Has anyone managed to get their dog's teeth really clean again?

[misspiggyluvskermit]

I have an 8 year old Cairn terrier and I must confess I have never brushed his teeth!

Having had a GSD growing up and knowing various other dogs with great teeth and no brushing it never really occurred to me.

I also never feed by Cairn sweet human food. Dog food only. When he was younger though, I used to feed him Dentastix until I found out they were not really so good for him (the vet also mentioned this).

Anyway, the vets have been mentioning his teeth when I have brought him in for other minor issues. I don't know what to do.

I was all set to book him in for teeth cleaning under GA and then read about how dangerous GA can be for dogs. It's really put me off! He was under GA when he was young for an embedded testicle and was fully castrated then with no problems.

I just don't know what to do! He eats Royal Canin kibble and wet pouches and gets carrots for treats and the very occasional ostrich tendon or dried chicken breast and roasted salmon skin.

I have been doing a bit of research in ostrich bones and that special water and plaque off (he won't eat it, but I could smuggle it into his food?) and so on. Plus, actual tooth brushing, though I can almost guarantee he will fight me every inch of the way on this.

I am willing to do whatever it takes/spend whatever I need to if I can help him avoid a GA. Also, even if he gets it done, I still have to find a way of preventing recurrence.

HELP, please! I would be most grateful to hear your thoughts.

Personally I wouldn't mess around with random products off the internet.

Get them cleaned professionally under GA and then keep on top of them from there.

I'd get them cleaned up at the vets and start again! Nothing will properly remove all of the plaque build up that is already there.

When my dog got all of her adult teeth through I moved her straight onto Canagan Dental dog food. I started her on this because she's a small breed that's prone to dental problems and I wanted to get a head start on the problem. She's still only young (16months) but so far her teeth are doing great, no build up at all or bad breath and the vet even commented on them last month when she had her boosters.

She also has a crunchy fish cube every day which I think are good at scraping off any gunk stuck to her teeth and she also gets a carrot. Every few days she will get a lamb braid.

Perhaps once you've tackled the problem you could try a small bag of Canagan Dental, I think it's turkey flavour.

I use a finger brush for pups teeth. Also fish4dogs all natural fish skin treats- cubes and twists are great for teeth and overall health.

If you can find a groomer who does Emmi-pet ultrasonic teeth cleaning, that is amazing for getting the plaque off and doesn't require any sedation. We get our dog's done 3-4 times a year plus give him an ostrich bone once a week for half an hour at home and his teeth are in amazing shape (the vet complimented us last time we were there!). We got our dog when he was 4 and his teeth hadn't been particularly well looked after up to that point and this regimen has completely turned them around. You can get the ostrich bone (plus lots of other natural chews that are great for teeth and gums) from JR Pet Products. No affiliation, just highly recommend them!

The Emmi-Pet ultrasonic cleaner is not a substitution for a proper deep clean under sedation by a vet.

Unless your dog has underlying health problems, a general anaesthetic is low risk at his age. Whereas filthy teeth are an ongoing risk to his health. Just get them done and start a proper care regime.

Adding a seaweed supplement to your pet's dinner each night can help to reduce the amount of plaque that can build up on their teeth. Seaweed contains Ascophyllum nodosum; a species of kelp which helps to keep your pet's teeth clean and reduce bad breath in a natural way.

I buy different brand seaweed products and add to their food.

My dog has great teeth, she’s only ever had natural chews - ostrich bone, beef sticks, lamb tendons, Fisk skins etc.
She is raw fed + Fish4Dogs kibble, full of energy and in tip top condition.

My dog is 9. Have never cleaned her teeth. She eats kibble and carrots plus some cooked meat and marrowbone treats.

I swear sometimes brushing your dogs teeth doesn’t even do anything. Try natural treats like pig ears etc.

I’d get his teeth cleaned at the vet, the GE is safe for that, then you can start with a clean slate as it were. I showed & bred Cairns for over forty years & he’s no age really, all mine lived well into their teens several reaching 18 & one I only lost two weeks short of her twentieth birthday!
Cairns have good teeth, it’s the toy breeds that tend to have more problems. Once his teeth are clean you can start your own regimen. First use some of the meat flavoured dog toothpaste on your finger & gently rub it on his teeth & gums. Do that for about a week before introducing a brush & start with a small cat toothbrush first. Once he’s comfortable with that you can get a baby toothbrush from the supermarket.
Plaque off added to his food will help to soften any plaque making it easier to brush off. The dried fish treats are good, I get the Skippers ones online & the yak chews which you can buy individually from Pets at Home ( they keep them under the counter at my branch 😂 like crack cocaine or lad mags) said they get a lot pinched. A raw carrot is good too, & for their anal glands. Beware of the horn chews, I’ve known people who’s dogs have broken a tooth on them.

Haven't read the full thread but royal canin is quite a nutritionally poor carb dense food https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/dog-food-reviews/0060/royal-canin-medium-adult (Not sure which type you use but they're all around the same)

Dogs can handle carbs fine but they will get tooth decay from it. Carbohydrates feed bad bacteria in the mouth, my spaniel's teeth came around once I switched to raw and started using a kelp topper for food and enzyme toothpaste, but if you're not comfortable feeding raw I would get him in for a full clean and start with the kelp topper and toothpaste and water additives after. I had my lurcher in for a dental and was very worried too (she came out fine) but switched to raw as I didn't want the worry further down the line of having my dog put under for teeth cleaning

@misspiggyluvskermit be careful when reading all about dog food's website. It is a useful resource, but is driven by consumer reviews and not science.

You may be better off with the Pet Food Manufacturers Association website (ukpetfood.org). There is a lot less conjecture and more fact in it.

They don't seem very impartial looking at their website, some of their pet food manufacturers are notoriously bad and they don't seem like an impartial source. https://www.ukpetfood.org/membership/members-of-ukpetfood.html#

The entry criteria for membership to the manufacturers association is to manufacture to a higher standard than the law requires.

It is a minefield, but at least the industry is regulated here.

Which ones do you believe to be notoriously bad, and what is the basis of the opinion please? I'm not being antagonistic, just curious as it is very hard finding much in the way of evidence for anything dog food related. All I could ever find is opinion on forums. You just have to look at how popular raw feeding is without a shred of evidence of it being any better for the dog than any other food.