Keeping teeth clean while feeding kibble, help please

[BernerLver]

I used to feed my guys a raw diet but for a variety of reasons (vacation, moving etc.) I have been feeding them kibble for the past little while. Also, Dart (my older adoptee) seemed to do well on raw but it was always a struggle to ensure the proper bone: meat ratio for him since he got constipated easily.

Now Dart's teeth were appalling to say the least when he arrived (black at the gum line on some) so anything is an improvement. Bailey on the other hand has always been a bit of a challenge. Even on a raw diet his teeth were not perfect and his breath was still not great.

My original reason for trying raw was because other kibbles didn’t seem to help and neither did brushing. Also, on one particular kibble Bailey was pooping like 4 times/day (way more than usual) and they were HUGE piles! I know my guys are big but these looked like they could have some from a small horse!

I came across this older thread: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....%22cleaning%22

and was hoping some of the same members could provide some suggestions on kibbles etc. that they have had luck with and/or how they keep their dogs teeth so clean.

Money isn’t an issue in terms of food or other solutions. I really would like some help and don’t want to resort to having to get their teeth cleaned by the vet if possible.

TIA.

[LM1313]

I kept my dog's teeth clean by brushing them every few days. (She ate kibble only.) I used a regular toothbrush (soft bristles) and poultry flavored toothpaste, which she LOVED. Her teeth were gorgeous and white; the vet commented on them every time. When I moved out of my parents' house, I couldn't find an apartment that accepted dogs, so she stayed with them. No matter how many times I told my mom to brush the dog's teeth, she wouldn't. After that, her teeth started getting yellow. They were never horrible and dropping out or anything, but the lack of brushing was definitely what made them go yellow.

~LM~

[jesse's mommy]

Realistically, the higher quality kibble, the better the teeth. Jesse was on Wellness, but we just switched her to Merrick and her teeth and gums are fine. We do brush Jesse's teeth too, but we aren't very good at it. She mostly just likes doing what Mommy and Daddy do.

[Prin]

My doggies have been on Wolf King for a bit more than 2 years and I don't brush... Jemma sometimes needs a bit of tartar on her last molar picked off (about once a year at most), but otherwise I don't brush them or anything and they're pretty good.

It depends on your doggy though. Some dogs just can't have a clean mouth no matter what you try.

[mafiaprincess]

I feed wolf king, and have a dog with pearly white teeth. I think I've brushed them 2x in a month.. but hadn't touched them for the last 6...

I think part of it is chewing on hooves and bones though.

But I also think it's possible to have a dog with crappy genetics that is predisposed to teeth problems.

[jessi76]

I feed kibble, and I brush Tucker's teeth a few times a week. On days I don't brush, I usually give him a carrot to chew on. it helps. not as good as brushing or bone chewing, but does help.

[BernerLver]

Prinn, mafiaprincess: I have heard good things about Wolf King, some people on my Berner forum feed it. What is it about that particular brand that you like? Was there any ill-effects as your doggies got used to it?

I have tried Eagle Pack Holistic previously and it didn't agree with Bailey. His poop was so big I could hardly pick it all up

[Prin]

When you switch to a holistic food, the stool will be huge and smelly for a while... They call it "detox". With the Wolf King, my doggies had "abnormal" stools for about 4 months, but they're really sensitive to everything. You will also have to cut back. Without stool hardners, most of the holistic foods will pass through not fully digested if you feed too much (i.e. loose stool).

What I like about it is the salmon meal (great for the coat), there is no corn, wheat, etc, the fat is not an animal fat, and it's a relatively simple food. My doggies are so allergic to so many things, this food was the only one with none of them (without it, I'd have to feed two different foods to my babies). It's been good to them.

[technodoll]

adding a digestive enzyme & probiotics (both found in health-food stores) can also help with the transition to any diet (kibble, homecooked, raw), reducing many of the "detox" signs. and as prin mentioned, reduce the quantity of food and slowly bulk up the portion as the dog's digestive system adapts. holistic foods are usually much richer, thus harder to digest, than the cheap crappy ones.

[BernerLver]

technodoll: Thanks for the suggestion. I am familiar with both DEs and Probiotics as I have used them with both my guys. The DE helped acclimate my big guy to a raw diet in the first place (after several weeks of explosive poops )and I found the Probiotic helped to regulate Bailey's system and eliminate his yeasty ears (so bad I was cleaning them everyday).

Are both your doggies raw fed? How do you find their teeth in terms of cleanliness?

[technodoll]

Are both your doggies raw fed? How do you find their teeth in terms of cleanliness?

my girl is on raw, she's 8 months old... pearly white teeth but if she does not crunch through meaty bones for three or four days in a row (because she's too hot and not hungry, or only has soft meaty-meals) i can immediately see the yellow start to build up. looks like a daisy, LOL! i have never brushed her teeth and she does not chew on toys.

my boy used to be raw-fed and have super nice teeth, but he's been on mostly kibble for 8 months now and his teeth look awful, all yellow and sticky, gums bleed easily. i think he has bad genetics because he's on the best dry food, he has a raw boney meal or two per week but it's not enough... we only brush his teeth about twice per month though, so we are partly to blame. he does not chew on toys at all, so the only scrubbing he gets are from his raw meals and the toothbrush.

after the summer, when our schedule calms down and the weather gets cooler, he's going back on mostly raw and that will hopefully make his teeth better again. in the meantime i'll have to remember to brush his teeth every night before going to bed, after i do mine!