I've read a recent thread that talks about keeping doggies teeth white.  I need some advice on cleaning my puppies teeth.  I have 2 cavies (as I'm sure some of you know by now - lots of gassing recently!).  I have real trouble cleaning my pups teeth.  Mainly coz they are at the teething stage (5 months) and they just want to chew on anything that goes anywhere near their mouths.  I have tried, but to no avail.  I don't want them to have bad teeth, but their breath is already getting a little whiffy. We've tried the dental treats that you can buy, but they don't really do anything and they are already on dried food. HELP!!! 

Can people give me advice on the following:

1) How to brush young babies teefypegs?  What is the best way?  what to use?  etc etc.

2) I know that Raw bones are good for them, but can toy size dogs have these bones?  If so, what should I get and where can I get them?  Will this stop the breath problem?

3) Should I consider anything in their diet to help keep teeth clean and breath fresh?  As I am struggling to brush them, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to?  (defeatist, I know)

I'm sure you'll come up with many a suggestion as you have not let me down before!

Thanks

I would use a doggy toothpaste (vets/ pet shop) and toothbrush. I use a baby toothbrush with my dogs - when I get round to brushing them (not nearly as often as I should, ahem). We've worked out a system where I get to brush, then they get to lick the rest of the toothpaste off the brush as they like the taste (poultry flavour). You can get rubber brushes that go on your finger if they don't like having a brush in their mouths - but you are liable to get chewed by teething pups :D When I've got raw bones I've gone to the local butcher and asked for raw marrow bones - don't have toy dogs myself but see no reason why they shouldn't have them. However some dogs (like mine) seem to get upset tummies if they eat too much bone. Pass on last question. HTH ;)

All my dogs get these sterilised calcium bones (just boiled bones basically) that you can get in pet shops, that's all from the Papillon and the Cavalier up to the big dogs, and I never need to clean anyone's teeth, they are kept clean by the constant chewing. :) In fact I've never brushed a dog's teeth in my life and never had a vet de-scale them either out of all the ones I've had -and their dry food is soaked thoroughly. :) Occasionally the older ones need a little bit of tartar removed which I do myself with a tooth scraper in a few seconds.

LOL in addition to previous advice, if your dogs are 5 months old and beginning to lose their puppy teeth then that could explain the whiffyness ;)  the only time my dogs' mouths have been whiffy is when they were teething :D :D

I do as above and provide calcium bones, nice big ones :) even for the Bedlingtons, and their teeth are loverly :D :D

As part of her daily grooming my puppy lies on her back and has her tummy tickled. While she is in this position I gently pop a baby toothbrush with a bit of 'milkteeth' children's tothpaste on it into her mouth. While she is trying to lick the stuff off I wiggle the brush around her teeth. She is getting used to this and I am sure it will help to get her used to people fiddling about in her mouth which may be useful in the future!---breath smells nice too !

Right, ok, been on a mission.  Am armed with toothbrush and paste.  I might be sometime.....  Daisy tries to chew anything at the moment, so this is gonna be fun!

Also, my butcher (much friendlier than I thought!) said he would get the marrowbones in for me next week.  he didn't have any today.  He even said he'd saw them up into smaller portions for me!  How helpful!