[jovski]

A few people have told me what nice clean teeth Cinders has. She's not yet 2 so its likely just that she's still young. Looking back now we probably should have thought about our dogs dental health - i remember my childhood dog having to loose some teeth as she got old. I'd love to keep Cinders' teeth nice and healthy but i don't know how to do that! She's not going to let me brush them in a hurry as she's a rescue and we're working on trust still.

She likes rawhide chews and her antler which i heard help with keeping teeth clean but im not sure if they actually do. She doesn't chomp down, just gnaw gently at the antler/rawhide so i have no issue giving her those. She has a beef rib and one of those filled bones but its always been ignored and i ended up giving the rest of the bag away. One of those nylabone dental chew things would be destroyed (she has a thing about tearing anything plastic/rubber/etc to shreds. Most of her toys are teddies). She eats mainly dry food with the odd treat, as wet food gives her bad gas and the runs (she has a v. sensitive stomach). Do those dental chew treats actually work? She loves them but im not sold on how effective they are!

Is there anything else i can do or should already be doing? I don't wanna ignore it now and find out later on i could've easily prevented her loosing teeth.

 

[TiggerBounce]

IMO, brushing is the best way to prevent future dental problems. I use Virbac CET enzymatic toothpaste, and just ordered Tropiclean clean teeth gel.

 

[kelly528]

... I like to! Veterinary tooth cleanings are hideously expensive, not to mention stressful for the dog. And that's assuming that the dog needs no filling/pulling; just maintenance. Getting into the habit of brushing your dog's teeth is just much cheaper and less hassle in the long run.

 

[AmandaNola]

Daily brushing is your best bet. This is my almost four year old Dachshund, who gets her teeth brushed every night:

 

[jovski]

at the minute brushing is not an option as she'll not let me touch her muzzle. We just got to where i can stroke her head and we're slowly getting to where i can touch her nose - im not gonna push her as she isn't ready yet. When she is though, do i need to use a specific doggy toothbrush and paste or will kiddy stuff be ok?

 

[zouzou]

I believe dog toothpaste is flavoured with yummy things like tuna and beef, rather than the minty freshness that humans prefer

 

[TiggerBounce]

I believe dog toothpaste is flavoured with yummy things like tuna and beef, rather than the minty freshness that humans prefer

Lol you'd be surprised!

Tigger's Virbac CET is Vanilla Mint and he loves it. He likes the the new TropiClean gel I got him too which is like, winterfresh or spearmint or something like that!

 

[zouzou]

Lol you'd be surprised!

Tigger's Virbac CET is Vanilla Mint and he loves it. He likes the the new TropiClean gel I got him too which is like, winterfresh or spearmint or something like that!

Haha! fair enough ingredients are different from people-paste though, right?

 

[Gingersnaps]

The Vanilla Mint flavor that @TiggerBounce recommended doesn't have that medicinal mint smell to it that my toothpaste does, and I think that's the key difference. It still smells and seems to taste like a sweet treat. My girls love it. Erik's not huge on it but is learning to like it after I kept "oopsing" bits onto his nose.

 

[TiggerBounce]

The Vanilla Mint flavor that @TiggerBounce recommended doesn't have that medicinal mint smell to it that my toothpaste does, and I think that's the key difference. It still smells and seems to taste like a sweet treat. My girls love it. Erik's not huge on it but is learning to like it after I kept "oopsing" bits onto his nose.

Yeah it smells more like a tic tac actually! Ironically he also has a toy that kind of smells has that smell to it, so I'm sure that's a part of the reason he likes it. It's a smell associated with something fun. It doesn't contain the harsh chemicals, detergents, antimicrobial stuff and flouride that human toothpaste does. And the tropiclean gel smells like gum. Honestly, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just brush my own teeth with my dogs stuff LOL.

And yeah, Tigger actually does like it, but I use it on my other dogs who don't care for it too. I don't like the way the meat flavored ones smell. I think they're gross. So my other two can just deal with the flavor of the more minty products that I get them.
@jovski just continue counter conditioning her like you are! It sounds like you're doing well. Make it a positive experience for her when you touch her muzzle and face and gradually build up her trust and tolerance. It might take time, but that's ok. Her teeth will not rot out of her mouth if you can't brush them right now. I'm not sure the brush you use matters. Just use one with softer bristles so it doesn't hurt or irritate her gums. Or you can use a dog finger brush. OR, to start with as you continue counter conditioning, you can even use some moist paper towel wrapped around your finger. Any kind of brushing action will make a difference and remove plaque and bacteria buildup.

In the mean time, I think the best way to do teeth maintenance for her is to give her raw meaty bones to chew on. You can buy those big beef soup bones or beef knuckle bones. They're good for gnawing. You can also give chicken backs, thighs, wings or turkey necks raw. The crunching is good for the teeth as well. Raw poultry bones will not splinter easily and are ok to give, just don't give them cooked.

If she's got a bit of tarter build up, supposedly the Tropiclean gel stuff I've mentioned will dissolve it surprisingly well. I just bought some for mine and I took before photos. So we'll see. @ZoesMom suggested it to me. One of her girls came with large amounts of tarter and it cleaned it off really well over time with consistent use.

As far as those special dental bones go, I personally don't trust them. I think I read somewhere that the popular dentastix may contain ingredients from china. I always avoid ingredients from china if I can, as there's been far too many recalls and issues due to contamination for that to be a trustable source. The Tropiclean stuff I bought came with a free dental chew bone that actually didn't seem bad. It was USA made, USA ingredients, grain free, gluten free, corn free etc. I went ahead and gave it to my dog and don't feel bad about it. Not sure I'd go out of my way to buy them, but they are an option for you since your dog isn't conditioned to muzzle handling yet.

And obviously make sure she's on a good quality food. There are cheap kibbles out there like Kibbles and Bits and Beneful that are notorious for being loaded with sugar.

Ultimately, I wouldn't worry too much. You are obviously a good and caring dog owner and that alone will go a long way in keeping her teeth in good condition, even without being able to brush them. With time and patience, I'm sure you could condition your dog to accept her teeth to be brushed.

 

[LuvMyFluff]

I also use the Tropiclean gel and it works great if you are consistant with its use. The good thing about the Tropiclean is that it does't require you to brush the teeth, although you will get better results if you do!
DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTE ON YOUR DOG! Many of the human toothpastes have Xylitol in them, which is toxic to dogs!

 

[Shawsea]

Brush, brush,brush My girls are big bone chewers which helps, but brushing just like humans is also important. There is also a few water additives which are a bit spendy, but so far seems to be working well. I have no baseline to work from, but it's certainly not hurting

 

[dannbarbery]

I keep my pupp's teeth clean all the time by brushing every bath. I do this every end of her bath session. Before I had an issue of her mouth bad smell but now its gone dramatically.