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Increasing Hard Chews to Knock Off Tartar
We have a little guest dog who came to us with thick tartar on all his teeth. His family free-feeds kibble and “haven’t found a chew he likes.” At my house, he’s getting access to raw bones, “big dog” nylabones and his food is soaked with a little yogurt and peanut butter, packed into hooves and bones and frozen.
In a week, he’s knocked off a bunch of the tartar on the outsides of his top teeth. I’m hoping to see more progress. I’ve had a few little touch points with the owner on this, and they are open to continuing to provide this type of chewing opportunity when he goes home.
I think he’s still going to need a full veterinary dental though.
Good reminder to check your dogs’ teeth, and to provide chew opportunities appropriate for their chew style.
Caveat – some dogs can’t have bones of any kind – I’ve had dogs break teeth! So, monitor your dog’s chewing closely.
In the photos, you can see that the canine tooth is nearly completely covered with tartar. That back molar was the same, but he knocked it off. (Wish I’d taken that “before” photo!) The bottom teeth are as covered, which is why he’ll need that dental.
How do you help your dogs keep their teeth clean?
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23 Replies
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Very cool! I bet he is LOVING all of the chewables! ???? I was recently talking to one of my friends and she said she used to give her dog bell peppers to clean teeth. I haven’t tried this… but always open to new ideas. I was thinking maybe it’s like giving them carrots? Making (most) pups use their back teeth using them to “scrub” that gunk off? Any thoughts about this?
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Also he is just ADORABLE! I love the last photo where he is like, Look I have a big boy bone! ????
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I’ve seen a lot of dogs enjoy bell peppers… but unless they have some anti-tartar substance I’m not aware of, I don’t see how they could help much. They aren’t very hard. However they provide some enrichment, so there’s that.
And yes, he has no idea he’s a small dog. lol
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Very interesting about the bell peppers. I agree they sound like they would be a fun snack. Thank you! ????
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Bell Peppers? What!!?? Just for funsies I will have to have my pups try them????
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Ooh yes! ???? Let us know how they like them. ????
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It’s funny you mention this @catherine , as WildeBean just had a vet visit today. I expected the vet would tell me she was due for another cleaning, but even though there’s some plaque build-up, she said the gums still looked good and there was no inflammation. I then asked about products that may help and was surprised to hear she’s seen positive results with Oravet chews. I ordered some today, along with Perio Support, a powder that is sprinkled on the dog’s food. Hope they’ll help.
I feel like such a lazy person for not brushing my dogs’ teeth, but maybe it’s because only a couple of my dogs ever required dental cleanings. Meanwhile, my brother has trained his dog to accept electric tooth-brushing daily!
Two questions: do the hooves you supply get stinky when the dog chews on them, and is that adorable dog a mini aussie?!-
ooh these sound like good resources to try.
I’m also too lazy to brush my dogs’ teeth daily. I do train them to tolerate scaling and I do that a couple times each year, myself. My mom was a dental assistant and taught me to do this when I was young, and way before I learned how to do it as a vet tech. I much prefer working on awake dogs who are being paid well for being patient with it. For the insides and back teeth, I have them hold a nylabone or rubber chew just behind the canines, to keep their mouths a little open.
To answer your questions, @virginiad the hooves were horribly smelly at first, but I’ve washed (hot water, scrubber, soap-less) and reused them so many times, only the dogs can smell them now.
I’m told he’s a “toy Aussie”… ????♀️
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Indeed some dogs can break teeth! Henry always loved the yak cheese, but he recently fractured his carnesial tooth and it had to be extracted. Sweet potato chews for him now! Though I doubt they do much in the way of dental cleaning.
@virginiad Thanks for the heads up on the Oravet chews. I’ll look into those.
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Ouch! Poor Henry!
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I love that you brought this up. My two husky siblings just seemed like no matter what I did they always got horrible plague. I tried giving bones and chews, tried to brush their teeth and that helped a bit. Always wondered if anyone had a really good chew or brand that helped keep their dogs teeth clean. I just felt so bad. Also definitely seemed like they were more prone to gingivitis then my other dogs. Hmmm the whole dental care l think is one thing most neglected/ just not thought of in most dog households.
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It’s interesting that you mention that they are siblings, @mtnwolfpup – I was recently talking to a breeder who mentioned a genetic component for dental disease. I hadn’t heard of that before… have you? It makes sense though! I know that many small dogs have a greater predisposition to dental issues, but I never really thought of it being heritable… what do you think?
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I definitely think that gum disease can be heritable. I also wonder if gum diseases might also be a result of prenatal care with the mama dog? I don’t know interesting to think about.
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Indeed! Prenatal care and maternal stress can definitely impact so many things in puppies. Fascinating stuff to consider.
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I couldn’t help myself and had to go digging for some more information on genetics and dental health.
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/digestive-disorders-of-dogs/dental-disorders-of-dogs
Gum disease is caused by accumulation of bacteria (plaque) at the gum line due in part to a lack of proper oral hygiene. Other contributing factors may include breed, genetics, age, and diet. – Merck Veterinary Manual
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“Genetics, age, diet, concurrent health issues and oral hygiene are examples of patient factors that influence oral health,” – Eric Davis, DVM
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Also, the articles reminded me that visible tartar isn’t the biggest issue – it’s the nasty plaque that grows under the gumline that causes the real disease. So daily brushing with attention to that detail is likely the best option. I’ll be recommending a full dental to my little guest-dog’s family for sure.
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Very cool article! Thanks for sharing. ????
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You are welcome – I love going down these little puppy trails…. 😉
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This is such a great subject. I do think breed and genetics are huge in dental outcomes! My guys love to chew! It’s hard sometimes to find something safe that won’t cause more dental issues like broken teeth etc. I like carrots soaked in broth and frozen- good chew and a little safer option. But nothing beats a dental cleaning from the vet. I still remember my older dog getting one and when she came home I was floored her teeth looked like 2 year old puppy teeth.
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Ooooh, thank you for the broth-soaked carrot idea!
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Yeah… maybe Bliss would actually eat carrots if I soak them in broth! I’ll give it a try!
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This is such a cool idea, @pawsup ! Broth soaked veggies, yum!!!
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