How do you clean dogs teeth and prevent tartar?

Question

Bones for that purpose don't seem to help and brushing the teeth stresses the dog and me as most of the toothpaste always reaches the floor before getting near the teeth.
Any ideas or food alternatives?

Answer 1

First thing, are you feeding your dog canned food? If so, stop! It's not at all good for their teeth, and prepared dried complete foods I find are better nutritionally too. I feed Royal Canin Energy to my dogs, a dried 'pellet' food with helps clean teeth. I brush teeth once a week. They don't like it, but they have got used to it, just start simple- a reward for just having the toothbrush near the mouth until eventually you have it inside. Use a special two-headed dog sotthbursh, as it is much faster. I use chicken flavour toothpaste, and when the tube comes out they can't wait to eat some! Raw carrots and underripe pears are great if your dog will eat them. Raw bones (they must be raw) do help but they take a little while to work, and teeth may still stain from other things in the diet. Those rope toys that have frayed ends are good, too. Ina ddition to Royal Canin, my dogs also have 1/2 can of pilchards a day, and still their breath is sweet!

Answer 2

Some things just have to be done, like cleaning their ears or clipping their claws. All you can do is stay firm and patient and calm. Keep the emotional level low.
Tie him up with his lead to something solid so you have both hands free, use a small soft brush and canine toothpaste. If its the brush thats the issue, use a damp clean hanky and your finger and work your way up to a brush when he's more used to the idea.
The good news is that you only really need to worry about the upper jaw, on the outside surface. Thats where the worst of the tartar will collect.
Start off just getting him to accept what your doing and reward him for it, don't worry about getting them all sparling if he's not happy with the idea, keep the sessions short and sweet. And I'd agree with straddling him and doing it from above unless he has a problem with that and threatens you; You're taking a dominant position.
He may never enjoy it but thats not the point. Try to make cleaning his teeth an unimportant part of a bigger routine; if he enjoys being combed or brushed finish off with that.

Answer 3

pedigree do a range called denta rasks which are hard chews to help control tartar, and dentastix which are softer but work in the same way by the dogs chewing and the chew scrubs the teeth as they work at eating them. Alternatively there are raw marrow bones from butchers, only beef though as anything else could shatter. As to cleaning your dogs teeth, start by doing just the front ones first for a few seconds, building this up everyday, then when he is more comfy with it try going inside for short periods. Most dogs dislike having their teeth cleaned if they have sensitive gums, so try the chews and bones first to strengthen his gums, then try the tooth brush again.

Answer 4

They do sell bones that are for their teeth and breath. Also most raw hides and good hard chew toys work really well. Just don't expect it to happen right away. Your dog will need some time for this to start working. It will not be perfect after the first bone or two, especially if they are really dull. I buy flavored raw hides that almost look like sticks and I give one a day to my dogs. Also as a special treat I give my dog a ham bone once a week, which they love and also helps there teeth.

Answer 5

Don't use listerine, it's NOT safe. But there are chew toys you can by the helps to get off tartar, however, it doesn't do it all. You should talk to your veterinarian, because now they have done more research on canine dentistry, and some vet's offer surfaces where they put dogs under slight anesthetics and can do a wonderful job cleaning up their pearly whites. I'm not too sure on expenses for that though, but it does help prevent cancers which are big killers in dogs. Also, some vets carry chicken flavored tooth paste, which if your dog will cooperate with you, you could use to brush his or her teeth.

Answer 6

Don't do what you have been advised by someone which is to use Listerine - could be harmful to your dog.

Try marrow bones but cut off the majority of the fatty bits as too much might give your dog diarrhoea. Don't leave them lying around. Give one to your dog and then take it away after about ten minutes. Let him have a gnaw on it at least once a day. It does work but it might be a couple of weeks before you start to notice a difference.

One of the dog food companies in the UK sells a special food for keeping teeth clean - Hill's T/D - I think the T/D stands for Tooth Diet. You might be able to get it from your Vet or try Hills website.

Answer 7

As a dog groomer, we regularly brush the teeth of our "clients". They sell doggy toothbrushes and flavored toothpastes. They come in a variety of flavors (poultry, dog food, etc) Doing this regularly, along with chew toys, will help prevent tartar. An easy way to do this is to straddle the dogs body, facing his head. Hold his bottom jaw with one hand, placing your finger tips inside his mouth forcing his mouth open. With the other hand begin to brush his teeth. Once the dog tastes the toothpaste, he will allow you to do this more easily. Once the teeth are brushed, you don't need to rinse his mouth, he will do that himself. Make sure to reward him for being a good dog during the process and the next time will be even easier. If you fear coming so close to the dogs mouth, or of him becoming too stressed, you can take him to a dog groomer who can do it for you. Petsmart charges $8 for this service and it only takes about 10 minutes.

Answer 8

Do not use human toothpaste. They make special toothpaste for dogs you can buy at most department stores or pet stores. Your vet also has this. Most of these come with toothbrushes. If they don't then you can use a soft bristled kids size toothbrush (or soft adult, depending on dog size). Feed dry dog food to help prevent tartar build up and encourage chewing on toys or bones (they make dental bones, greenies) of the appropriate size and always under supervision- esp. with bones. these can have small chinks swallowed resulting in a blockage in the intestine with requires surgery to fix. The vet I work for also recommends an oral rinse that can be used to rinse the teeth if you can't brush them. We also have a water additive that helps control tartar and bacteria build up. (see links)

Answer 9

Does your pet have morning breath—all day long? This is a major indicator that your pet is in need of dental care. Particles of food, saliva and bacteria—what’s commonly called “plaque”—can build up on the teeth and gums and cause infection. If left untreated, infection can result in tooth decay—and even move into the bloodstream and affect your pet’s heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bones and joints! Check your animal companion’s teeth and gums at least once a week, and ask your vet how you can further prevent gum disease by regular brushing with a toothpaste formulated especially for your pet’s species.

Answer 10

Only give you dog hard food. As for the toothpaste, they make brushes that go over your finger. Dogs seem to deal with that better than a human style toothbrush. The chewey bones need to be pretty hard or it wont scrape the tarter off. To get your dog used to fooling around in its mouth, just do a little at a time(a few seconds) and give rewards and praise as soon as you stop. After a while, hopefully they will get used to it or even think its a treat.