Do You Brush Your Doodle's Teeth?

[Camilla and Darwin]

I have been reading up a lot about dental hygiene for dogs in the past little while. I have read varying opinions on the subject so I thought I would throw this out there. I guess growing up I had never heard of brushing a dog's teeth. I haven't ever done it with Darwin because I hadn't thought about it. The last time we took him to the vet he complimented us on how nice his teeth were, so I guess it's worked out, but will it continue to? Do you find it necessary to regularly brush your dog's teeth or do bones and chews suffice? If you do brush, how often? Thanks!

[Camilla and Darwin]

wow, Darwin would love to have a bully stick every day! Do you buy them in bulk so they cost less? If so, where do you buy your's?

I have heard that you can brush also brush with some kind of dental wipe rather than a brush. Has anyone heard of this method?

[Karen & Lucy]

I have brushed Lucy's teeth a couple of times when she was small, but her teeth were always nice and clean and bright. So, I quit, but now that she is going to be 4 in April I have noticed that along her gums she is getting tarter and I HATE DOGGIE BAD BREATH, I will be starting to brush again. She didn't mind it too much before, I know she really likes human toothpaste, she will pull the towel down and start licking it off.

[Kathy Spyker]

I never brushed Lilly's teeth before, but for x-mas she got a toothbrush in her stocking...it's still in its package :-( Maybe I better a least try it!!!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I only brush Taquito's at this point - chihuahuas typically have very bad teeth - we had them cleaned a few months ago and plaque is already starting to come back, even with brushing.

Peri chews antlers all the time, so I am hoping hers are better. I am probably going to start doing it 1x/week though. Just so she is used to it in case I HAVE to in the future.

[Laura & Chewie]

I also have a doggy toothbrush and toothpaste and have only used them once or twice...it was a hugh struggle. Chewie also chews bully sticks and is fed high quality food/treats, but like others have said, I should get him used to it now at a younger age. Funny thing...people are always remarking how white his teeth are.

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

We brush Snickers teeth about twice a week. We started when he was really little and just continued to do it. When I get out the toothpaste and toothbrush he gets SO excited. We even have used tiothbrushung as a reward after toe nail clipping (which does not excite him). Honestly it is craziest thing but since he likes it so much its easy to do. We use the dental pack from Petco comes with brush and mint toothpaste. We got a sample of the liver paste but it grossed me out.

[Natasha]

We brush teeth. It's really easy. We have a little brush that goes over your finger and we just put a little poultry paste on it and set out to rub the stuff on his gums. Takes two minutes max. Sometimes I do the outside one time and then the next I do the inside.

Also, we get his teeth cleaned twice a year. We DO NOT put him under! There is a lady here who swaddles them and goes to work. Rouser really likes her so it's clearly a positive or neutral experience for him. She even cleans cats' teeth!

[Holly St Pierre]

We do brush Gunner's. He actually loves the taste of the toothpaste. Its poultry flavor. My beloved maltese had fine teeth until around 8 years old. He then developed a heart murmur so they couldn't put him under to do the cleaning. In my personal opinion its a good thing to start at an early age. We do it about once a week. Gunner's teeth are beautiful.

[Suzanne & Jack]

I try to brush Jack's teeth because I don't want him to have gum disease. We had a schnauzer that had lost all of his teeth by the age of 12. I used to say I was going to get him implants. Unfortunately he was born with bad teeth. I've tried putting the drops in their water, but I didn't think it was very effective. The vet sold me on special Science Diet Dental food which I am sure is a sham, but the boys love it. It is supposed to be extra crunchy to help break up the tartar. Both Jack and my CS are 3 and have pretty clean teeth. I would definitely try to get into the habit of using the paste in addition to crunchy chews. I try to stay away from giving them any sweets or sticky treats, but DH always gives in. I also try to give them frozen raw bones (outdoors) when the weather is nice. The paste can just be rubbed onto their gums and teeth because it has enzymes that work against the tartar.
My little schnauzer sits in th bathroom while I get ready for bed and waits for me to brush his teeth. Since he is a poopeater he gets mint on bad days and beef on good days.

[Tamara & Giada]

No brushing here! We buy good bones for them to chew and have a dental sray I usr on them when I groom them, and their teeth a great!

[Trowby]

Yes. We brush Sage's teeth with CET poultry flavored toothpaste. About 2 or 3 times a week. She also gets dental chews from Virbac. Our Birman cat Jiminy is 10 and also has his teeth brushed. He had some gingivitis when he was at the vet last week and she worked on his teeth. She said he was amazing. Just as good as gold. He also gets Virbac chews that are fish flavored - he is nuts about these.
Vets charge a LOT of money to work on teeth. Our vet even has a couch area to talk with pet owners about the large expense. If you haven't brushed yet I recommend you start. It's only a few minutes and really makes a difference.

[c zoomer]

This discussion began in 2010.  I'm wondering if others have updates.  I have 4 different means for plaque removal, (btw, the plaque is the sticky stuff, not the hard...which is tartar).  Dinah had inflamed gums and was only a year old when I began checking because of her very pungent breath.  The miniature poodles website sez mini poodles have a severe tooth problems.  She doesn't appreciate any grooming so far, so you can imagine the knot in my stomach when I have to brush teeth.  So far I'm just rubbing it on, and it helps. I noticed someone previously wrote about the Virbac- c.e.t. Aqua dent for the water.  Dinah drinks a lot of water, and because I mixed the aqua dent solution in a quart jar, I now know that Dinah goes through a quart per day.  Maybe the volume has been the reason it works.  Breath is better, but not as good as when I had her on the packets of probiotics...which also cleared up the red gums right away as well.

id like to hear from other mini owners.

Between the water additive and the probiotics, this is getting expensive.  The aqua dent is @$1.30? Per quart and the probiotics are $38 per box.  I use 1/3 packet per meal.  I hope good hygiene will eliminate the cost of teeth cleaning at the vet.