Comments on Dog Teeth Cleaning: DIY At Home

Hello Dr. Falconer,

I feed raw, but had not known to regularly feed bones for dental health. We have a severe tartar issue with Bo & Tanner, our 11 year old male toy schnauzers (rescues from the same litter). They have never been "chewers" or shown much interest in the raw chicken necks I used to try to give them. Do you recommend anything to help break down the tartar more quickly? I read somewhere to brush their teeth with hydrogen peroxide...whet is your opinion on that?
Also, 4 years ago I took my little Tanner, now 5 lb (used to be 9 lb only 3 months ago) in for a tooth cleaning to a regular vet here in Wimberley & picked him up with nearly all his teeth extracted. I cried & still feel so guilty for putting him through that. I will never do that again. He now only has his 4 canines & a few back molars. Lately he is showing very little to NO interest in his food & I suspect that he may have a fractured tooth (about 3 months ago I did give him an all natural dog biscuit that was obviously hard for him to chew) or something causing him pain when he eats.
If you are no longer accepting new patients, can you please recommend another holistic/homeopathic vet? I just don't know who to trust. Thank you for your time, I truly appreciate any advice you might have for us.
Peace & blessings!

Hello: We have six dogs all small, from 5 - 9 lbs in weight. I have been giving them deer antlers. I notice that my male pom who chews on them the most has the most lovely looking white teeth and healthy gums. Are bones such as this and horns okay for their teeth I'm wondering? Thank you.

I have been giving my big dogs raw chicken wings for a week every couple of months. Haven't needed to spend $300 on a dental in 6 years. My 5 lb. Maltese had infected gums a few years ago. The vet said if she didn't get a $325 dental she would lose her teeth. I decided to try giving her the raw chicken wings before spending that money. Her gum infection went away and her teeth are still in her mouth. She is 13. I do not combine any dry man made goods with the raw diet as I read it messes with their gut so no milk bones for the week. BTW, I have 5 dogs of different sizes, this works for all of them.

Hy...
It's very good and useful content about teeth cleaning.
Thank you.

My healthy 12 year-old poodle Kami had a general checkup and was advised to have his first dental scaling soon. I am worried about putting him under anaesthesia for the first time.
I have never given him raw meat before. Should I give him raw bones at this point?

My healthy 13 yr old Shih Tzu/Yorkie has been taking Trifexis for a number of years. Two months ago she began to have vomiting and diarrhea. She was treated with antidiarrhea and nausea meds to no avail. at the end of each month she would be feeling better and I would give her Trifexis and with the same results. I have just now figured out that Trifexis is the problem. What can I do to counteract the Trifexis I gave her three days ago?

My dogs have been fed raw since 4 months old. They are 9 now. One has a fractured tooth and both have tartar. They eat a chicken leg for breakfast and meat at night. They are both a little under 20 lbs. Can I get a rack of ribs and cut individual ribs for them to chew on? Pork? Beef? Thanks for your advice and your site!

You do not mention beef bones as part of the raw bones to give to animals, are they too big?

This is so very interesting...I am thrilled to hear all of the info about raw bones for dogs. Today our 5 lb 2.5 yr old Pom had a wellness check and we were told that she has stage one pareadontal diesese...that she will need a cleaning within one year and that we needed to brush her teeth at least once a day, which she hates because we have tried this. She also has a clasped trachea and I would love to feed her raw bones but my husband is very worried about chicken bones hurting her throat...what raw bones would recommend giving her. Thank you for your help, this is awesome and very much appreciated!
Christy

I really like the concept of naturally cleaning my dogs teeth instead of the putting my dog under and scraping their teeth. I just have to wonder if this isn't what my cat hasn't been trying to do for all these years by bringing my dogs doves to eat. I have two rather large dogs (Treeing Walker Coon Hounds about 115 pounds a peice) I would like to start feeding them Chicken wings. How many do you recommend feeding them if I were to do it twice a week?
Thank you for the article

Came across your wonderful site while searching for a solution to clean my dog's nasty looking teeth. I have read all of the questions and responses but confused on one point. On the chicken wing topic .. do I strip most of the raw chicken from the bone before giving it to my dog? Also, on the meat bones, do I leave a good portion of meat on the bone? I hope this method helps in cleaning Dina's teeth. Doing it with a small toothbrush and a tube of what-ever I found at PetCo doesn't seem to be doing much good. Thanks for your response.

I have a min. Doxie,he has tarter build-up,I have been brushing his teeth after each meal,it has helped. Are you saying that raw chicken wings will be helpful in cleaning his teeth,thanks

Do NOT give your dog hard bones, antlers, etc. anything that can't be bent should not go in your dog's mouth. That's how my dog broke her teeth and needed surgery. Wild dogs may eat bones, but they also have a much, much shorter life span!

raw hide bones gave my canine pneumonia due to small pieces chewed off cause him to regurgitate filling lung with fluid .pet ok after vet treatment also can you recommend besides raw bones a way of brushing besides the enzymatic stuff full, of chemicals thanks

Just to be clear RAW chicken bones are fine? I own a very small Maltese who's two and is getting serious tart buildup on her back teeth.

I'm so brand new to this site. Are you saying the old thinking of chicken bones and other softer bones are good for dogs? They don't pierce their throat or insides like we were always taught???

I have a 13 yr. old cocker spaniel who doesn't know what to do with bones. She carries them around but that is all. My other dogs eat their bones then take away the cocker spaniel's bone. How do I teach her how to eat bones or do I just let her carry them proudly? Thanks

Hello and Thank you for an informative site that isn't trying to sell us on Purina dog chow or science diet as a healthy food. I would like to let you know that after our 12 lb. Bellabear (pom) was diagnosed with Itp and given prednisone, and was told lifetime prednisone tHeRaPy" was our only choice.......she became alot of things that concerned us......i removed the prednisone Asap and started her on 50 MCG of vitamin k a day. It has been Over a year and has not had a bout of purpura...My question is regarding her teeth, will slightly ground raw chicken thighs clean them safely. Thank you again and the Best to you and yours. Dd

I just recently rescued a 2.5 year old Siberian Husky. I don't think she was very well taken care of because her teeth are as yellow and dirty as can be. I had given her a small knotted rawhide the other day to chew and she went to town, I noticed shortly after giving it to her there was a little bit of blood on the bone. I didn't think much about it, considering it was only a little amount. After she finished I opened her mouth to see that her K9 was completely gone! It broke right were her tooth hits the gumline, so there is a small stub of tooth but its very little. I took her to the vet a couple weeks ago to see what I should do. The doctor at the vets office told me to put her on an antibiotic called clavamox, and then to schedule for the tooth to be extracted if it started to abscess. I refused the antibiotics until I saw that it was absolutely necessary, a couple days later I got her a weeks worth of augmentin. She seems to be fine, no trouble eating food. But is an extraction really necessary? I want whats best for her but it really seems like theres always a sales ploy involved when I go to the vet. And should I refrain completley from giving her bones? Thank you!

What can a pet parent do for a dog who already has tooth problems (tartar, plaque, etc.) without going the anesthesia route. Is there anything?