My Tam doesn't like having her teeth cleaned but it has to done.  I clean her teeth every other day as she has really bad gums and really yellow teeth her breath is not so bad considering the state on her teeth and gums.  I have been doing this now since November and have not had any real success.  She does chew rawhides but this doesn't seem to help at all.  I feed them dried food and have tried her with kibble but she cocked her nose up at that after a week or two but that didn't improve the matters either.  The vet will charge me an extortionate amount for her to have her teeth cleaned which I am not prepared to pay if I can do it myself.

Do any of you have any suggestions on cleaning her teeth and what you have found best?

I feed raw and so do not need to clean their teeth :D

Have you tried Fragaria?  From Dorwest herbs it is just a pilule you give every day and the tartar drops off.

If the teeth are just yellow without plaque of tartar then that is the colour they will stay.  If your dog has gum disease it may require more than teeth cleaning!

Was going to say the same as Tohme there....

Ive just got an old saluki x bitch, and her teeth are horrendous (a lifetime of vitalin and chappie)..... ive had her on raw for a week now, and the orrible brown plaque is coming off, in chunks!

Thats just on the raw, i havent got any fragaria, but as soon as i can ill be getting some of that for her as well!

Em

I tried Fragaria on my old bitch, and it had absolutely no effect whatsoever. :(

I tried Fragaria too with no results.  I then tried Logic gel and I although I was sceptical about it, I have to say it has worked wonders.
Certainly worth a try.

Sandra

How do you use Logic gel, I followed the instructions on the box, but can't say I've noticed any difference, been using it most days for about a month now.

I brush the teeth with logic, then leave some on the tongue after brushhing and found this was better than just putting it on the tongue. Placing it on the tongue only does help with bad breath, but results for cleaning teeth seemed more effective once I started brushing with it as well. And the dogs at least seem to like the taste.

I just rub it into the teeth with my finger.  Give it a bit longer Robert, I bought mine at Crufts and have only noticed the difference in the last couple of weeks.

I bought a toothbrush and paste which provides 100% entertainment and 0% doggie teeth cleaning...hmmm time for a rethink.

The only thing that will help is a teeth cleaning at the vets which will cost lots of $$$$ OR start giving her raw meaty bones to gnaw on,such as ,marrow bones,chicken wings,pork/lamb ribs,beef soup bones etc etc. The choice is yours,a couple hundred dollars at the vets or a couple dollars a week on bones.
I have shih-tzu's who are prone to tartar build up,but their teeth are shiny white due to the bones i give them,they get one each per day of the recreational bones and a few chicken wing tips daily.

Can i ask what the difference between "dry"food and "kibble" is?I thought they were both the same thing
christine

Kibble is a dry food but with a specially designed shape to help prevent tartar build up.  It encourages chewing more whereas most dry foods are just round and flat.

Is Logic Gel a vet only item or can you buy it on the web, if so does anybody have a link please.

Thanks very much

Cant do links, sorry, but the address is www.caninechemists.com

I think I'll try both anything to help her get into better condition than she is now.  As she is a rescue dog I have spent an absolute fortune at the vets over the past 5 months.  Mind you since November 2003 she has gone from a very weak and skinny 12k to a very nice fit and healthy 18.8k I just don't seem to be able to get her teeth and gums into order.  Some weeks she would have a beautiful mouth, nice helathy gums white teeth and the next week they are an absolute mess.

Thanks for your replies and I'll let you know how I get on with these products.

Naomi,

Just thought I'd chime in late .. but Logic works well for my dog too.

Stacey

Definately going to try both :)  I'll try logic first.  How long should it take to see some results before I try something else?

She's decided to chew her toothbrush and seems to enjoy running away with the towel :)

At what age would you start brushing teeth?  Our pup still has her baby teeth, should we wait until her 'adult' teeth come through or just start with the baby teeth to get her used to it?  Thanks for the advice, sorry for hi-jacking the thread.

Start as soon as possible! (Just as with a human baby you start wiping their gums before they even get thei first teeth through.)
:)

Thanks Jeangenie.  I have absolutely no experience with human babies, know more about puppies! :D