Teeth and gums

A popular belief is that tartar is caused by the lack of abrasive food to clean the teeth. Many people mistakenly believe that feeding dry dog food keeps the teeth clean. One need only look at the teeth of dogs fed on certain dry foods to realise that this is not so. (Does your own mouth feel clean after eating biscuits?)

It is true that bone and hide and other hard food will help to clean the teeth but the real cause of tartar is an accumulation of waste matter in the body. These wastes are dissolved in the body fluids including the saliva. When the saliva washes over the teeth much of this debris settles out and forms plaque which hardens to form tartar.

There are now specialist veterinary diets which are intended to manage tartar by creating an abrasive cleansing effect. This technique is unnecessary if the underlying cause i.e. the accumulation of waste products is tackled properly.

It is possible to avoid tartar without the need for special diets or even for brushing the teeth. Correct nutrition works by eliminating waste from the system.

sourced from: burns pet nutrition website

good to know

many a times Ive heard people say to each other feed dry food it will stop them having bad teeth
if you get a dog used to having their teeth brushed when their a pup then you can keep it going well into adulthood

our little old lad will not touch dry biscuits, even when i have put some gravy or water on ,he does however like a raw hide bone now and again but he does not have many teeth. tried to clean them with a tooth brush but that was a total disaster.

i wouldnt even attempt to brush my two's teeth i would end up with toothpaste everywhere!

just to let you all know tha you ca get proper doggy tooth paste nd you can get it in avariety of flavours, like beef, chicken and pork, etc so the dogs love it and will happily have the tooth paste!

Bones clean my dogs teeth jasmin & onyx are nearly 4 and have beautiful white teeth

bones are a realy good source to help clean your dogs teeth, they should only be given to your dog raw though as they will not splinter like cooked bones!

that explains sukis shiny white teeth, all the bones she devoures!

All dogs should be tooth brush trained from a young age like boardercollie pup (lisa) said so that they will happily let you brush their teeth later on in life. It is also beneficial for your dogs when brushing their teeth regularly because they will not bother about their mouthes being opened and shut, which is a great advantage when you take them to the vets for check ups.

bought george some teeth chews to help with his gums and teeth but he hides them usually in his bed.

im still not convinced titch would appreasiate me cleaning his teeth, doggie toothpaste sounds like a great idea till i though about it, i think titch would end up eating my hand by accident! lol

i will put some more information on here for all our forum members, for how to train your dog to sit quietly while you brush their teeth. you will find most dogs will tolerate their teeth being brushed for a tasty treat, so dont wurry! more helpis on the way, later on today!

Toothpaste and toothbrushes for dogs I consider another money-spinner!!! I have honestly never needed to clean my dogs teeth at any time. Feeding raw food and raw bones keeps them clean. I often have comments about my dogs teeth and how white they are, even on Cleo who is 6 later this month has bright white, clean teeth.

The raw diet is a good source of cleaning your dogs teeth as you will feed some sort of bones in it, but for those people who dont feed the raw diet and dont give their dogs bones, i feel that cleaning your dogs teeth by other methods are a must especially if all they are fed is canned food as this will not help in the cleaning of your dogs teeth.

My dog george never used to like eating treats when he was younger, the ones to help clean his teeth and he never liked bones either, he is fussy but like some dogs do not like certain things to helpclean their teeth, other methods like brushinmg their teeth are needed. I think it is a good idea in this sense.

i still cant see these two taking to having there teeth brushed! lol

You would be surprised by how many dogs have their teeth brushed

i tell you what ill give it a go with vegas, (titch might eat my hand getting carried away!) ill post some pics and let you know how it goes! if i loose a hand i shall be billing you jen! lol

i dnt mind replacing your hand, il get u one of those captain hook hands in its placement