I have a four year-old pug who has always had bad breath. I have noticed his teeth have a lot of plaque on them, especially the ones at the back. I don't want him to have dental problems later on in life, and I have tried brushing his teeth and using Lintbells products. He hates having his teeth touched so it's difficult for me to clean them properly, I really need something else to try!
If anyone has any suggestions for me I would be very grateful!
Jo, via email
May issue
May issue
Showing posts with label teeth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teeth. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Shiny whites
I am after some tips on how to remove tartar from my Lurcher’s teeth. Can you help?
Martin Land, by email
Martin Land, by email
Friday, 13 September 2013
Off the menu
My GSD is allergic to beef, pork, venison, rice and most cereals.
Does anyone have any recommendations for any other chews or bones I could use? I want to make sure my GSD has something to chew on in order to keep up on her dental hygiene.
Tony Harrison, via Facebook
Tony Harrison, via Facebook
Monday, 7 March 2011
Getting our teeth into dental health
My three-and-a-half-year-old Cavalier is starting to show signs of dental plaque and I would like to deal with this before it becomes a health problem.
I brush his teeth twice daily with two different brands of doggie toothpaste. I add a product that removes plaque to his dry kibble on the off chance it might help, as it is cheap and easy to administer. He has always been fed dry food, but swallows most of the biscuits whole so they do not actually have an abrasive affect on his teeth. He gets given daily a large square of a fishy treat and has chew toys available at all times.
After many months, what I am doing does not seem to be making any difference and his breath is starting to get a little unpleasant.
Does anyone have any advice?
Options I have considered are:
-feeding raw bones. Would this benefit his teeth at all if given raw twice per week? Does a raw diet remove existing plaque or just prevent new plaque from forming?
-changing to a larger kibble, this would mean changing to large dog variety and I'm still not sure he would crunch them.
-adding a supplement to his water (which claims to break down plaque and tartar). I am dubious.
-Stagbars, would they help remove existing plaque or just prevent more forming?
-supplementing his diet with co-enzyme Q10
Any feedback very much appreciated! I really don't want him going through the trauma of a dental clean in a couple of years time if there's anything more I can do now.
Thank you
Claire, by email
I brush his teeth twice daily with two different brands of doggie toothpaste. I add a product that removes plaque to his dry kibble on the off chance it might help, as it is cheap and easy to administer. He has always been fed dry food, but swallows most of the biscuits whole so they do not actually have an abrasive affect on his teeth. He gets given daily a large square of a fishy treat and has chew toys available at all times.
After many months, what I am doing does not seem to be making any difference and his breath is starting to get a little unpleasant.
Does anyone have any advice?
Options I have considered are:
-feeding raw bones. Would this benefit his teeth at all if given raw twice per week? Does a raw diet remove existing plaque or just prevent new plaque from forming?
-changing to a larger kibble, this would mean changing to large dog variety and I'm still not sure he would crunch them.
-adding a supplement to his water (which claims to break down plaque and tartar). I am dubious.
-Stagbars, would they help remove existing plaque or just prevent more forming?
-supplementing his diet with co-enzyme Q10
Any feedback very much appreciated! I really don't want him going through the trauma of a dental clean in a couple of years time if there's anything more I can do now.
Thank you
Claire, by email
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Prey, tell us more about wolves!
I've been hearing about how the 'the prey diet' is the best diet. And I've heard the counter argument of 'why should we feed dogs this way as wolves usually die really young and basically needs be able to run pretty fast and long to catch their dinner'. I'd even heard it said that 'wolves' teeth are usually terrible, too - so much for the raw meaty bone diet!' The argument goes, 'we want a long dog's life, without prey drive and without the need to reproduce, so our couch potato dogs' lifestyle is more suited to lower protein and carbs.'
But what do captive wolves eat if they don't have to catch their own dinner or fight for survival? And how long do they live in the wild compared to captivity? What is the normal cause of death in the wild? And do they really have such poor teeth?
Kevin Dorling, Edinburgh
Also posted on the Feeding blog.
Dear Kevin
Thank you for your post regarding wolves’ diets. I have worked with captive wolves and world class wolf experts for 10 years and I can definitely say that wolves do not die due to their diet. Wolves have the same number of teeth as dogs; the only difference is that theirs are much bigger. They also have a higher bite power which is around 1500 pounds per square inch, roughly twice that of a Pitbull Terriers. Wild wolves teeth, if they live long enough, can get worn down and they do some times suffer from spiral and slab fractures but this happen as a result of bringing their prey down not the eating of prey or the lack of nutrition in their diet. Think of wolves as lean athletes, they eat only what they need to survive and are feast or famine feeders i.e. will eat up to 20 pounds of meat in one sitting and then nothing at all for days. Captive wolves' teeth are general really clean. In 10 years I’ve never seen one of the wolves I work have with dental issues.
A colleague of mine Josip Kusak who works with wild wolves in Croatia wrote a paper on dental issues in 2007 called ‘Prevalence of Dental Pathology in Wolves in Croatia’. This provided some credible data regarding dental issues with wild wolves. 34 skulls were examined for dental changes. The skulls originated from wolves which had died due to various reasons in Croatia between 1997 and 2006. Age of examined animals ranged from seven months to eight and half years. Only three skulls had changes to teeth or the alveolar bone (the sockets of the teeth in the jaw bone). Periodontitis, with changes in the alveolar bone, was determined on the alveolus of the lower fourth premolar in two individuals and on the alveolus of the mandibular first molar in one specimen. Complicated crown-root fractures were found in two individuals. All caries lesions (tooth decay) were found on premolars and molars, (except on one incisor), Caries were also found on the upper jaw in one animal and on the lower jaw of another animal, while a third animal had decay in both jaws. None of the animals died because of dental issues and of all the skulls examined the pathological changes belonged to females older than two years. Out of all the skulls studied 8.9% had dental changes. Dental disease is rare in wild canids and evidence shows that they seem to cope by changing sides for chewing. Fractures of teeth also seem to be rare but not unheard of. Possibly lesser fractures where the tooth crown is lost but the pulp is not exposed would be quite common.
Captive wolf diet will mimic the wild. We feed deer, rabbit, beef, chicken carcases, fish, sheep stomach, (called paunch) and any other meat we are donated. It’s all raw with the bone and fur. Their digestive system is very robust and can cope with eating carrion. They also eat fruit, nuts and berries both in the wild and in captivity. Ungulate faeces is consumed for its nutritional value; wolves stomachs are naturally very acidic so digesting plant material is difficult but if its been through the prey species stomach first then the wolves can utilise the vitamins and minerals.
It is true that in the wild wolves do not live long; on average only six to seven years but the cause of death is normally disease, malnutrition i.e. lack of food, parasites, man, other wolves or even their prey causing injury whist they hunt. In captivity they live very long lives and it’s not unheard of for wolves of 14 year plus. The oldest wolf I have heard of was 20 years old.
So to sum up wolves both captive and wild who eat raw meat and bones have very good teeth. Problems come from not the eating of raw food but the actual bringing down of the prey which can exert immense pressures on the dentition of wolves.
Toni Shelbourne
Education Officer and Senior Wolf Handler
UK Wolf Conservation Trust
www.ukwolf.org
But what do captive wolves eat if they don't have to catch their own dinner or fight for survival? And how long do they live in the wild compared to captivity? What is the normal cause of death in the wild? And do they really have such poor teeth?
Kevin Dorling, Edinburgh
Also posted on the Feeding blog.
Dear Kevin
Thank you for your post regarding wolves’ diets. I have worked with captive wolves and world class wolf experts for 10 years and I can definitely say that wolves do not die due to their diet. Wolves have the same number of teeth as dogs; the only difference is that theirs are much bigger. They also have a higher bite power which is around 1500 pounds per square inch, roughly twice that of a Pitbull Terriers. Wild wolves teeth, if they live long enough, can get worn down and they do some times suffer from spiral and slab fractures but this happen as a result of bringing their prey down not the eating of prey or the lack of nutrition in their diet. Think of wolves as lean athletes, they eat only what they need to survive and are feast or famine feeders i.e. will eat up to 20 pounds of meat in one sitting and then nothing at all for days. Captive wolves' teeth are general really clean. In 10 years I’ve never seen one of the wolves I work have with dental issues.
A colleague of mine Josip Kusak who works with wild wolves in Croatia wrote a paper on dental issues in 2007 called ‘Prevalence of Dental Pathology in Wolves in Croatia’. This provided some credible data regarding dental issues with wild wolves. 34 skulls were examined for dental changes. The skulls originated from wolves which had died due to various reasons in Croatia between 1997 and 2006. Age of examined animals ranged from seven months to eight and half years. Only three skulls had changes to teeth or the alveolar bone (the sockets of the teeth in the jaw bone). Periodontitis, with changes in the alveolar bone, was determined on the alveolus of the lower fourth premolar in two individuals and on the alveolus of the mandibular first molar in one specimen. Complicated crown-root fractures were found in two individuals. All caries lesions (tooth decay) were found on premolars and molars, (except on one incisor), Caries were also found on the upper jaw in one animal and on the lower jaw of another animal, while a third animal had decay in both jaws. None of the animals died because of dental issues and of all the skulls examined the pathological changes belonged to females older than two years. Out of all the skulls studied 8.9% had dental changes. Dental disease is rare in wild canids and evidence shows that they seem to cope by changing sides for chewing. Fractures of teeth also seem to be rare but not unheard of. Possibly lesser fractures where the tooth crown is lost but the pulp is not exposed would be quite common.
Captive wolf diet will mimic the wild. We feed deer, rabbit, beef, chicken carcases, fish, sheep stomach, (called paunch) and any other meat we are donated. It’s all raw with the bone and fur. Their digestive system is very robust and can cope with eating carrion. They also eat fruit, nuts and berries both in the wild and in captivity. Ungulate faeces is consumed for its nutritional value; wolves stomachs are naturally very acidic so digesting plant material is difficult but if its been through the prey species stomach first then the wolves can utilise the vitamins and minerals.
It is true that in the wild wolves do not live long; on average only six to seven years but the cause of death is normally disease, malnutrition i.e. lack of food, parasites, man, other wolves or even their prey causing injury whist they hunt. In captivity they live very long lives and it’s not unheard of for wolves of 14 year plus. The oldest wolf I have heard of was 20 years old.
So to sum up wolves both captive and wild who eat raw meat and bones have very good teeth. Problems come from not the eating of raw food but the actual bringing down of the prey which can exert immense pressures on the dentition of wolves.
Toni Shelbourne
Education Officer and Senior Wolf Handler
UK Wolf Conservation Trust
www.ukwolf.org
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
The whole tooth
My year-old crossbreed has got bad breath and his teeth are quite stained. Should I be following a dental hygiene routine for my dog?
Tina Searle
The simple, short answer is “Yes, you should be following a home dental hygiene routine.” In the wild, a dog’s teeth would clean themselves naturally whilst eating. Assuming you are feeding manufactured food, then that natural role of the diet has been removed, and the responsibility for keeping our dogs’ teeth clean comes down to us owners.
In an ideal world, we would brush our dogs’ teeth every time after he or she has eaten, or at least twice daily. It is best to start when your dog is a puppy because brushing the teeth is not a normal behaviour. It should be a pleasant experience, but you will need to set aside time for it because it can seem like one big game, as with so many things when training a puppy!
A dog’s mouth is not only differently shaped from ours but also varies between breeds. Specifically-designed canine toothbrushes are available so you should be able to find one which matches the size and shape of your dog’s mouth. The toothpaste we use when brushing our own teeth is not suitable for dogs not only because is it designed to be spat out but also because it is flavoured to suit our taste-buds. Again, veterinary toothpastes in different flavours (for example, poultry, malt) can be found.
Start by letting your dog taste the toothpaste, then introduce the idea of brushing by rubbing the teeth and gums gently with your finger. If your dog does not take to an actual toothbrush, then a finger brush might be more acceptable, which simply slips over your finger so that it mimics rubbing the teeth and gums with your finger.
If your dog will not tolerate having his teeth brushed, there are other ways of helping his dental hygiene. These include:
- special powder added to food to reduce plaque build-up;
- dental chews and biscuits – a pleasant and convenient way for your dog’s teeth to be brushed, but beware of the extra energy content; you do not want your dog to gain weight! Reduce the amount fed of the main diet to allow for them;
- dental-care foods (routine and prescription) – instead of all the crunch being at the surface of the teeth, as happens when a dog eats standard dried foods, the nuggets of these foods are formulated to allow the teeth to sink into them, enabling their abrasive nature to help clean the teeth, so it is rather like eating a toothbrush!
- there are also drinking water supplements designed to improve oral hygiene (rather like drinking water with added mouth wash).
You mention bad breath which can certainly reflect poor dental hygiene. Do bear in mind that there could be another underlying reason such as:
- infected broken tooth;
- caries;
- gum disease;
- foreign body wedged in mouth and/or abscess;
- eating malodorous material such as faeces, decomposing food materials and so on (yuk!);
- is your dog washing his rear-end excessively? Impacted anal sacs are a common finding in my experience; although many argue they may be a red herring, I find that the bad breath often clears up once they have been expressed.
Although your dog is a year old, one should not overlook the effects of an underlying health problem. In particular, I am thinking of kidney failure which can develop in young dogs and can be the sole reason for an owner seeking veterinary advice. I would therefore suggest that if your dog’s breath does not improve after attempting any of home dental hygiene measures mentioned above, then I would have him examined by a veterinary surgeon.
Alison Logan, vet
What do you use to keep your dog's teeth clean and their breath smelling sweet? Tell us about your favourite dental products now.
Tina Searle
The simple, short answer is “Yes, you should be following a home dental hygiene routine.” In the wild, a dog’s teeth would clean themselves naturally whilst eating. Assuming you are feeding manufactured food, then that natural role of the diet has been removed, and the responsibility for keeping our dogs’ teeth clean comes down to us owners.
In an ideal world, we would brush our dogs’ teeth every time after he or she has eaten, or at least twice daily. It is best to start when your dog is a puppy because brushing the teeth is not a normal behaviour. It should be a pleasant experience, but you will need to set aside time for it because it can seem like one big game, as with so many things when training a puppy!
A dog’s mouth is not only differently shaped from ours but also varies between breeds. Specifically-designed canine toothbrushes are available so you should be able to find one which matches the size and shape of your dog’s mouth. The toothpaste we use when brushing our own teeth is not suitable for dogs not only because is it designed to be spat out but also because it is flavoured to suit our taste-buds. Again, veterinary toothpastes in different flavours (for example, poultry, malt) can be found.
Start by letting your dog taste the toothpaste, then introduce the idea of brushing by rubbing the teeth and gums gently with your finger. If your dog does not take to an actual toothbrush, then a finger brush might be more acceptable, which simply slips over your finger so that it mimics rubbing the teeth and gums with your finger.
If your dog will not tolerate having his teeth brushed, there are other ways of helping his dental hygiene. These include:
- special powder added to food to reduce plaque build-up;
- dental chews and biscuits – a pleasant and convenient way for your dog’s teeth to be brushed, but beware of the extra energy content; you do not want your dog to gain weight! Reduce the amount fed of the main diet to allow for them;
- dental-care foods (routine and prescription) – instead of all the crunch being at the surface of the teeth, as happens when a dog eats standard dried foods, the nuggets of these foods are formulated to allow the teeth to sink into them, enabling their abrasive nature to help clean the teeth, so it is rather like eating a toothbrush!
- there are also drinking water supplements designed to improve oral hygiene (rather like drinking water with added mouth wash).
You mention bad breath which can certainly reflect poor dental hygiene. Do bear in mind that there could be another underlying reason such as:
- infected broken tooth;
- caries;
- gum disease;
- foreign body wedged in mouth and/or abscess;
- eating malodorous material such as faeces, decomposing food materials and so on (yuk!);
- is your dog washing his rear-end excessively? Impacted anal sacs are a common finding in my experience; although many argue they may be a red herring, I find that the bad breath often clears up once they have been expressed.
Although your dog is a year old, one should not overlook the effects of an underlying health problem. In particular, I am thinking of kidney failure which can develop in young dogs and can be the sole reason for an owner seeking veterinary advice. I would therefore suggest that if your dog’s breath does not improve after attempting any of home dental hygiene measures mentioned above, then I would have him examined by a veterinary surgeon.
Alison Logan, vet
What do you use to keep your dog's teeth clean and their breath smelling sweet? Tell us about your favourite dental products now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)