Clean Teeth
We have an issue, all of our dogs have always had perfectly clean teeth - but Hilo's are never clean. They seem to always be dirty. He eats the same food as the rest of the pups, yet his teeth are significantly dirtier.
I think maybe it's because he eats fast, and I'm not sure he chews his food. We feed our dogs grain free kibble and RAW. The only thing we have done differently with Hilo is give him RAW earlier in his life than the others. We usually wait till about 6 months to feed RAW but with him we started giving him RAW a week or 2 after we got him (3 months old).
He doesn't really seem to love chewing on things. So this adds to the problem. We have also tried brushing his teeth but, unlike our other dogs, he is not really stoked about it.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Comments
The only thing that I can think of is this mouthwash I had (it expired and I have yet to replace it).
C.E.T. Home Dental Care - Oral Hygiene Rinse by Virbac (Animal Health).
Contains ZincChlorhexidate, a synergistic combination of two oral hygiene compounds to guard against plaque without brushing.
It has an anitplague, reduces bad breath and even promotes for fresher, clean-smelling breath.
The only thing is you either have to order it through your vet or go to a vet store to buy it.
If you can't find it, I can always order extra and mail it to you.
This is the information for the company that produces it:
Virbac AH, Inc.
P.O. Box 162059
Fort Worth, Texas 76161
1.800.338.3659
Oh, it is for dogs AND cats! <-- For those of us also living with felines who might be interested.
Thanx for the info - we have a follow-up appointment with our vet for Kaia next week so I will see if she can get some for me. I really appreciate the help - we are stumped on what the issue is with Hilo's teeth.
I do have the same question as Rachael tho - do you just let them drink it?
We brush our two's teeth. They have their own shared toothbrush, which I usually just use plain tap water. I also use a product called Petzlife. I dab it on a makeup remover pad with a small bit of water, then wipe their teeth. Although, they usually just sorta chew it a tiny bit. Either way, the stuff works better than most doggie toothpaste I've used in the past. Tasha has horrible teeth! They are small, bad enamel, and always seem to collect yucky stuff. This has helped keep her teeth cleaner.
I clean Ronan's once a week, but Tasha gets hers cleaned 2-3 times. Tasha LOVES to have her teeth cleaned, while Ronan thinks it's okay... if Tasha loves it so much, he thinks there must be something to it, LOL! His absolutely sparkle!
I don't think the raw-kibble thing has much to do with it. Genetics counts for most of it, I believe. Yes, diet counts for plenty, but you feed top quality of both. It could just be the way he is. Does he have all his adult teeth yet?
He has all his adult teeth - but they are still growing in so they still look small.
We clean all our pups teeth too - but Hilo hates it, so we have a hard time with him. Sounds like maybe we should try the Petzlife stuff too. Thanx for the tip!