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Does anybody have any advice on brushing dog teeth? My vet says that I need to start cleaning Shep's teeth. How do you do it? What products work for you?

We bought some products from our Vet. Can't remember the name. Our dogs don't really care for it, but they tolerate it as long as we tell the what good doggies they are. Hailey & Zephyr get brushed once a week at least. If you dog eats a lot of treats or chewies (that are the non-dental kind) you'll probably need to do it a couple times a week at least.

first find a "tooth paste" the dog likes the taste of i use chicken flavored for my dogs.this a very good outline for you to follow:http://www.placervillevet.com/...g.htmthen because you haven't done it prior i would use small amounts of toothpaste as a treat with out trying to brush their teeth. Simply have them do a trick and give them the reward with the toothpaste. If they like it as a treat thats half the battle.I use a finger brush as seen in this pictureActually thats exactly what i have i don't use the big brush just the finger brush start slow and over a few months the dog will get use to having their teeth brushed.also if your dogs likes them stock up on the hard nylabones that will help keep the buildup to a min.http://www.nylabone.com/

******DO NOT*****use human toothpaste. It will give them upset tummy. They make dog toothpaste (in flavors: poultry, beef, malt, peanut butter, etc.) and they love it. Get them used to the toothpaste first by putting it on your finger and let them lick it. It will be a treat for them! They have dog toothbrushes (either the "finger brush" which has little gummy bristles on it) or the regular dog toothbrush they make in different sizes (I use the tiny ones!) they also have dental gauze you can use. Don't forget ~*~PRAISE!~*~, hugs, and smooches on the snout when you're done, now that they'll have kissy-fresh breath!

I have a few questions.Why is the vet pushing for oral care in doggies? I totally understand the importance of oral care for a human as the oral cavity is where the most microorganisms reside and if oral care is not performed the risk for infection increases greatly. From my understand, a doggies saliva has healing properties and is cleaner than a human's (this includes the mouth)? I know treats and chew toys clean the teeth, but actually brushing? I am just trying to understand the reasoning besides the vet trying to push a product to make money.I have 2 puppies also and I want to be educated why and then decide if it is needed or not... For some reason I wish I knew this... I do not have any contacts at MSU Vet School as they are top in the country as they would have the specific answers.

To the vet's credit, he didn't try to sell me anything. Shep is six and had plaque built up on his back teeth. if your dogs are young, they probably don't have it yet. Now my other dog, Luna, is nine and has very little. Perhaps, like people, some dogs are more prone to plaque buildup than others.

healing properties, yes. cleaning properties, no.Just like humans, tarter builds up and creates periondontal disease. Use dry food not wet food this will help limit the build up.Like i mentioned above use hard plastic bones to keep the tartar at a min.My boy Andrew who just turned 3 has very little tarter build up he is a big chewer.I clean his teeth when i start to notice an odor, which is about once a month.My vet has commented on how little tarter there is on both my dogs teeth

Sounds like you have a great Vet! It is good to hear yours is not like some human physicians that I am aware of and are out for money, not the client. I can understand the plaque build up. The ages of the 2 puppies are 5 years and 8 years, so technically they are not puppies. All they are given is dry food and water. And they do have the hard plastic chew toys that clean the teeth (had those for years). Now I am curious if they actually do bridgework or cavity repair for pup's.

lolQuote, originally posted by ou.grizzly »Now I am curious if they actually do bridgework or cavity repair for pup's. BWHAHAHAnot usually, just extraction, but yes a filling can be done

They do Dental cleaning to remove tartar at the vet (under anesthesia) they also do canine root canals and Dental extractions (a broken tooth, like my girl had, can lead to abcess/infection=swollen lump on face)

I was told by my Vet that a lot of dog problems stem from ailing teeth.. They don't get to brush.. We have a brusch for ours that is 3 sided, so it's much less time and work for both of you... Our Jack will tolerate it, but my dog, the Dashund/Begal mix, won't let me in... it's a 10min fight that ends with him winning... lol...

Mine aren't thrilled either, but I do it anyway. For the nails, I don't want to stress out my senior disabled girl, so limit the fight to one paw a day. (I use the guillotine-type trimmer to get it short, then use a Dremel to smooth and shape) When I say "brush teeth"/"cut nails"/"take a bath", POOF! They're gone...hiding somewhere.

So, I bought the toothbrush and tooth paste. I wanted to get the kind that goes on end of the finger, but they didn't have them. First I let Shep taste the paste, then I put some on the brush. So far he'll let me put the brush in his mouth, and he chews on it a little. I'm going to go with that untill he gets used to having the brush in his mouth, then I'll try brushing. Pretty exiting stuff for a car forum, huh?

Good job, dog daddy. Er...nerd boy.

This may not be a popular answer, but I give my dogs raw chicken wings 2-3 times a week and that keeps their teeth clean. I adopted an 8 year old shepherd with really bad breath. That was the first time my vet suggested a dental. The raw wings cleaned up his mouth in a few weeks. No dentals for any of my dogs.NEVER give cooked bones of any kind to a dog.

Quote, originally posted by stealth »This may not be a popular answer, but I give my dogs raw chicken wings 2-3 times a week and that keeps their teeth clean. I adopted an 8 year old shepherd with really bad breath. That was the first time my vet suggested a dental. The raw wings cleaned up his mouth in a few weeks. No dentals for any of my dogs.NEVER give cooked bones of any kind to a dog.What's the difference between raw and cooked bones... ??? Dogs are meat eaters, it's rather natural for them to eat bones.. they sure do love them... just about every dog i've known has gotten bones, without issue... please explain..

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind » What's the difference between raw and cooked bones... ??? Dogs are meat eaters, it's rather natural for them to eat bones.. they sure do love them... just about every dog i've known has gotten bones, without issue... I didn't mean to hijack this thread. No offense intended ...Yes, domestic dogs and other canids are carnivores and do best when eating a meat based diet. Raw bones, especially poultry & small game like rabbit, are soft & easy to digest. I've fed these types of raw bones to my dogs for about 8 years without incident. I started because I had a dog with seizures that improved once I eliminated grains from her diet. By chance her teeth were cleaner & coat shinier.Cooking changes the chemistry of bones and makes them hard, more difficult for dogs to digest, and more likely to splinter. I know quite a few dogs that have broken teeth on cooked bones. I also know several that were injured internally or died after eating cooked bones that splintered. Although my parents gave the family dog cooked steak/roast/ham bones after dinner, it's not a risk I am willing to take with my dogs.I'm not suggesting that anyone should follow my example. Do your own research & do what you feel is best for your pets. This article has some links that may be helpfulhttp://www.b-naturals.com/news...links/

I believe the bones that splinter are pork and fowl variety, not beef. But I may be mistaken.