Yikes! Bailey's Morning Breath!!

[Linus]

Well, I think its about time to start brushing Bailey's teeth. He will be 2 in February and just now started to get a little tarter build-up. He used to chew things to clean his teeth, but besides bully sticks (which are a little out of my budget), I won't give him anything anymore.

So...what kind of toothpaste and toothbrush do you use for your dogs? (Meaning, is there one brand of doggie toothpaste that's better than the others) How often do you do it? Or, are there other alternatives I can try?

All I know now is that he's knocking me out with his yawns in the morning! :faint:

[Courtney]

I bought just a regular doggie toothbrush at Petsmart and the mint flavored dog toothpaste. Dax loves the mint taste and when I brush Po's teeth he will lick his mouth! Napoleon does not mind the mint I don't think. I don't have to brush teeth often since the raw diet does a great job of tooth cleaning, but Napoleon still has his two baby canines and food gets stuck there, so I have to brush. He's getting those out in January though!

[oceangirls]

If you've never brushed before, you can start by putting a little toothpaste on your finger and getting him used to having something in his mouth for short periods. You can also use the little cotton squares (like cotton balls only flat) with toothpaste on them. They make dental wipes (with a solution on them to clean teeth), but they are kind of expensive sometimes and cotton squares with toothpaste work just as well.

I don't brush routinely, but I should start! I have poked around in there with a cotton square once or twice if I knew they had food or something that was stuck. My mom is the expert here, and this is what she told me.

[Otto'sMom]

Otto eats those mints that come along with my Sonic meals.
I was going to eat it, unwrapping one end of it with my teeth and Otto helped himself right to it. Fresh like xmas for a few minutes.

I need to get me some of those tooth wipey things for him and his stank bref.

[twodogslong]

BAD OWNER I know!!! And Daphne's breath could knock you out at ten paces. That was before we started on the RAW diet. Now her breath is not that bad, I would not go so far as to say fresh, and Daphne and Gateway have very little to no tarter on their teeth due to the many bones they both get.

[Patt]

I believe dog tooth paste comes in two different flavors poultry and beef. Also you can use a tooth brush or a finger brush and brush a minimum of once or twice a week, more is better in this case. Please do not use regular human tooth paste or baking soda these might make Bailey ill. Has he seen his vet lately, bad breath doesn't always mean bad teeth.

You could try brushing his teeth but if he has a tartar build up I would suggest getting a dental first and than you can start with beautiful "sparking whites" and keep them that way. Good luck.

[Kerie]

When I started to brush Oscar's teeth, I bought 2 types of toothbrushes. One was a doggie toothbrush that has a handle just like a people toothbrush. The other was more like a rubber fingertip cover that has some bristly things on it. I thought that Oscar would do better with the toothbrush, but the rubber fingertip one has worked much better. With the toothbrush he always expected that I'd play "fetch" with it and didn't let it near his mouth. With the fingertip one I can start by petting his face and then just glide the fingertip to his teeth. He squirms a little but he does not try to bite my finger.

Only problem is I do it much less often than I planned to.

[Jen]

I use a finger brush and beef flavored toothpaste for Tasha. Slow to start, let him taste the paste. Second time, a bit on the brush and let him lick it off, etc.

Also, you can find a 1 lb bag of flossie seconds (scraps from the flossie making process) for $12-16 on the web. A lot cheaper than normal flossies or bully sticks.

Flossie Seconds (http://auctions.overstock.com/cgi-bin/auctions.cgi?PAGE=PRODDET&PRODUCTID=16922285&cid=77065)

[Linus]

Thanks for all the advice! I am going to go check on doggie toothpaste this afternoon.

I am pretty sure its just bad breath. He has pearly whites except for some build up on his canines. He has never had a breath problem, but he was on Hills I/D for a few days due to an upset tummy, so that's probably what caused it.

[wawailc]

What about Greenies???

[Kasianni]

I have been brushing Mika's teeth everyday since last May. I dont like the finger brushes, too big for her mouth. I use a small childs toothbrush and change them every 2 weeks. I use the poultry tooth paste for her, she loves it. Here is my girl, doing it all on her own :rotfl:
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/kasianni/yummies023a.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/kasianni/yummies015a.jpg

[Patt]

I have been brushing Mika's teeth everyday since last May. I dont like the finger brushes, too big for her mouth. I use a small childs toothbrush and change them every 2 weeks. I use the poultry tooth paste for her, she loves it. Here is my girl, doing it all on her own :rotfl:
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/kasianni/yummies023a.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u166/kasianni/yummies015a.jpg
Good job Mika!! I wish mine would do that. Cute pics.

[Opaleyz]

We brush Lili's teeth every other day, which is actually easier for me to remember doing that way. When I started I bought a package that contained peanut butter flavored toothpaste (she loves it), a finger brush, and a double headed regular brush with one small end and one large end. I started out using the finger brush, but it was too big to try and get to her back teeth and she accidentally bit down on my finger in the process (that HURT). I switched to the small end of the double-ended brush and that has worked best for us. She loves licking off the toothpaste so much that I have to be quick or she'll eat it up!

[Patt]

OOPS... Please note this is a thread from 2005.

[Linus]

OOPS... Please note this is a thread from 2005.

Haha! Thanks Patt, I was just going to mention that. No more morning breath for Bailey since switching to raw, btw. Sweet kisses all the time. :hearts:

[Otto'sMom]

What about Greenies???

Greenies are a hot item to debate. One group will cite their deadliness referring to the dozen or so dogs that were unable to digest them and these dogs died from intestinal blockage. The other group never had a problem with them and their dogs LOVE them, although I've never seen any real dental benefits from them, just the benefit of "SHUTTING THE EFF UP DOLLY" for a few moments. They don't have any nutritional value, I think. The company changed the formula after the dog deaths, and my dogs haven't died from them. My wallet has, however. They're too spendy to dole out 15 at a time.

[brooklyns_mom]

Greenies (IMHO) are overpriced bits of cornstarch with minty flavoring. If you wanna freshen breath/clean teeth go with the toothbrush, diet change and/or just plain rawhide.

That said, I work at a holistic pet store one day a week and greenies sell like hotcakes. Hats off to their marketing team.
:dunno: :shrug: