Is this normal, or is this dog neglect?

[minnieemouse]

My sister has a 10 year old yorkie. She's recently been for a dental scale and polish and they've taken out more than half of her teeth !

I've only ever owned big dogs, who never required a dental clean or any extractions.

I'm a bit concerned about the welfare of her dog... sis says it's all normal with this bread and at her age etc..

This ^

Commenting on your sisters care of her dog when you clearly don't know much about it yourself is rich. Even the very best of dental chews can't be as effective as proper brushing. If that weren't the case you would have chews yourself, not a toothbrush! Dogs, just like us, have a "pattern" of chewing, using certain areas of their mouth more for certain activities. If, for example, you watch my dog chew, he will favour using the left side of his mouth. There are many ways of helping to loosen the plaque and tartar - chews, certain types of food or drinking water addictives, etc. But in the end, just like you, the most effecfive and complete is proper brushing of the teeth.

By all means bring my dog some dentastix OP and you can clean up the subsequent diarrhoea too as you're concerned about other people's dog health. Amazingly, your slack sister has managed to keep her dog alive for 10 years! I expect that is solely down to your good advice which I'm sure she welcomes. Keep it up.

Dentastix anit exactly a good thing for your dog. The marketing clearly worked though.

sounds like you just don’t like your sister though and just want a ha gotcha moment to prove she’s bad or something. A neglectful owner wouldn’t be paying teeth removal money.

Haha OP saying her sister is a crap owner who doesn’t look after the dogs teeth when she uses dentastix

We have a 14 year old medium sized dog who has a few teeth removed each year. He has then brushed every night but for the smaller needs who live longer, their bodies outlive their healthy teeth!! I grew up with German Shepherd dogs and don't remember dental problems with any of them but they had shorter lives 11/12

My 8 year old bichon had a scale and polish in February at £400 (3 little teeth removed as they were loose) and the plaque has already built up again! I thought that clean would last for the rest of his life!

I have a small terrier who's old now. He had a dental for what we thought was 1 problem tooth but ended up having 6 removed. Vet said they fell out once they started cleaning them but they had no other concerns. Between his age and the fact he's a small breed, it's to be expected. He's been fine since.

Why are you set on having something you can blame your sister for OP?

We had an elderly rescue Staffie who had to have all his teeth out. He was much happier without them and could eat hard food perfectly well.

My toy poodle has hardly any teeth left now (he’s 17) despite brushing regularly - the dentist just said it was combination of his breed being more prone to tooth decay, old age and bad luck. He’s much happier without the decayed ones.

Dentastix are foul things.

A shit owner who doesn't bother with the dogs needs, yet takes the dog for a scale and polish?

Best pick a narrative and stick with it op.

My very old terrier had to have teeth removed a couple of years ago.

I'm a good dog owner.

We've had several dogs, all but one have had great teeth. This one has always had terrible teeth, nothing I do makes things any better. She's missing a few now. I think she's just prone to poor dental health. It's perhaps no coincidence that she's the only KC registered pure bred dog we've had.

I wouldn't be so quick to blame the owner, dogs aren't the same as kids.

so because you chuck your dog dentastix once a day and she doesn’t, that makes you a good owner and her a bad one?

Not unusual
I assumed one of mine (that I had rehomed) had been neglected before we got her.
Then our next dog also had dodgy teeth - despite brushing etc - but vet told me some breeds are more prone than others.

Small breed dogs have the same number of teeth as larger dogs but all those teeth are crammed into their little mouths making them more prone to plaque buildup.

www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/dental-problems-differ-for-large-and-small-dogs/

By the way, I agree with the posters above, dentastix chews are not the best choice for your dog, check out the ingredients! Pooch and mutt did some research a few years ago on dentastix:

www.poochandmutt.co.uk/pages/dentastix

Many toy breeds are prone to dental issues due to less bone, dental crowding and in some cases, deformity of the jaw as well. A lot also live longer than larger breeds, which means teeth are more likely to deteriorate over their lifetime.

Fwiw, Dentastix are just junk food for dogs and Woofbrushes, that another poster mentioned, contain glycerine, which actually attracts plaque.

There’s a lot that can help look after your dog’s teeth, including regular brushing, enzymatic pastes, gels that cling to the tooth and gum surface and neutralise the bacteria that causes plaque, natural chews and additives for their food and water, but some dogs, particularly sighthounds and small breeds, will still have poor teeth despite owners trying everything to keep them healthy.

My rescue spaniel had lost half her teeth when got her and since has had all but 5 removed. She makes an enormous amount of plaqueow which had hardened all over her teeth. She must have been in dreadful pain but never showed it.
I have had dogs all my life and never brushed their teeth, none of them have had problems

My border terrier had revolting teeth despite an annual clean at the vet. His housemate had amazing teeth. They were fed the same diet and looked after in the same way. Some dogs are just prone to this

I pay to send my dogs poo off to be tested for worms. I don't believe in giving worming tablets without the presence of worms. So I get my dogs tested and would treat when necessary

It's not 100% reliable to do worm egg counts. By the time you may potentially see them, it's too late as the adult worm is mature enough to pass eggs. Wormer doses are excreted by the body along with any worms at all and they have no residual effect. That's why it needs to be repeated regularly and why they're safe to use.

We're supposed to brush our dogs teeth?

<looks sideways at 12 year old>

Are dentastix really bad?? Eeek I got some for mine as I couldn't brush his teeth effectively enough. Shite. What should I be using?
<sorry for hijack>

Neglect would be leaving the dog with a mouth of rotting teeth and the poor thing in pain to the point it wont eat.

Your sister has done nothing wrong at all.

And yes dentastix are full of crap. It would be like you brushing your teeth with jam. Things like chicken feet are so much better (and natural too).

Natural chews are much better as they're not full of additives and sugars ☺️

Try things with ridges or braids so they get between the teeth - I use beef tracheas, braided ostrich or beef tendons, or braided pizzles (bulls penis!). For smaller dogs you can try things like chicken feet or lamb braids as they're softer and easier to chew.

Or if you're squeamish and can't face body parts, try something like PlaqueOff which is just a powder you add to their food.