Doggie Tooth-brushing

Nollipop

Hi there everyone.

Myself and my partner recently adopted an ex-racing greyhound and he's amazing.:D He's almost up to full weight now and his fur is getting all velvety.

Surprisingly, his teeth are perfect (many ex-racers, especially neglected ones, have manky rotten teeth) and we want them to stay that way.

Dentastix and other chewy things upset his tummy. He's on plain dried food with yoghurt/fish/chicken/rice added in small quantities.

Has anyone tried doggy tooth-brushing? He lets us do anything to him, really (we only do nice things though I assure you!) so I doubt it would bother him but:

-Does anyone on here do this?
-If so, how often do you brush your dog's teeth?
-Which doggie toothpastes do you use/any special brushes?
-Do you have any particular techniques that work well?

Maybe I'm being too much of a mammy but the poor dog spent so long being cruelly treated and starved I want him to feel 100% healthy.

mymo

I brush my dogs teeth (not as often as I should), I use a kids toothbrush with a tiny head and water, no doggie toothpaste.
You can get different types and flavours, try Zooplus or other online petshops for an idea of the range.

star-pants

I tried to brush my two dogs teeth - one has a fit when I try, and the younger one throws up if I use doggy toothpaste.
The younger one has a very sensitive stomach, tends to be ill after the likes of dentastix / pigs ears/ other chews. But she's ok with rawhide chews like these

and she only gets dry dog food (sometimes chicken or bit of meat mixed in). At the vets recently I was commended on how great her teeth were (I was thinking there was some plaque) and he said they're in great nick so obviously the food / rawhide chews / toys are doing something.

So if you can brush your dogs teeth you can use a human tooth brush or you can buy little plastic type ones that slip on the top of your finger, you could try with or without toothpaste. Just if your dog tends to be ill after other things, they may throw up after toothpaste.

Nollipop

That's really useful, thanks!

I will see how he copes with the brush and water first and then test a bit of doggy toothpaste to check the tummy upset situation.

He actually likes rawhide chews, just not more than one tiny thin piece a day or it results in runny ends!

tk123

OP we've had similar results with dentastix but not with royal canin oral bars.

Groom!

I'm not a big fan of giving dogs anything to "clean" their teeth, that can be eaten.

My golden retriever's teeth would barely make contact with a dentastix, she would have it swallowed so fast.

Any toothbrush would probably be ok, but there is a doggy one you can get with a large head on one end and a small head on the other.

There is a wide range of toothpastes available, but avoid any with too many additives or flavours. The vet should have a good one in stock that is recommended.

For anyone with a pup, I would recommend getting them well used to their gums and teeth being examined and cleaned. You can even just rub your finger around their gums on a daily basis so when you make contact with toothpaste or a brush, it's no big deal.

P.S- If dogs have a weight problem, just watch those rawhide chews and pigs ears, as they can be quite fattening, especially for large breeds that wolf them down. Some smaller dogs will chew on them for days, which is ideal.

Discodog

Having trained my three to be hoovered, great for getting loose hair out, I was wondering about an electric toothbush. My theory is that it would do more brushing in far less time. I asked my Vet & as she is used to me, she wasn't too surprised. My three eat seaweed so have green teeth !.

Well done for taking a Greyhound. I have one & I would never of believed how wonderful she could be. I have always had dogs & now I could not imagine being without a Greyhound. It just makes all the abuse that they have to take even less understandable.

mymo

My daughter tried an Oral B kids electric brush on the dogs:rolleyes:, one loved it the other ran for her life! Heads are a bit expensive though.

Discodog, love the hoovering idea, thankfully mine don't shed, but had a lab x boxer for years that seemed to shed so much it was a wonder he had any left:D hoovering would have be useful.

Discodog

One of my dogs is so chilled & she will happily accept anything. This makes it much easier to train the other two. I was thinking of an Oral B. They are sneaky in that they make the toothbrush cheap & then charge a lot for the heads.

doggiewalker00

I use a normal toothbrush and some doggie toothpaste (poultry flavour)
Its usually licked off before I can get the brush in her mouth ,

she lines up for it every evening before bed. imediately jumps up on the sofa and waits patiently as im getting the brush. Always give her a treat when im finished

doggiewalker00

tk123 wrote: »

OP we've had similar results with dentastix but not with royal canin oral bars.

were can you get theese,ive never seen them,are they a "helthier" option than the pedigree dentastix.

sotisme

I give my dog lots of rawhide chews and occasionally brush his teeth.
I bought a set with a "finger toothbrush"(a toothbrush that fits around your finger so all you have to do is brush the teeth with your finger), a big toothbrush, a small toothbrush and doggie toothpaste in Woodies at a good price.
My dog isn't the biggest fan of it though and it can be a bit messy!;)