ever felt the need it would be a joint or knuckle-bone, that would not splinter. Everyday they get a rawhide chip to chew on. It might help get a little tartar off the teeth.

The most important thing is to look at the gum lines. If the gum lines look inflammed then it's probably time for a cleaning. My Clover had her's cleaned about 1 yr ago while getting a minor surgical repair after getting into an arugment with some barb wire- she lost. Her little brother Barney hasn't been cleaned yet. My previous dog had 2 cleaning in 11 yrs. The cleanings should cost around $80. The important thing is to keep gum infections down, as staph infections in the gums tend to find their way to such places as heart valves.

[Catlady711]

The most important thing is to look at the gum lines. If the gum lines look inflammed then it's probably time for a cleaning. My Clover had her's cleaned about 1 yr ago while getting a minor surgical repair after getting into an arugment with some barb wire- she lost. Her little brother Barney hasn't been cleaned yet. My previous dog had 2 cleaning in 11 yrs. The cleanings should cost around $80. The important thing is to keep gum infections down, as staph infections in the gums tend to find their way to such places as heart valves.

How often an animal needs a dental depends on the individual. As a general rule cats and small dogs need teeth cleaning more often, but there are exceptions.

If animals aren't given vet done dental cleanings at the first sign of trouble, things can get much worse. We've had several people recently who's pets have DIED from not doing the dentistries when we recommended it. From that point the bacteria got into the gums and caused all kinds of havoc with the heart/kidneys/liver etc. If you think about how your mouth would look/smell if you never brushed your teeth for a few years, it's just as bad for animals. Not only can it cause bad breath, but left untreated bad teeth/gums can kill your pet.

The ONLY way to have the teeth properly cleaned is by a licensed veterinary dentist and done under anesthesia, anything less is not getting the job done in any significant way. American Veterinary Dental College

Once your pets teeth have been professionally cleaned then a regular brushing routine will help keep tartar off the teeth. Brushing teeth yourself will NOT remove the tartar, it has to be scraped off. Starting a brushing routine when your pet is very young is the best way too keep teeth healthy longer.

Every vet charges different prices based on his/her overhead. A larger building, more staff, more equipment, longer hours, bigger city, etc results in a generally higher fee. A phone call to other area hospitals should get you a rough idea what the average charge for a dentistry is.

[Taz_Zoee]

Thanks everyone for all the knowledge!
So, I will look into having her teeth cleaned and then keep up on her dental care. Today at the vets she said her teeth looked good.

[dragondawg]

Catlady,

I shutter to think of trying to brush my two monsters. I can envision a situation where the only place devoid of doggy toothpaste in the house would be the doggy's mouth.

P.S. My previous dog ate the toothpaste faster than I could brush with it.

[Catlady711]

Catlady,

I shutter to think of trying to brush my two monsters. I can envision a situation where the only place devoid of doggy toothpaste in the house would be the doggy's mouth.

P.S. My previous dog ate the toothpaste faster than I could brush with it.

LOL it's not any easier with cats lemme tell you! When Dusty finally had to have her first dentistry at 12 yrs old and Jack had to have one at 1 1/2 years I seriously tried to implement a brushing routine. The cats would NOT tolerate any such thing. Both these particular cats are my most difficult to do certain things with.

Pooky & Bear had to have their teeth cleaned recently at 5 years old but both of them were so squirmy I couldn't even check their teeth beyond smelling bad breath. I had to take them in for the boss to evaluate. Lemme tell you that's embarassing to have to have your vet boss check something on your pets that you figure you should be able to do yourself. ROFL

[Giselle]

I dunno where the rest of you guys live, but everything is expensive over in the Bay. The place I work at charges an average of $300-$500 for Grade A and B teeth. Realllyyy nasty teeth can easily go $700 what with extractions and extended amount of anesthesia plus fluids and pain/antibiotic injections and all that good stuff.

The cheapest you can go for a dental ONLY is probably $300. The only dental I know that is only $80 is feline dentals. Giselle's estimate was about $400 for the dental alone, but the bloodwork and exam costed us about $100. And I don't even want to know how much extractions cost...

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Winston is the only one of my dogs who has ever had his teeth cleaned by the vet, and only because he had a bad one that we thought might need to be taken out (it didn't, fortunately, and it's in good shape now) due to conditions previous to living with us. The others have no need for it and probably never will with good upkeep and such. I don't believe most dogs should have to get their teeth professionally cleaned ever as long as you take care of them.