Teeth Cleaning Tips

Ivy

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#1
Other than rawhide bones, what other things can I give my dogs to clean their teeth.

Well, my main concern is Hank. I got him in January of this year, he is only 2-1/2 years old and his teeth are horrendous. The vet was telling me that the best thing is to give him rawhide bones (the plain large cigar type ones) so it can start to chip away at all the build-up without breaking his teeth. It was starting to get under the gum line. Some of his back molars were almost completly covered with build-up.

He chews on those daily and it has made a huge difference.

Is there anything else that can be done to get his teeth cleaner? I will start brushing his teeth once more of the build-up has been chipped away.

I might need to take him in to get dental work done, but I would like to try all of the other alternates first.
 

Dekka

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#2
I don't think rawhides don't clean teeth. The best thing is to feed good RMB. The old rescue dogs at the 'raw co op ladies house' all have fantastic clean pearly white teeth. They didn't come that way!! Some of those dogs are in their middle teens and have teeth that look like they belong to a year old dog!! If not then brush your dog's teeth with a good enzmatic tooth paste.
 

Ivy

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#3
The build-up is to hard for teeth brushing. It is not coming off that easily.

I don't think raw hide should be the only thing used, but it sure made a huge difference with Hank's teeth.
 

Dekka

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#4
Then you should try RMB. That should get rid of all of it over the span of a couple of months.
 

elegy

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#5
agreed. harv's teeth were fugly when i brought him home from the shelter and i dickered with the idea of having them cleaned, but instead just gave him bones to chew. he had a lot of broken teeth, and one of them eventually abscessed, so i had to have that one pulled, but by that time, his other teeth looked so good he didn't need a full dental, so i didn't clean them, just had the bad one pulled.
 

Tommysmom

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#9
My 2.5 yr old JRT has horrendous teeth too - before we take him for cleaning I'd like to try RMB's... what kind of bones are those though? I'm a bit dense when it comes to this stuff, LOL! If I go to a butcher, is there a specific cut to ask for, like a rib bone or something?
 

Dekka

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#10
its good to start with something large and non gulpable. When I have a JRT foster in I often start with turkey necks, chicken backs (though those can be fatty).. pork necks (if your dog does ok with pork)
 

Tommysmom

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#12
its good to start with something large and non gulpable. When I have a JRT foster in I often start with turkey necks, chicken backs (though those can be fatty).. pork necks (if your dog does ok with pork)
Thanks, Dekka! He actually loooooooves pork and does really well on it, but normally will only touch it when it's cooked. I'll have to pop out to a butcher this weekend and pick him up a few of these, see if I can get him chewing some of the crud off his teeth before the vet has to take care of it.
 

Dekka

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#13
at our grocery store they actually already have some packaged for dogs. Like at our festival store. Im not sure if they do that by you though.
Thats good.. as long as they aren't marrow bones.. (also known as rec .. for recreational.. bones) They don't do a great job of cleaning.
 

Tommysmom

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#14
at our grocery store they actually already have some packaged for dogs. Like at our festival store. Im not sure if they do that by you though.

I know they used to do those around here too, but now most of the grocery stores here have done away with their butcher areas and only carry really basic stuff. I think the butcher shop is more likely now, they might have that kind of package instead - I'll have to check!
 

MafiaPrincess

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#15
Really depends upon the type of butcher shop you have. My local butcher shop has nothing left over that people usually don't eat. They apparently get larger pieces of meat and then cut it down into pieces people will usually buy.

The places near Dekka are in the country and have the carcass shipped in to be slaughtered and have the entire animal to process..

I hope you find what you are looking for, but if you don't it is likely because they aren't processing more than smaller cuts.

We have a raw food supplier between us that makes it far easier when shopping for dog meat though.
 

Zoom

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#17
Agree with the RMB's, I need to get some more for Sawyer. I've gotten some progress with the hoof I gave him the other week, but there are still some spots that need a good raw bone.
 

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