My dog has bad teeth, suggestions?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I know the current phase people are in is to never let their dog chew on anything. But in 20 years of fostering dogs, we've always used rawhides. We've never had a dog choke and there are times I've had 30 foster dogs at a time! I get many dogs I think are going to need professional cleaning. then a month after having nightly access to rawhides, their teeth look so good they don't need it. The rawhides available now are not like the ones 20 years ago. they are made differently and dissolve better. We hand them out after they eat, and they chew while we are watching TV. At bedtime, I pick them all up, till the next day. Of the many types we've tried, these are the two that are liked the best by the dozen dogs we have: https://www.chewy.com/redbarn-naturals-bully-twizzle-stix-7/dp/45954 and https://www.chewy.com/redbarn-peanut-butter-filled-rolled/dp/46150

After a month, most dogs gums and teeth will be 75% better. In 20 years, I've had 2 dogs that seem to have an inherited tendency to have inflammed gums. They are also the only ones that will get bad breath. Those may need professional cleaning, and brushing, with a chlorohexidene based gel.

I'm old school too. I use rawhides. Under supervision. Seems to be taboo these days.

 

[Weeg]

I definitely agree that you should take him to the vet to get that tartar removed. As far as I know, there are no home remedies that will work to remove the tartar, It needs to be removed mechanically. Then once his mouth isn't sore (probably after a week or so) you can start introducing him to a brushing routine. If you brush his teeth consistently, hopefully you will never be in this situation again.
It's great that you're keeping an eye on these types of things! It's one area of health that a lot of pet owners don't even think about.

Thank you! We're gonna call the vet and get an appointment for them to look at his teeth. I'm gonna order some natural tooth powder from Dogs naturally and start getting our new puppy used to teeth brushing as well.
After the cleaning, Im assuming his mouth will be sore. Will he be limited as to what he can eat? His raw diet is pretty soft already, but I'll probably have to replace the raw bones with bone meal for a week correct? Any thing I should know for after the cleaning?

 

[Weeg]

I know the current phase people are in is to never let their dog chew on anything. But in 20 years of fostering dogs, we've always used rawhides. We've never had a dog choke and there are times I've had 30 foster dogs at a time! I get many dogs I think are going to need professional cleaning. then a month after having nightly access to rawhides, their teeth look so good they don't need it. The rawhides available now are not like the ones 20 years ago. they are made differently and dissolve better. We hand them out after they eat, and they chew while we are watching TV. At bedtime, I pick them all up, till the next day. Of the many types we've tried, these are the two that are liked the best by the dozen dogs we have: https://www.chewy.com/redbarn-naturals-bully-twizzle-stix-7/dp/45954 and https://www.chewy.com/redbarn-peanut-butter-filled-rolled/dp/46150

After a month, most dogs gums and teeth will be 75% better. In 20 years, I've had 2 dogs that seem to have an inherited tendency to have inflammed gums. They are also the only ones that will get bad breath. Those may need professional cleaning, and brushing, with a chlorohexidene based gel.

I'm old school too. I use rawhides. Under supervision. Seems to be taboo these days.

Interesting, this is good to know. The Dogs naturally article did say rawhides were good under supervision, and if given for a limited time each day. I'll have to get ahold of some and see if it makes a difference before his appointment.
Thanks so much for the natural suggestions!

 

[Weeg]

About the Rawhide chews. @addctd2plnts, how long did one of the sticks last your dog? I think I'm gonna order some and am wondering how many to get.

 

[Isadora]

Thank you! We're gonna call the vet and get an appointment for them to look at his teeth. I'm gonna order some natural tooth powder from Dogs naturally and start getting our new puppy used to teeth brushing as well.
After the cleaning, Im assuming his mouth will be sore. Will he be limited as to what he can eat? His raw diet is pretty soft already, but I'll probably have to replace the raw bones with bone meal for a week correct? Any thing I should know for after the cleaning?

I don't think you would need to soften his diet anymore after the cleaning. Really the soft food is for dogs that have damaged or missing teeth. The whole reason why raw hide works to help keep the teeth clean is that the teeth get rubbed against it.

 

[addctd2plnts]

About the Rawhide chews. @addctd2plnts, how long did one of the sticks last your dog? I think I'm gonna order some and am wondering how many to get.

It depends on the dog. In the beginning, if they've never had them, they won't always know what to do. If that happens, I slather them with beef or chicken broth, sometimes peanut butter, and that will start them licking. They are definately made now to NOT last as long. The rawhide isn't as thick. Some dogs a chew may last a week, some of my giant dogs, go through one each night. The rolled ones don't last as long as the braided, but they are a good place to start. If he goes through them too quickly, get a big one with the knots on the ends. Those are usually plain. If you want to be his hero, go to the supermarket. In the lunch meet section they have rolls of Braunschweiger. Pack the Braunscweiger into the crevices in te knots and slather it on the sides. They LOVE that and all mine line up to get theirs LOL Cooked chicken livers also works to slather on rawhides.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I would say to give it out when you know you are going to be in the room with them. And pick them up when you go to bed. That keeps them longer, and is safer. Although I've never had a dog choke on one, many of my dogs are giant dogs with huge throats. Even in my Rat Terrier, I can get two fingers into her throat to grab something. The braided ones seem to be built to break into smaller pieces. Occasionally, I find bits of the braid but they never choke.

 

[Weeg]

It depends on the dog. In the beginning, if they've never had them, they won't always know what to do. If that happens, I slather them with beef or chicken broth, sometimes peanut butter, and that will start them licking. They are definately made now to NOT last as long. The rawhide isn't as thick. Some dogs a chew may last a week, some of my giant dogs, go through one each night. The rolled ones don't last as long as the braided, but they are a good place to start. If he goes through them too quickly, get a big one with the knots on the ends. Those are usually plain. If you want to be his hero, go to the supermarket. In the lunch meet section they have rolls of Braunschweiger. Pack the Braunscweiger into the crevices in te knots and slather it on the sides. They LOVE that and all mine line up to get theirs LOL Cooked chicken livers also works to slather on rawhides.

Awesome, I'll get a couple and see how long they last. Thank you! I'll give the rawhide a god before I make the appointment just to see if I see a difference. It's worth a shot right.

 

[lomine]

Rawhides are dangerous. They pose a choking hazard but they can also cause intestinal blockage. Dogs can't digest rawhides. They do sell faux rawhides that are made of digestible materials with the same chewing consistency. Other options are bully sticks, dried ears, beef cheeks, raw meaty bones... No cooked or smoked bones. And be careful of the source of the chews/bones as some of the cheap ones will have chemicals added.

Switching to a raw diet should help with future build up. But if you go back to dry kibble, try to get the best you can afford. Cheap kibble is bad for so many reasons.

 

[rosemarythyme]

After the cleaning, Im assuming his mouth will be sore. Will he be limited as to what he can eat?

The vet/veterinary dentist should be able to give you instructions for that. I think we were soaking dry food to soften it a bit and feeding that for just a few days.