Cleaning Teeth

[hopenfox]

My dogs are fed a raw diet, and unfortunately due to an accident, my Koolie, Hope is no longer allowed to eat bones.

I've been brushing her teeth regularly with a toothbrush, but recently started to feed her the occasional lump of frozen mince as a bone substitute, and am pleased with the improvements in the cleanness of her teeth.

I was wondering if it would hurt to feed all her main meals in frozen lumps?

Would this be likely to wear down her teeth too much?

Or create a digestive problem with eating all that cold stuff?

Looking forward to any thoughts...

-hopenfox

[Sheridan]

From my understanding, it could cause tummy cramps.

[Andisa]

I used to feed my Rottie bitch half frozen food in summer and I would notice her kicking at her tummy. Reminded me of a horse with colic, so I don't feed food that is too cold anymore.

I think it would be like eating ice cream too quickly - you know the head freeze that you can get ----or is that just me.

Animals that live in the snow areas must eat their fair share of frozen foods. I suppose it mostly depends on the dog. I would be worried about tooth damage and digestive problems though.

[percyk]

hopen fox

i have read that ice can cause bloat

so if u have deep chested dog...id not do it

i dont think a little bit would harm

but i sense that meals should be served at room temperature

i might be wrong

maybe dogs ate frozen carcasses in the wild and may have some provision for digesting this foo

to my way of thinking ...frozen food going down to the stomach may be a bit traumatic for the lining

( u know when u are not meant to put an ice pack directly on a sprain for eg...cos the ice can cause damage..always wrap in a towel first)

see what others think and talk to a few vets...many wouldnt really know about nutrition etc

[xiaorose]

I feed Tsar frozen meaty bones, chick frames, wings, feets, lamb neck, etc. during summer to cool him down and he doesn't have much problem with his tummy, loves it! I would rinse them with water or soak them for a minuite or two before giving them to him in case his tongue stick to them.

I use my electric toothbrush to brush their teeths, it's a lot easier then manual toothbrush, Manman is more use to brushing his teeth as I've been doing it since he's a pup but I have to wrestle with Tsar to get it done. Of course they have their own brush heads!