# cleaning dogs teeth



## Greata (Jun 10, 2011)

I used to have my dogs teeth cleaned by a professional. I now have three and she gave me tips: start with your fingers exploring their mouths. Then use a regular tooth brush for a bit, then change to a cheap round battery operated brush. DO NOT USE DOGGIE TOOTH PASTE. Dog wiggles around trying to get the most of the tasty paste, and it is much harder to clean. These tips worked great, and once in a while I have our older dog, who has bad mouth chemistry cleaned by the pro.


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## Active Dog (Jan 18, 2010)

I don't do tooth brushes anymore, I used to but then I found the wonders of raw meaty bones =)


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## TStafford (Dec 23, 2009)

Active Dog said:


> I don't do tooth brushes anymore, I used to but then I found the wonders of raw meaty bones =)


I was trying to give Porter bones because he's not the biggest fan of having his teeth brushed. He WILL NOT touch any raw meat with his feet, and anything bigger than a chicken leg he just licks the insides out and the doesn't chew. 

Do they really work better than having to brush their teeth all the time? Maybe I can get Porter at act like a dog and chew his bone


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

Active Dog said:


> I don't do tooth brushes anymore, I used to but then I found the wonders of raw meaty bones =)


Same here! My dog's teeth were looking pretty grody and then I tried raw bones once every week or two and it's amazing how nice they look now! Pearly white! All the plaque or tartar or whatever the brown buildup is, it's gone. And he loooooves getting a bone to gnaw on. We get raw pork necks (which are very meaty) in a pack of 5 or 6 for about $1.40. They look like they're sliced in halves or thirds. And also large soup bones, about 4" long. The soup bones aren't as meaty as the pork necks, but have lots of marrow inside. Two large soup bones are about $3 here. I buy packs of bones and freeze them and dole them out as needed.


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## TStafford (Dec 23, 2009)

Alright...I am going to have to give that a try again. Myabe some differentkinds of bones will work. Porter is starting to get some brown on his teeth and I hate it! I don't want him to end up with nasty black teeth.


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## Kurly (Jun 12, 2011)

Just wondering why you shouldn't use doggy tooth paste? Is it bad for them?


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

How often should a person brush there dog's teeth or give them a bone to chew on? Mine chews on a bully stick every day but I'm assuming that won't clean her teeth like brushing or a raw bone would?


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Fuzzy Pants - the more often, the better. If you can do it every day, that would be best of course, but I don't know anyone who actually does that, lol. If you can manage to do it a few times per week, that's great.

And I have no idea what the OP is basing their info on. Enzymatic dog toothpaste is great stuff, it's human toothpaste that CANNOT be used. If you can get a tasty enzymatic dog toothpaste and apply it to the teeth , that's really all you need to do.. you don't actually have to brush, like you do on yourself. The enzymes will work away at the tartar.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

When you all say 'raw bones' do you mean from the grocery store or? I will admit, I'm terrible about brushing my dog's teeth, and it's starting to show. Giving a bone would be so much easier!


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

@Labmom- Yes, I buy them fresh or sometimes the meat department has already frozen them. I've gotten soup bones (I asked for them to be cut long, 3-4" so they wouldn't be a choke hazard) and cut pork necks. I was told on another thread that the soup bones should be avoided since they are a very hard bone and could even crack a tooth, but so far they've been fine for us. I might try to find some beef ribs instead then.

I feed my dog his raw bones just for dental purposes. We don't do a raw diet otherwise. He gets one every week or two. I give them to him in his crate since I don't want the mess in the house. After he's cleaned them all up, I let him carry them around. (The pork necks don't get "cleaned" though, just eaten. The soup bones are what I mean.) I even put a little peanut butter inside his old soup bone sometimes for a special treat.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

Thank you. It's okay even for serious chewers? They wont splinter? My dogs have jaws of steel  Is there much meat on them? And you just give them to him raw?


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

The pork necks are actually pretty meaty, so I do cut back on his next meal when he gets one. I was surprised at how much meat was left on them. The soup bones have a little meat and a lot of tendon-y looking stuff on them, as well as marrow inside. I was told raw bones are safe to eat/chew and that cooked bones splinter, due to the cooking process. And I usually freeze them and then give them to him just slightly thawed to help cut down on gooey-ness. He has them either in his crate or outside, too, or else I'd have raw stuff dragged all through the house, LOL. Afterwards I disinfect the crate floor and also wipe his paws if needed. My dog is a bone/rawhide fanatic and is thrilled when it's bone time  The soup bones keep him busy for a long time, and I let him keep them after he's cleaned them. The pork necks are smaller bones parts and end up pretty much completely eaten within an hour, though.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

Thank you very much Maggie. I will buy some. I havent bought yummy food treats like that in many years because, having several dog's, it's caused problems in the past. However, their teeth are getting kind of gross. I'll keep them seperated when I give them to them.


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## Kai Reddtail (Nov 15, 2010)

I've been brushing my two dog's teeth every day. Giving them a meaty bone every once in a while sounds better. I'm just worried because Tai has impressive chewing strength for a 20lb dog, and the information I've read about bones is... widely varying and sometimes contradictory. 

Both of my dogs are about 20lbs (A westie and a terrier mutt) if I were to get them some RMBs, what would you folks recommend?


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

CoverTune said:


> Fuzzy Pants - the more often, the better. If you can do it every day, that would be best of course, but I don't know anyone who actually does that, lol. If you can manage to do it a few times per week, that's great.
> 
> And I have no idea what the OP is basing their info on. Enzymatic dog toothpaste is great stuff, it's human toothpaste that CANNOT be used. If you can get a tasty enzymatic dog toothpaste and apply it to the teeth , that's really all you need to do.. you don't actually have to brush, like you do on yourself. The enzymes will work away at the tartar.


Yeah, so far I've just been brushing her teeth once a week just to get her used to it. She's teething so she doesn't even have all of her teeth in yet. I will try to brush more often once all her teeth are in. I'll continue to give her bully sticks. I'm not sure on the raw bones. I live in an apartment and would have to just lock her in her crate or put her in the bathtub to chew on raw bones to contain the mess and limit the area I'd need to clean. What about bones that have been dried rather than cooked, would they still splinter?


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

@Kai Reddtail- try beef ribs. I've had success w/beef soup bones, but someone earlier told me that they are so hard and dense that they can break teeth on them, so try those at your own risk I guess. Beef ribs would be a better size for your dogs probably, anyway. Just beware of cooked bones. They soften during cooking and don't help clean like a raw one anyhow, but mostly beware of them splintering. 

@Fuzzypants- I don't know about dried bones. Surely someone else around here knows.


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## Wag_More (Jun 7, 2011)

Raw beef bones are fantastic  Not only do they clean teeth, but they are also very healthy treats. I use them when my dog _really_ needs an activity but I'm busy doing something else - its occupys her for 1-3 hours, and she _loves_ them. 

Like Maggie Girl said, avoid the cooked ones. You can tell theyre cooked by the meat on them. Pet Stores and the like sell cooked ones - they can splinter. I buy my beef bones by the BAG (10-20lb bag) for pennies on the dollar compared to grocery store prices from the local butcher shop/slaughter house. They practically give them away.


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

Fuzzy Pants said:


> ... I live in an apartment and would have to just lock her in her crate or put her in the bathtub to chew on raw bones to contain the mess and limit the area I'd need to clean...


I don't think any dog would be comfortable in the bath tub. I also live in an apartment and I use our balcony. Do you have a deck or balcony or anything?


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## jfinner1 (Mar 4, 2009)

I never knew raw bones could clean teeth! That is awesome! Where do you get pork necks? Can I just walk into the deli at Giant Eagle for them, or do you have to go to a meat shop?


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

I get them at our grocery store's meat department. Some bones are already packaged for sale for people who use them for soup stock, but you can always ask the meat department employee if there aren't any out. That's what I did so I could request longer cut beef soup bones (the ones they usually sell are only a couple inches and I wanted 3+" to avoid choking), and the next time the butcher cut them he made some how I asked and set them aside for me. Or if you have an actual butcher shop or slaughterhouse nearby go there. I happened upon the pork necks in the freezer case... I have no idea why they package them for sale besides people like me who give them to their dogs, LOL, but there they were and sooooo cheap!


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## saharazin (Jun 15, 2011)

I give my mixed lab a raw, meaty beef bone with marrow every night. It's about 2 inches around, and I supervise her while she chews on it. I use a towel in the floor and she's now trained to go to it and lie down. 

I brush my dog's teeth every night with a toothbrush and doggy toothpaste. It's become part of her bedtime ritual.


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## Fuzzy Pants (Jul 31, 2010)

luvntzus said:


> I don't think any dog would be comfortable in the bath tub. I also live in an apartment and I use our balcony. Do you have a deck or balcony or anything?


 I don't have a balcony. Just a window wall with a 1 foot ledge that she's scared to go out on. I guess I would just put her in her crate when I give her bones and then clean it afterwards.


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## Labmom4 (Feb 1, 2011)

Since reading this thread, my very happy dog's have had a few chewing sessions on their new bones and their teeth are already SO much cleaner! I am amazed at the difference already!


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## Maggie Girl (Feb 27, 2011)

Fuzzy Pants said:


> I don't have a balcony. Just a window wall with a 1 foot ledge that she's scared to go out on. I guess I would *just put her in her crate when I give her bones and then clean it afterwards*.


That's what I do. Keeps the mess contained then I just disinfect afterwards.

@Labmom- Yay! Glad it's working for you!


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## luvntzus (Mar 16, 2007)

2 times giving raw chicken wings didn't make a difference. I guess I'm going to have to get beef ribs or turkey neck. If that doesn't work then I'll just buy a doggie tooth scaler.


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## Irishman (May 13, 2011)

Active Dog said:


> I don't do tooth brushes anymore, I used to but then I found the wonders of raw meaty bones =)


One of my dogs has teeth that seem to hold onto food deposits like Scrooge did money. I found a ball at the pet store with little rubber spines that stick out all over it. I use that ball for 'fetch'. It's my dogs' favorite ball to date, probably because it's so easy to bite, and helps clean their teeth.


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## Kallis (Jun 22, 2011)

" PetzLife and ProDen "
It is the new product for Dog's teeth after having food or in same routine of washing .It is gel and spray for dog's teeth.A new and effective for Dog's gums.


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## amberly (Feb 6, 2011)

yep. or a pet specialty shop or butchers will have special cuts they package or keep out just for dogs.  but if your dog has never been introduced to raw you just want them to be allowed to chew it for 10-15 mins prox the first few times. put it back in the fridge than give it back the next day for a few times.

well my shih tzu is on a raw diet. i do brush all three of my dogs teeth i use a human toothbrush and dog toothpaste. the chow and pit sit wondeful! the shih tzu not so much, granted shes not even a year yet. I also buy raw bones as treats. for all three. my four year old dog the oldest not one single sign of plaque. i've had dogs at work one year of age already have horrible teeth due to poor diet.


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