Tooth brushing!

 That's great for your dog - and I write that without sarcasm.  However this isn't real evidence that raw bones are better than brushing, 

Try them once and you will have your evidence.  I'm not trying to be sarcastic either-but you would literally need a scaler and not a brush to do what they do.  And, most vets won't suggest raw anything to your dog unless they are a very progressive "regular" vet or a holistic vet. 

Amen, Lori!

Anything that goes in Max's mouth is *food* so no toothbrushes for him.  He gets a raw bone every now and then, but not often enough to clean his teeth so I use the stuff that goes in the water.  Apparently it does a pretty good job because the vet always remarks that his teeth look great.

Joyce

I've even tried a few things in the water too and she won't drink the water.  I do have the PetzLife Gel that I use sometimes but she doesn't like the smell of it and to be honest neither do I.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

the vet always remarks that his teeth look great.

I get that same reaction with brushing.n   But the dogs also do bitework so maybe that's what keeping the boys pearly white.

TheMilkyWay

 If the tooth is cracked, it has to come out. Specially if there is a smell already associated with it.  There is (admittedly low) possibility that the tooth infection could spread and become systemic.

 Tooth has healed & she was treated with antibiotics as a precaution and there is no infection...already checked. But thanks for the concern.

 I try to brush every other day. Two of my dogs (that I have been doing this for for a year) look pretty good. Not perfect but way better than the third dog who has not had this done.

I have a dental scale somewhere around here (don't know where it went since we moved), and I used to scale their teeth whenever I did their nails. They don't have dirty teeth really, but I liked to keep on top of any build up. I don't brush their teeth though as I don't find it really did much. All three of my dogs are heavy bone chewers though, which I am sure helps keep their teeth clean.

nataly

I mean in wildlife animals don't brush their teeth with a toothbrush, so why should we?

But natural selection takes care of those with bad teeth...and many breeds are predisposed to dental issues (particularly the little ones). These breeds are our creation and wouldn't last long in the wild.

Many folks are still under the impression that rotten doggy and cat breath is normal. It's not. It means something is wrong. (and I'm not pointing any fingers, this has just been my experience)

I brush Rexy's canines and incisors. She cleans the rest of her teeth when she eats her food (raw).

My two cats on the other hand, both have horrid teeth (they are brothers, so likely genetics plays a role in this).

Jeri has serious gingivitis. Buster has just had a pricey dental with multiple extractions, and Jeri is due for another one. And I brush their teeth everyday. Our vet just gave me a lesson on cat toothbrushing, turns out I wasn't being thorough enough. Hopefully the more thorough brushing will help.

I haven't been able to convince the cats to gnaw on bones, and although they are on raw and chew on meat chunks every day, it doesn't seem to do a lot. So I continue to brush.

Raw meaty bones everyday, and an occasional treat of a marrow bone or a more challenging bone such as a beef rib or pork neck to help clean their teeth. I do have a scaler on hand if need be, but I have only needed that a few times for Nallah who was kibble fed 3 years of her life before raw.

Raw has helped us drastically with having clean teeth & fresh breath!

lilys_mum07

Since Lily's cracked tooth, her teeth and breath have not been the same. She's been treated with antibiotics and everything is healed, but I can no longer stand her yucky breath and dirty teeth. She used to have beautiful teeth before the crack and that was done with marrow bones. I just ordered some enzymatic toothpaste so we'll see how this goes...

 As for Kirby's dental care, he gets chews along with daily brushing and doggy mouthwash each twice a day.  Once after breakfast and once after dinner.  Overkill, for most dogs yes, but Kirby's genetics are working against him.

nataly

I have never brushed the teeths of my dogs - neither have my parents. My vet also never recommended anything like that during the normal checkups, but he looked into the mouth of course. I can think you can make your life difficult - or easy. I mean in wildlife animals don't brush their teeth with a toothbrush, so why should we? As managed various times before, I also think that chewing bones is a natural kind of toothbrush for the dogs.

tashakota

I try to brush every other day.

  I do too, and it seems to work pretty well. Jessie has chronic pancreatitis so raw bones are out 'cause they have a lot of fat. It has always been hard to find bones that she could have anyway because of her food allergies. I think the important thing is to do something that helps, be it brushing, raw bones, or whatever.