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Tarter


dipper
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Our 5 year old goldien retriever was at the vets the other day for its jags and yearly check up. The vet commented on how good the dogs teeth were and asked if we brushed then or scraped them as there was no tarter build up. We dont.

Our dogs are fed on dry food and have never been given any `real` bones they have got a selection of nylon bones which they love. They will occasionally be given a dentastick which helps as well (imo)

 

Some of our previous dogs were fed wet food and tinned food and they did have a tarter build up and we used to brush and scrape them ourselfs but it takes practice and patience and was a 2 person job.

 

Everyone will have there own opinion on feeding & bones etc but maby a change of food may help but a visit to the vet is a must in order to see if there is anything underlying causing the bad breath.

Edited by big bad lindz
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I would urge anybody to be carefull with those nylon bones, my GSD had one and eventually the ends became quite jagged and sharp from the continual chewing, she would swallow some of the tiny shards which would then carve up her insides and we would get blood in her poop, cost a good few quid in vets bills before we figured out what was causing it

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I would urge anybody to be carefull with those nylon bones, my GSD had one and eventually the ends became quite jagged and sharp from the continual chewing, she would swallow some of the tiny shards which would then carve up her insides and we would get blood in her poop, cost a good few quid in vets bills before we figured out what was causing it

So far we have never had any problems with the sharp ends in there bowel. Yes the nylon bones do become sharp where they have been chewed but we tend to keep an eye on them and when they get to small we bin them. If the dog has regular bowel movements without straining these tiny bits do pass through with no problems. Its the same with most things that they eat, slippers, shoe laces, socks and anything else that they can find around the wash basket.

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Build up of calculus/tartar is the same as humans. Prevention is best obviously. However if there is a build up, yes it will cause bad breath because it causes sore gums, same as us. Ultimately it needs to be physically removed. My dog just about allows me to do it myself with a proper dental scaler. They are sharp intruments and you need to be very careful! It does take some getting off!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I do my Staffies teeth with a toothbrush and a metal nail file, being very careful when I go under the gum-line, I do that with the two that will let me and their teeth are perfect, both dogs are over 11 years old and I have been attending to their teeth this way since they were pups.

 

The other one is a different story! I took him in 4 years ago when he was 4 years old and he hates you doing anything to him, he must have bitten the heads off of a least 10 toothbrushes, nearly taking my fingers with them! However he cleans his teeth with rocks and sand and anything else he can drive me crazy with, and yes it is wearing them down and he has broken a couple but he doesn’t get a build-up of tartar. This is how he came to me, stressing out on whatever was handy, over time I have mostly broken him of the habit but I always have to be on his case. I don’t give my dogs bones as I have had minor previous internal issues with them as a result. They do get ‘dental chews’ and all have doggy toys to chew on which does help. :friends:

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Once the tartar has formed there is little you can do. The tartar you see is not a problem, it's the effects under the gum-line that cause problems. Cracking it off with bones or other methods won't improve oral health - even if the teeth look a bit better.

 

Generally the dog needs a general anaesthetic and thorough descale and polish. Only then should you attempt brushing. Once the tartar has formed it's too late.

 

Please avoid anything that can damage the enamel (scrapers, files) as they roughen the surface of the teeth and actually promote further tartar.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I used this on my dog's food when she was around 8 or 9 years old with some tartar/brown stuff on her teeth. It was remarkable just how well it worked. I was sceptical, but it sure worked on my dog and I just wish I'd taken photos before and therefore been able to compare them to 'after'. My guess would be around 3/4 of the brown appearance disappeared. I'd be the first to admit that I was surprised and my assessment is of course subjective - since I wasn't expecting it to work, I didn't take the photos - it was one of my wife's purchases.

 

Maybe it was only a colour change but it certainly significantly reduced the discolouration and it's given now at every meal.

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