How often should I brush my lab's teeth? I've read conflicting things -- some say never (only give those Dentabones), some say twice a week, some once a month. He doesn't really dislike it (not crazy about me sticking my fingers in his mouth, but kind of likes the poultry-flavored toothpaste) , so I'd be willing to do it as often as needed. What does everyone else do?

I clean the dogs' teeth...erratically, shall we say! I try to do it "a few" times a week, but if I remember once a week I'm doing well! And I use a toothbrush and dog toothpaste - or sometimes human toothpowder, the stuff smokers use to get the crud and staining off their teeth.

What age should you clean your dogs teeth from ?
Lel

I started with my dogs when they were small pups. Each time I looked at their mouths (the way judges do) I would rub their teeth with my finger. After a few weeks I'd rub them gently with a soft toothbrush. Only later still did I put toothpaste on it. It only takes a few minutes to do them all.

This was going to be one of my next questions too.. I was looking at those Pedigree dentistix things the other day and wondered if they were just a gimmicky thing??Also if your Pup/dog is on dried food do you think it makes a difference to the amount of tartar that builds up..????

Sandy xx

My eight year old Retriever Gertie has a Bob Martin Dentacare stick every day after her afternoon walk, and her teeth are pretty much tartar free. They come in packs for large dogs (bigger chews) and small dogs (mini chews) She actually prefers the small dog chews. You get about 12 in a pack, they usually stock them in my local Safeway, but lately they haven't been on the shelves. We have to go through a strange ritual every day, where I throw the whole lot in the air and she gets to choose (or chews) the one she wants, and strangely she doesn't select the biggest. Odd dog.
Annie.

Do you really have to clean a dogs teeth? I've never cleaned my dogs teeth they are fine and they don't have dawg breath. I give them rawhide chews and they have dried food. Talking of brushing teeth, I've just bought one of those ultra sound tooth brush things today and it's marvelous.

Clair

Ultra sound for you or pup ?
lel

ROFLMAO :D :D :D I don't think the pup would appreciate it :D :D I got it from Makro for £20 and its for humans :)

I thought it would be for you but wasnt too sure and thought you may have thought i was "cheeky" if i suggested it was for you ( sorry) - it may have been a new doggy invention !! ;)
:)
Lel

No not at all :) I tell you what though, not wanting to sound like some kind of sales rep, they are brilliant my teeth feel like the dentist has cleaned them

hi - hope you can help me. my 5 month old border terrier has suddenly developed really (and i mean really !) bad breath !. just appeared last monday. took him to vet so he could check that there were no problems. apart from having a few milk teeth left which hadn't been pushed out by new big boy teeth (as we like to call them !) he could find no problems at all but did agree that as dog breath goes it is pretty bad. i mentioned brushing teeth to him but he says it wouldn't make any difference to breath but would obviously help later on to keep them cleaner. what do you think could be wrong ?!

Can their food affect their breath??
Lel

don't know if food is causing it. he is on hills puppy so doesn't have any fresh meat or stuff that can rot (yuk, that sounds awful but couldn't think of a nice way to put it !)

Not surprisingly, mine can have whiffy breath if they've found interesting titbits when we're out on walks (preferably pre-digested)!!!!

My pups
on that too - dried food .
His breath smells ok so maybe its not the food then . I think they all haev a slight doggy odour
Lel

slight would be good !

:D
Poor Eddie
is it realy that bad ?
lel

bad ? have you ever seen shrek ?!!!

:D
I shouldnt laugh -
sorry
poor pup
by the way if you get pup sorted could you give my eldest lad some lessons as he is against all forms of hygiene and cleanliness at the moment ( that wicked age of 15 I'm afraid)
Lel

poor archie (pup) - i think he knows i'm telling everybody about his personal problems - gone to bed with a paper bag on his head !!

:D poor love

nothing to do with teeth but i've just been reading 'rainbow bridge'. can't remember last time i cried like this. silly me - makes me realise how much i love archie (even if he has a gob like a sock !.

Another thought....perhaps some probiotic (Yakult or similar) would make sure his gut is okay? Minor disorders of that ilk can cause bad breath.

would that be ok for him ?. i know i'm having a giggle at his expense but it really isn't normal. his teeth are beautifully clean and white and his gums are ok (little bit red in places but as i said, he is getting new teeth all the time and the vet said his gums are fine). it does sound more like it could be his gut.

I can't think that it would do him any harm at all. My lot love yoghurt (in all it's stages of freshness, which is good when I find a leftover pot at the back of the fridge!) and have no ill-effects at all.

i'll give it a go and let you know what happens. thanks for the advice. goodnight.

I've just thunk another thought...I seem to recall an "old wives tale" about halitosis (in people) being a sign of worms. Surprisingly, hospital tests found it was very often true!! I wonder if he needs another worming?...

funnily enough he was done last week !
i actually met somebody today with a border, just 5 days older than my lad. i asked her about teeth and she said that most of the new teeth had come through but said that her pup had really bad breath for a couple of weeks. she thinks that it is caused by the milk teeth being too old and rotting a little bit. apparently it's fine now. hopefully it will be the same here :)

As you've sensibly had the vet check him over, and he's too young to have advanced build-up of tartar, the only explanation I can think of at the moment is that he's eaten something especially pungent! :) If it's this, then in the fullness of time "all things must pass" (:D)

how long do you think it could take to 'pass' ?!. please say soon - he looks so cute when he lays in my arms but then he yawns....................need i say more ?!!

No idea how long it will take, but gently brushing his teeth wouldn't hurt, wiping his gums etc...or you can get chlorophyl tablets at the petshop....cast my mind back to Polly who had a mouth that something had crawled into and died, bless her......made by Amplex, I think. Worked pretty well.

now i think of it, he does pick stuff up when we go out - all sorts - rabbit droppings are a particular favourite ! i'll keep a closer eye on him.

Is that ultrasound thing like the dental hygienists use? Or rather, tried to use on me....it was soooooo painful it took them ages to extract my fingernails from the ceiling.....

Back to the dogs...well mine have dried food, occasional bones, hard biscuits every day....their breath is sweet, but the plaque starts to build up despite everything. (Those rasks get bitten into about 4 pieces and swallowed in lumps - takes about a minute, so no good for us!!)

So yes, I give them a brushing about once a week (more if I get round to it).

Edit: PS. If their teeth aren't pristine in the showring it counts against the dog!!

oooooh ive had that done at the dentist too it makes my gums hurt just thinking about the ordeal, no its just like a normal electric toothbrush but emits some kind of ultra sound thing that destroys plaque.

I wonder if it depends on what breed of dog you have? a vet friend told me once that small dogs suffer more with tooth decay than medium or large dogs? Do you notice a difference in doggy plaque when you brush? It might worth starting it with the Pharaoh pup now if it does really make a difference.

Yes, I've heard that small breeds are far more likely to have tooth troubles than larger ones, but mine are dalmatians! Brushing their teeth certainly seems to help - at least I think so anyway. :)

update on puppys bad breath - he has lost a couple more milk teeth over the last couple of days and already his breath is much better.

Nicer kisses now, eh? :D :D