Got questions about your dog’s health, nutrition, or oral care? Ask a pet expert!

[LibbyMumsnet]

Whether you’ve got a new puppy or a well loved senior dog, we know that caring for a dog can come with plenty of questions. Is their diet right? How do you keep their teeth healthy? How much exercise is enough?

We’ve teamed up with Pedigree® and Dr Marie-Louise Bennett to help with all your dog related questions - whether it’s about the best diet for them or maintaining their oral health.

• How it works: Post your questions below and Dr Marie-Louise Bennett will be back in a few weeks to answer.
• Prize draw: Everyone who posts a question on this thread by 24th November 2024 will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher to treat your dog (or yourself, no judgement!).

Dr Marie-Louise Bennett
Dr Marie-Louise Bennett has more than 25 years’ experience in the field of veterinary oral health and has led research at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute investigating how to help prevent dental issues in dogs and cats through superior nutrition and gold standard home care.

Marie-Louise is the Scientific Communications Director for Mars Petcare Europe and works closely with key external organisations such as the British Veterinary Dental Association to help raise awareness of oral care issues in pets and ensure every animal has access to effective home oral care regimes and supportive veterinary care.

We’re looking forward to seeing your questions and helping you and your four-legged companions!

Insight T&Cs apply

@CarrotCake97 - Although some dogs can be fussy and also train us very well into offering them things they really really want (like cheese!), my first thought with a fussy older dog is that they may have a lot of mouth pain due to gum disease. Shitzus are a breed that are very prone to developing painful gum disease early in life and as yours is 12 years old it is very likely to be suffering from this all to common condition. I would advise that you ask your vet to do a full mouth examination and explain what you have noticed. You can also check yourself beforehand, looking for the following common signs – bad breath, red inflamed gums, roots of teeth showing, maybe even some teeth missing – there should be 42 in total.

@oddbox - You will find this guide super useful as it tells you how to take care of your dog’s teeth at home and also how to spot the signs of gum disease. Toothbrushing is the best way to keep their teeth clean (just as we do!) and then proven dental treats with the VOHC seal of approval can also help prevent plaque and tartar build up. Professional scale and polish at the vet is required from time to time, particularly for dogs that are very prone to plaque and tartar build up. These dental cleans must only ever be performed by a qualified vet who is trained to careful scale and polish using the right equipment, look for other issues in the mouth, extract any teeth that cannot be saved etc. After a dental clean then you really can up your game with the home care and help keep their mouths super healthy for life!

@DinkyDaffodil - Dogs have complex nutritional needs that vary with lifestage and lifestyle so it is not easy to have a definitive list of nutritional needs to cover every dog. Instead prepared petfood is carefully formulated to meet these needs and this is why you will see so many different products on offer, particularly within the more premium ranges available at pet stores. It is important that they get the right ratio of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are within the safe, recommended range for each individual nutrient. This can be very hard to get right with home made food and so can lead to nutrient deficiencies over time.

@Sunnywithchanceofshowers - I am sorry to hear that. It would be best if your vet can recommend a diet for her since they will know her history the best. You could also contact the customer care service of Royal Canin since they have a number of products carefully formulated for pets with certain conditions. Contact Us | Royal Canin UK

@Fancyquickthinker - Although you can give your dog tinned fish if it doesn’t upset their tummy, it is important to know that it is not nutritionally complete and balanced and therefore does not contain all the macro and micronutrients critical to optimal health. So it cannot be fed in isolation. Instead you might want to look at a diet that has been specially formulated for dogs with sensitive guts. Your vet can help you investigate exactly what your dog is sensitive to in their diet and thereby recommend a product that does not contain the ingredient they struggle with.

@sanpellegrinocinnamonbun - Great question! As an oral health expert I am going to tell you to look after their teeth too! Dog’s mouth are so important to them, they use them like we use our hands. Here is a great guide to taking care of your dog’s teeth. In addition to this mental stimulation is really important for dogs, they like to keep their brains busy too! So you can think about some games you can play, such as hiding some of their food for them to seek out, maybe some of the treat dispensing toys too – as they can provide enrichment and fun. It is super important to keep an eye on their weight too as so many dogs are now overweight or obese and it can creep up quickly. So here is a great article that can help you ensure that you have healthy habits in place for your pet Dog Weight Management | Royal Canin UK. Lastly, here is a really easy one, let them choose their walking route themselves (within reason!). We often get into a habit of doing the same walk in the same order every time, try letting your dog decide whether to go left or right, whether to do an extra loop – see where they take you! They will love being the boss for a day!

@Elster1999 - It can be so hard with some dogs to get them to accept brushing but sometimes that can be because their mouths are sore or because we are not the best at doing it. It is great that you have tried but if you are willing to give it another go then please take a look at this step by step guide . Dental chews with the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal of approval can help prevent plaque and tartar and if your dog likes a good chew then Pedigree Dentastix Advanced are a twice weekly longer lasting chew that prevent around 50% of plaque build up and 70% of tartar accumulation. I would strongly advise you to avoid yak chew, antlers, bones, nylon chews and other hard toys. Unfortunately, these can cause terrible tooth fractures as they are so hard that they actually break the teeth – it is a really common problem in dogs given these kinds of chews. If your dog will tolerate a wipe over its teeth then some chlorhexidine wipes will help prevent plaque build up also – ask your vet for a brand they recommend.

@ketchuporbrownsauce - Generally I would advise against puppy pads (unless this is where you want the puppy to be toileting in future), as it introduces another step that you have to untrain/phase out if you eventually want puppy to toilet in garden. If it is garden as the end point, then start as you intend to go on!You can cordon off a particular area plus effectively choose your timing (after waking up, after eating, play etc) to increase the likelihood of toileting when outside, and pair with treats so they puppy is more likely to choose to go outside in future. The key thing is to limit the amount of accidents inside through management, regularly going outside to toilet area and reinforcing the toileting behaviour (via treats/play/opportunity to explore).To prevent accidents inside, supervision is key! Remember never to punish puppy if they have an accident inside. They are not doing this on purpose, they just haven’t learnt yet and it is your job to teach them . Here’s some more helpful info How
to house train a puppy | Royal Canin UK

@FloralGums - It is a real problem unfortunately that these pesticides are regularly being detected in our ponds and waterways potentially risking the aquatic biodiversity. There are some natural alternatives such as collars impregnated with essential oils such as peppermint or citronella. These can be effective for some pets but you may just have to try out a few different ones to find the one that works the best for your pet.

@Mollypolly2610 - There is some research showing that a certain seaweed extract in powder products can help prevent plaque build up (rather than scrape it off), look for products with the VOHC as many claim to contain seaweed but may not always have it at the required concentration or have evidence for it working. Chewing on proven dental chews can help keep the teeth clean also – again look for chews with the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval as these have been proven to work in clinical studies.

@Bloatedbelly - Toothbrushing is the best way to keep their teeth clean (just as we brush to keep our own teeth clean!) and then proven dental treats with the VOHC seal of approval such as Pedigree Dentastix can also help the fight against plaque and tartar build up. Professional scale and polish at the vet is required from time to time, particularly for dogs that are very prone to plaque and tartar build up. These dental cleans must only ever be performed by a qualified vet who is trained to careful scale and polish using the right equipment, look for other issues in the mouth, extract any teeth that cannot be saved etc. After a dental clean then you really can up your game with the home care and help keep their mouths super healthy for life!

Hello, another teeth one - can gum disease be reversed in dogs as it can sometimes in humans - and do dog foods have enough calcium to help strong teeth - can fluoride be given - or is our tap water enough (Yorkshire water)

@fallingleavesandhairyknees - Not all dental sticks are created equally! It is important to look out for those with the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval as these have been shown in independent studies to help prevent plaque and tartar build up. You could also ask your veterinary nurse if they can help you learn how to brush your dogs teeth. Here is a step by step guide you can also take a look at, often it is us as owners getting it wrong that puts them off.

@youareonlyhereonce - Dog don't usually suffer with dental caries - the condition that excess sugar causes in the mouth. Instead they get periodontal (gum) disease. This is due to the build up of plaque and tartar on the teeth and it actually happens even in the acbsence of food. Think about how your own teeth feel first thing in the morning when you have gone all night without eating - plaque has been busy building up on your teeth the whole time. So, no this is not about hidden sugars in pet food at all, we just need to have a good oral health regime for our pets - toothbrushing ideally and proven dental chews. It is important also to know that some dogs are more prone to others to gum disease so some breeds can live to a ripe old age with pretty good teeth. For small to medium size dogs in particular, gum disease is a big problem.

@GloriaSmornin - As mentioned earlier, unfortunately some dogs are very susceptible to gum disease and really do need a good toothbrushing routine to stay on top of their dental health. Pedigree Dentastix do not contain any added sugar. I am not aware of any published research that shows that frozen carrots can clean teeth and so instead I tend to recommend dental chews and diets with the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal of approval since they have been shown to work in independent clinical studies. After your dog has received her dental treatment and is fully recovered ask your veterinary nurse to teach you how to brush her teeth. Pelase also take a look at this handy guide

@HobNobAddict - unfortunately arthritis tends to be a chronic condition and so Metacam and some proven supplements can help manage the condition. I would ask your vet for supplements that they feel are well researched and they have direct experience of having helped some of their patients.

@Redflagsabounded - Probably eating something they shouldn't have done whilst out and about! Or sometimes a period of stress may result in a bit more of a windy, upset tummy. See if you can notice any pattern at all with regards to what may have been happening in the household around the same time.

@Theimpossiblegirl - I work alongside many veterinary dental specialists who tell me that they regularly treat older patients with no issues at all. Special measures are put in place when older animals are treated to minimise any risks from the anaesthetic. If the mouth is painful and full of disease it is far better to let your older dog have a pain free mouth for their senior years. If your vet is not so confident you can always ask them to refer you to your nearest veterinary dentist or you can find one online.

@itsywitsy - This is a great question and one to ask your veterinary nurse, they can look at your individual dog's claws and advise the best care plan or treatment.

@JurassicPark4Eva - Unfortunately bones and other hard chews such as horns and antlers do cause terribly painful fractures of the teeth. The important thing to remember though is that they don't actually clean the teeth either as they are way to hard for the tooth to sink into and have the plaque removed. Instead for your big dog I would recommend Pedigree Dentastix Advanced which is a twice a week longer lasting chew that really allows great penetration of all the teeth safely into the product. It has the VOHC seal of approval for efficacy and will also help keep their breath fresh too.

@JurassicPark4Eva - That sounds like a great plan for a next step. You will find that veterinary physiotherapists are also great animal behaviourists and are expert at gently and positively coaching their patients through their exercises. You could ask you vet practice if they can recommend someone. Well done for being such a caring, proactive pet parent! Lucky doggies!

@Dashel - When you buy from a large, established petfood manufacturer you can be reassured that the claims are backed up by good science since they will have to justify those claims to the authorities and also spend many millions on developing nutritious diets that pets love. Petfoods can often be classed into premium and super premium which generally reflects the ingredients or additional benefits that go alongside the complete and balanced nutrition.

@benjaminjamesandgraham - Some dogs may benefit from a glucosamine chondriotin supplement and so I would ask you vet for recommendations of supplements that they feel are well researched and they have direct experience of having helped some of their patients.

Is a complete dry food meal in the evening enough for my adult dog? My parents always fed their dog cereal for breakfast and although my dog is thin the vetcsays their weight is ok.

What would a good daily routine for an adult dog look like? I always feels guilty we don't do enough exciting things with him!