dental care

so being a first time dog owner there is some things i dont have a clue about. i was wndering how can i take care of my puppies teeth? iv been told that you can get a toothpaste safe for dogs and a brush but im lost.any help would be great
thanks
derek

You sure can Your local pet store will stock them, you can also buy dental chews and bones as treats that are excellent for their oral hygiene

My dogs get chews and raw bones (calf or lamb). I have never had a dental problem with any of them - current or past dogs. In fact, vets repeatedly comment on how good their teeth are. Nola was aged at 5 last year by a vet in France - she's 9.

And if you ask your dog which he's prefer, eating a bone or having his teeth brushed, I know which one he'd say!

Never feed cooked bones, only raw, and avoid the weight bearing bones of big animals as they are very hard and can crack teeth. Ask your butcher for some lamb bones, they're great for dogs of all ages.

Wish I could say the same as Liz, but I think Bug has been dealt a bum deal regarding genetics and her teeth. She had to have a full dental at the rescue, when she would have only been around 3! God knows what she ate in her previous home but despite regular chewing sessions with lamb bones her teeth are still awful, so we brush as well.

We use a beef flavoured toothpaste (doesn't smell anything like beef!) but i think it's probably more the action of brushing the muck away than which toothpaste you use, the nice flavoured ones just make it a little more enjoyable for them I suppose!

Oh also, I recently discovered you can get tonnes of meaty bones at morrisons! My butchers rarely has bones in, they go so quickly, so we get ours from morrisons now

you can also buy a foam that you spray onto the teeth & leave it. the dog's tongue & flews work the foam around & it cleans tge teeth.

don't know how effective they are, though.

I buy whimzees dog chews for mia but there is a cheaper version at pets at home . there is a toothbrush you can buy that fits over your index finger

Hi all,

Which type of raw bones would you recommend? Zeus has Colitis so has a very sensitive tummy, marrow bones are definitely off the list but not sure what else there is?

Thanks!

would a nylabone be ok?

It depends which proteins Zeus is sensitive to really? Can her tolerate lamb? If so, lamb bones are a pretty good option, you can get spines etc for recreational chewing.

Crystal have you had much luck with nyla bones? The ones we had donated to kennels always ended up very sharp after only a few chews, we removed because they were cutting the dogs gums. Also, the raw meaty bones really get in between the dogs teeth and the chewing action works well to remove all the yucky stuff.

Rope toys are also good for cleaning teeth, think dental floss

I havent had any problems with nylabones mias always supervised the guide dog used them frequently also if I thought so id have posted on the forum straight away hen.

goldie87 wrote:Hi all,

Which type of raw bones would you recommend? Zeus has Colitis so has a very sensitive tummy, marrow bones are definitely off the list but not sure what else there is?

Thanks!

We get ribs bones as well as limb bones, they might be a good to try if you're not sure about marrow bones. Either calf or lamb should be fine but bear in mind that lamb is fattier.

goldie87 id consult the vet due to colitis for zeus as you.don't know what will iritate his stomach . IMO

thanks for the help guys,she loves her rope toy so i guess thats what has her teeth so clean as it is. ill get some lamb bones when im in the butchers next

db-89 wrote:thanks for the help guys,she loves her rope toy so i guess thats what has her teeth so clean as it is. ill get some lamb bones when im in the butchers next

If you have a Morrisons near you, you might be able to find some lamb spines on sale - really cheap & easy to chew, and they don't wear down the teeth.

Thanks for the replies all, I'll definitely consult with the vet first but they always tend to steer me away from raw feeding and raw bones etc ( even though I still feed Zeus a raw diet).

He goes straight through Nylabones so not really a viable (or cheap) option

Honestly, vets and raw... I've had this discussion with vets before and it's like talking to brick walls. Our practice is now being much more positive about it and are happy with soft bones. I'd phrase your question about bones narrowing it to the colitis issue only, which it sounds is really your question.

good luck in finding something for zeus I did some reading and couldnt find much info tbh apart from frozen beef raw bones good luck in your search

Do you ladies separate your dogs when you give them a raw bone? My pup looks like he is gonna have a heart attack when I give them both a bone, as I think he is worried Daisy will knick it. And in all fairness I think she probably would lol xx