Teethies

[JulesP]

Since Amber got sick I stopped feeding raw as a) I felt mean giving them to Poppy and not Amber b) the risk of Amber getting them. (For those that don't know Amber has liver shunts and tends to fit if she eats meat).

Amber's teeth are pretty good but Poppy's are a bit dodgy. I've tried nylabones & the dental sticks.

Couple of questions.

1) Has anyone had success getting plaque off with bones?

2) Any success with t/d?

3) Plaque off that goes on the food?

Or am I best to just do the vet clean and start again?

I've always fed raw/barf in the past so haven't run into this issue before.

[Guest hankodie]

Jules - I've read lots of good things about plaque off but haven't tried it myself. I've been keeping Odie's teeth clean (as you probably know she also has liver shunts) by brushing them weekly though I know that's a pain. I've found deer antlers to be successful in removing plaque as well but it depends if your dogs are big chewers or not. Odie is quite a powerful chewer she will sit there for hours.

I also have to keep Odie and Hank's food separated but I usually feed Hank his raw bones in a crate and then remove them when he's done, same goes for their meals :)

[RiverStar-Aura]

T/D can work but only if the dog chews the food -- both my turds love swallowing the pieces whole regardless of their large size!

Plaque Off I'm still unsure of. My guys get it daily (Proden PlaqueOff) but I'm unconvinced it works. Their teeth are fantastic, but they also get frozen turkey/chicken wings every other day.

Depending on how bad Poppy's teeth are, you might be better to just have them professionally cleaned then maintain from there.

[JulesP]

The vet said that Poppy's teeth were at stage one and suggested I try the t/d first. Poppy is a fairly delicate eater so I think she will chew them.

I got some turkey bits today and chunks of lamb bone. I had been trying chicken wings but I don't think they were big enough to do much for Poppy's teeth.

The l/d is keeping Amber's teeth nice plus she tends to chew on stuff.

[Rappie]

The best means of keeping the teeth clean are mechanical - daily brushing, dental diets / chews or bones (if you are comfortable feeding them). We seem to be having good results with PlaqueOff but it also needs to be used in conjunction with some mechanical means of cleaning the teeth as it won't just make the plaque fall off by itself :D

[JulesP]

The best means of keeping the teeth clean are mechanical - daily brushing, dental diets / chews or bones (if you are comfortable feeding them). We seem to be having good results with PlaqueOff but it also needs to be used in conjunction with some mechanical means of cleaning the teeth as it won't just make the plaque fall off by itself :D

Thanks :) . Will those mechanical things get the existing plaque off? Or do I need to get the vet to clean her teeth?