# Bad Teeth?



## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

Hey, sorry it's been so long since I've been here! You know how life can be.

My youngest dog Linkin seems to have really bad teeth. The odd thing is that he's 3 years old and his teeth are in worse shape than my 7 year old dog!! They have the same diet, and use the same toys. I'm thinking it must be just that, like people, some dogs just have bad teeth.

I've tried brushing his teeth but he does NOT like it. I'm still working on getting him to at least tolerate me poking around in his mouth, but it's a slow process and in the meantime his teeth are just getting worse. 

He gets knuckle bones to chew on since (for now, until circumstances change) he has to spend the day alone the bones keep him from getting too stir crazy and driving the neighbors nuts! I also tried those Dentastix (sp?) for the past month but haven't seen any real improvement and they're bloody expensive!

I'm considering taking him to the vet to have his teeth cleaned there, but I understand he has to be under sedation for that and I'd like to avoid any unnecessary sedation when possible (also, the price!). If it's a last resort though, I will do it because at this rate he'll have no teeth left by the time he's Coal's age!

I've been reading and have basically been getting the same suggestions of things I've been trying, although one that stood out was raw carrots. Do they actually work? I also thought dogs can't digest/have trouble digesting raw vegetables unless they're pureed.

Any suggestions and stories of what's worked for others would be great! Thanks!


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## Terrie (Sep 11, 2009)

I suppose a raw carrot would work similar to a nylabone where the doggie can chew it and clean his teeth. My puppy loves carrots! She can't digest them. They usually pass or if she has too much at one time, she will throw them up.

Worth a try.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

we give our dogs raw bones with little to no meat on it (recreational bones)....and watch them so they don't break their teeth on them..

what i really think made a difference are bully sticks that i get from ebay or the website that sells them on ebay...


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I use bully sticks for our dogs as well. They work alright but Nia still has a bit of dirty stuff on her teeth, I'm not sure why. She gets her teeth brushed almost everyday too. In the end I just bought a descaler and took the plaque off. She gets raw bones and used to eat raw too, that didn't seem to help at all. Not sure why she has stuff on her teeth, she doesn't get canned food or human food @[email protected]


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Michiyo-Fir said:


> I use bully sticks for our dogs as well. They work alright but Nia still has a bit of dirty stuff on her teeth, I'm not sure why. She gets her teeth brushed almost everyday too. In the end I just bought a descaler and took the plaque off. She gets raw bones and used to eat raw too, that didn't seem to help at all. Not sure why she has stuff on her teeth, she doesn't get canned food or human food @[email protected]


three out of my four shih tzus had teeth that no matter what we did...were terrible..

i don't think what we do for these two would have helped them...

i'm thinking some dogs just don't have good teeth.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Nia's aren't terrible I guess, it's just that 2 of her back teeth always has a bit of plaque in the middle crack. All her other teeth are great so I just pick out the plaque in between. I found that after I picked them out, if I continue to give her bullies and raw bones, they don't come back so it's been good. She's very patient though, she loves to brush teeth and doesn't mine me picking at her teeth with a descaler.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

you're very lucky...none of my dogs would ever let me brush their teeth...it's so expensive to have the vets do it, but that's what we've done.

we are hoping to avoid it in the future....last vet check, bubba pug's teeth were thought to be nice and white and pugs are notorious for their icky teeth...

malia, our corgi mix..had had a cavity a few years ago that went up to her brain and ended up losing the tooth...last vet check, her teeth were great..

right now, they are on a bland diet plus the bully sticks and some recreational bones...and that's that...so i guess something is working.

i always wondered if kibble had something to do with the teeth problems all of our dogs had


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I have been hearing amazing things about a product called PetZlife.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Graco22 said:


> I have been hearing amazing things about a product called PetZlife.


on some other forums where i post, people are raving about this product...

i have heard that it has alcohol in it.....and i cannot seem to find an ingredient list for it....

do you know?


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

MagicRe said:


> on some other forums where i post, people are raving about this product...
> 
> i have heard that it has alcohol in it.....and i cannot seem to find an ingredient list for it....
> 
> do you know?


http://www.petzlife.com/productsafety.html

It lists all the ingredients.


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## DogGoneGood (Jun 22, 2008)

Hmmm... my main problem product wise is that we live in such a secluded place, there isn't a big variety when it comes to pet products. But I have seen bully sticks in pet stores a couple hours away. We go there often, but I'm not sure if it's often enough to be buying bully sticks there to maintain Linkin's teeth. Are they very expensive? Do they tend to last for a heavy chewer?

Haven't tried the raw carrots yet, we only have little ones. I'm not sure if that would help much cuz Linkin would probably eat them whole haha


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

DogGoneGood said:


> Hmmm... my main problem product wise is that we live in such a secluded place, there isn't a big variety when it comes to pet products. But I have seen bully sticks in pet stores a couple hours away. We go there often, but I'm not sure if it's often enough to be buying bully sticks there to maintain Linkin's teeth. Are they very expensive? Do they tend to last for a heavy chewer?
> 
> Haven't tried the raw carrots yet, we only have little ones. I'm not sure if that would help much cuz Linkin would probably eat them whole haha


I think you would be better off (and much cheaper) buying raw bones over bully sticks. Bullies are expensive, and my dale will go thru a 6 inch one in less than an hour...heavy chewer. I get raw bones at the grocery, marrow bones with a little bit of meat on them (think they are considered soup bones?) for $4 or less..2-3 of them in a pack and they last for hours, and don't splinter and break off like the knuckle bones do.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

I think small dogs just have bad teeth in general.  I brush Cadence's teeth every night without fail, and use Petzlife Oral Gel every other night. His back teeth are the worst. He gets bully sticks and greenies and whatnot, but I've found that nothing but brushing helps. He HATES it.... but oh well, he's small so I just wrestle with him.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

DogGoneGood said:


> Hmmm... my main problem product wise is that we live in such a secluded place, there isn't a big variety when it comes to pet products. But I have seen bully sticks in pet stores a couple hours away. We go there often, but I'm not sure if it's often enough to be buying bully sticks there to maintain Linkin's teeth. Are they very expensive? Do they tend to last for a heavy chewer?
> 
> Haven't tried the raw carrots yet, we only have little ones. I'm not sure if that would help much cuz Linkin would probably eat them whole haha


Bully sticks and raw carrots aren't going to help your dog's teeth, and I've seen dogs who get raw bones all the time with bad teeth, too. You may need to have them professionally cleaned by your vet. 

The PetzLife Gel is a fabulous product that actually does what they claim it will do - remove stains, and even tartar. I've done the latter with just a flick of my fingernail after using the PetzLife Gel for about 3 weeks. You can order it online directly from them. Just google PetzLife.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

i kind of agree with everyone...

i think bully sticks have helped my dogs' teeth and i get them on ebay, so they are not so expensive...they average, for me, for the thick 6"...about 1.51 per bully stick...

i don't have large dogs, although they are very enthusiastic dogs...

they also get recreational raw bones....and antlers although they don't love them....so those are just sitting around..

i don't use petzlife, but i will look into it, although their vet has commented on how wonderful their teeth look...

i attribute that to the bones and bullies...the combo...

i have a pug and a corgi mix....


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## chrisn6104 (Jun 8, 2009)

I have three dogs on a raw diet. The oldest being 11 the smallest being 12lbs. They all have very good looking teeth. The APBT I got last year has been on raw since I got him. His teeth have improved a lot over that time.


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## And (Apr 5, 2010)

I am not sure what everyone's opinions are on Hills/Science Diet food, but there is a prescription food they have called T/D that has seemed to help many client's dogs at the vet I work at. The food is in fairly large chunks that scrape the tartar/plaque on the sides of the dog's teeth, and I have heard that in some dogs has worked wonders. As with anything, what works for one may not work for the other.. but it's just another option!


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Petzlife actually did not work for me and I used it as directed. I've heard such success stories from other people, so I'm baffled that it didn't work.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

luvntzus said:


> Petzlife actually did not work for me and I used it as directed. I've heard such success stories from other people, so I'm baffled that it didn't work.


It didn't work for me either.  Been using it on Cadence for over a month. No change whatsoever. And it's expensive, too! I've given up and gone back to good old brushing with a doggie toothpaste...


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

lucidity said:


> It didn't work for me either.  Been using it on Cadence for over a month. No change whatsoever. And it's expensive, too! I've given up and gone back to good old brushing with a doggie toothpaste...


I'm sorry that it didn't work for you, but I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one!


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

poodleholic said:


> Bully sticks and raw carrots aren't going to help your dog's teeth, and I've seen dogs who get raw bones all the time with bad teeth, too. You may need to have them professionally cleaned by your vet.
> 
> The PetzLife Gel is a fabulous product that actually does what they claim it will do - remove stains, and even tartar. I've done the latter with just a flick of my fingernail after using the PetzLife Gel for about 3 weeks. You can order it online directly from them. Just google PetzLife.


Dudes teeth improved tremendously after switching to raw. Though I know it's not something everyone wants to do, it really helped him. After a month or so of raw food, the vet was able to use her fingernail as well and flick all the plaque and tartar build-up right off his tooth with zero elbow grease  He's 9 years old, toy breed, with nice teeth and has never had a dental. He's not a chewer at all, and if I offered him a rec. bone, he would just lay beside it and look worried that someone might steal it (ever seen a dog chase off a fly? LOL) 
I've heard different opinions on Plaque-Off. Most people who like PO usually added brushing and/or recreational bones into the mix for the best results. It might be worth having the vet clean the OP's dog to "get her started" in having clean teeth to work with (brush). Tag hated having his teeth brushed the first time I did it; he still doesn't *love* it, but he has gotten to the point that he knows it's going to happen whether he likes it or not, and he also knows he gets 2 of his favorite liver cookies when he's done  IF there's no other choice but a dental, cost on dental care can be an issue, but it will probably be unavoidable (and MUCH more expensive) if the OP waits another 3-4 years to have it done.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

Raws bones have been what have kept blazes teeth so clean all these years. He is 7 on May 1st, his teeth are perfect, not puppy white any more, but a bit of yellowing, otherwise no tarter or anything.



And said:


> I am not sure what everyone's opinions are on Hills/Science Diet food, but there is a prescription food they have called T/D that has seemed to help many client's dogs at the vet I work at. The food is in fairly large chunks that scrape the tartar/plaque on the sides of the dog's teeth, and I have heard that in some dogs has worked wonders. As with anything, what works for one may not work for the other.. but it's just another option!


I doubt many people are going to want to feed that around here.

My neigh boor feeds her dog this, his teeth look ok. But IMO could be ALOT better for the price you pay for a bag of that junk.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

poodleholic said:


> Bully sticks and raw carrots aren't going to help your dog's teeth, and I've seen dogs who get raw bones all the time with bad teeth, too. You may need to have them professionally cleaned by your vet.
> 
> The PetzLife Gel is a fabulous product that actually does what they claim it will do - remove stains, and even tartar. I've done the latter with just a flick of my fingernail after using the PetzLife Gel for about 3 weeks. You can order it online directly from them. Just google PetzLife.


took my ten year old dog to the vet about a month ago...it's been two years since she had a cavity that was so large they had to remove the tooth..

while she is only now starting on raw, she's been getting bully sticks for quite a while...

the vet commented on how white her teeth were and clean...

same with our pug, so yes, bully sticks do help....

and, now that they are switching over to raw, i expect that diet to do wonders....

kibble is processed food. if humans shouldn't eat processed foods, why should dogs?

it's processed food that causes the terrible tooth problem....

even a home cooked meal would be better than kibble....for teeth, at the very least...


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## sarahdvm (Apr 22, 2010)

Here is a video I recently made on how to brush your dog's teeth. Maybe it will help some people. 

http://blog.trilogyonline.com/post/2010/03/25/Dr-Sarahs-Tips-for-Emergency-Situations.aspx?realname=20040296


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

I use Petzlife once a week, and brush Jackson's teeth once a week. He gets a lot of bully sticks and Himalayan chews. He has no tarter or plaque build up @ 1.5 years old. He had a tiny bit of green stuff on his canine tooth and I just sprayed it w/ Petzlife and the next day it was gone.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

I use petzlife. It's really helped manage Summer's teeth since her last dental. Her teeth are awful and usually by this time (almost a year since the last dental) they'd be plaque covered. They're not wonderful but they have very little plaque. Mia has none. I started using petzlife since I got her and her teeth look fabulous.

I'm hoping the new raw diet will help a lot too. 

The only problem is both girls HATe the stuff. I usually have to chase Mia around with it a while.


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## MagicRe (Jan 8, 2010)

Laurelin said:


> I use petzlife. It's really helped manage Summer's teeth since her last dental. Her teeth are awful and usually by this time (almost a year since the last dental) they'd be plaque covered. They're not wonderful but they have very little plaque. Mia has none. I started using petzlife since I got her and her teeth look fabulous.
> 
> I'm hoping the new raw diet will help a lot too.
> 
> The only problem is both girls HATe the stuff. I usually have to chase Mia around with it a while.


we've only been on raw for two weeks and i'm noticing a difference. one of my dogs is ten --- the other is three.

if your raw diet works out for all of you, then you may not need to chase mia


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## melgrj7 (Sep 21, 2007)

I spray my dogs teeth every night with Vetzlife Oral Care Spray http://www.petzlife.com/vetz.ingredients.htm, basically the same as the petzlife one but I bought it at my vets office. Last year Lloyd's teeth were pretty bad, they are much improved. I spray their teeth nightly and brush them about once a week. The spray seems to help loosen up the tarter and plaque making it easier to get off. They also get marrow bones regularly.


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## swityjam (May 5, 2010)

DogGoneGood said:


> Hey, sorry it's been so long since I've been here! You know how life can be.
> 
> My youngest dog Linkin seems to have really bad teeth. The odd thing is that he's 3 years old and his teeth are in worse shape than my 7 year old dog!! They have the same diet, and use the same toys. I'm thinking it must be just that, like people, some dogs just have bad teeth.
> 
> ...



Hello there, I do understand how you feel my little girl has the same problem with her teeth too. And yes you are correct that dentastix is very expensive but for our vet it is the only solution he recommends because my dog doesnt really want to brush her teeth. Whenever I try to brush her teeth she cries  so i have no choice but to continue saving up for her dentastix everyday

jam
http://mybabyshihtzufiona.blogspot.com/


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