Shiba's Dental Care
A friend of mine who owns a dog (5 yrs old, not shiba) recently had to pay a thousand dollars to a vet to remove three of her dog's teeth. She said the dog's teeth were becoming soft and got some cracks. I have 8 month shiba, Takumi, and have not started any dental care for him yet. Do people brush their dogs' teeth every day just as human beings? Is there anything I would have to remember to keep his teeth healthy? Please let me know what you do for your dog teeth.
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I try as best I can but it does not get done every day. : (
Dental for dogs is as expensive as it is for humans. Cracked teeth can occur due to the newer hard plastic bones on the market like nylabones. I have a few Shibas that are voracious in their chewing habits and they got slab fractures since the enamel sheared off right at the pulp. Not cheap to have resin comps done to repair a tooth. I was told to avoid chew hooves and the like. Chew products should have some give when you jab your finger nail into it, otherwise you compromise the teeth.
Soaking thick rawhide is something some people do for pigs ears and cow ears before giving to the dogs. Rather than doing that, I have resorted to lamb ears for the Shibas. Raw bones are supposed to be ok if the felx some. Never provide dried up brittle bones it will just crack and sheer causing problems on the gums also and to the digestive system as well.
Snf
Tsuki is a puppy mill rescue and had pretty horrid teeth until the RAW. It is awesome.
Chicken wings, drumsticks RAW, uncooked, even partially frozen are amazing for dog teeth.
Beef bones, most pork bones and TENNIS BALLS are awful for dog teeth (structurally speaking).
Tennis Balls: http://manteega.com/packlunch/articles/tennisballteeth.htm
I will be more careful with what to feed him and what kind of toy I should give him.
I did not know tennis balls are bad for dogs. Takumi also loves to play with plastic balls.
I will go to a pet store to buy some kong toys as tsukitsune suggested.
Again, thanks for all the advise!
If you cook the chicken bones or boil them or whatever, you change the composition of the bone and they now will splinter once cooked and are very dangerous to a dog.
Dogs also have a very different threshold for the bacteria in RAW meats, I feel very confident giving them fresh butchered meat along with grocery store meat once it is frozen for about a week or 2 and thawed overnight.
This diet is amazing for them, we also feed them other raw meaty bones from turkey, duck, rabbit and cornish hens. I give them raw meaty meat and organs from beef, lamb, chicken (heart, gizzard, liver). We also give them certain types of raw fish and whole raw eggs. We no longer feed them kibble.
If you go here: shibainusanctuary.tk, this is my website, I have a bunch of websites listed that give more indepth info on RAW feeding, I have learned a TON from just researching all sides of the spectrum of the dog food industry and more natural ways to feed them.
takumi2- i have tennis balls around for my dogs too, but I don't buy tennis balls designed for the sport, rather balls designed specifically for a dog, like the Air Kong squeaker that is covered in a non-abrasive tennis ball material that will not wear down dogs' teeth (says on the packaging).
If you have a pet on immunosuppressive or cancer therapy, or medication for autoimmune disease (i.e. IBD, cushings, cancer, atopic skin disease, dermatitis to name a few) do not feed raw meats until consulting your vet first before adopting the feeding plan
Apparently some raw foods, particularly rabbit, carry some type protozoa and pathogens that are detrimental to pets on immunosuppressive medication.
Snf