Need Advice on Oral Care....

[MissPinkBarbie]

Ok, I didnt know where exactly to post this...

The other day, my neighbor [who has an older maltese-6yrs??] came over and told me earlier in the day, she had to take her pup to have 6 teeth pulled out! YES, SIX!!

OMG! She basically never brushed her teeth!

Anyway, this has opened my eyes and it has occured to me that Daisy's never had her teeth brushed either. She's now over 1 year old.

I've looked a bit into different doggie toothpaste and stuff but can't seem to decide on which brand/company, etc..

Can anyone tell me which they use..toothpaste..and explain a little about your routine (brush once a day, twice a week, etc)

Thx!

[~Yorkie~Mommy~]

Petzlife is a good brand maybe you should look that up and give that a try.......I need to buy some for Bailey!

[domesticated08]

We use Petzlife on Gus 3-4 a week and brush everyday, We heard it is great for their teeth!!

[MommysBabyRoxy]

I'm glad I came across this... The vet just told me that Roxy is due for a good toothbrushing... I've tried brushing her teeth, but she gives me quite a problem. She doesnt like having her mouth messed with... She just thinks I'm trying to grab her muzzle then she wants to play!!!
So I will try this Petzlife. I hope that she will sit still! lol.

[marcerella02]

Petzlife is very expensive BUT it does work.. however with layla i don't use that every day.. just once in a while i put it on a q-tip and rub it on her 4 back molars. I try for every other day brushing her teeth with the toothpaste they sell at pet smart however don't buy the toothbrush that comes with it... it is too big for our babies little mouths... i went and bought a toddler toothbrush

[MommysBabyRoxy]

Thats good advice! I did notice those brushes were big... I also thought about getting one of those ones that goes on your finger... I think she might not mind my "finger brush" as much as a toothbrush...

[bren]

Originally Posted by MissPinkBarbie

Ok, I didnt know where exactly to post this...

The other day, my neighbor [who has an older maltese-6yrs??] came over and told me earlier in the day, she had to take her pup to have 6 teeth pulled out! YES, SIX!!

OMG! She basically never brushed her teeth!

Anyway, this has opened my eyes and it has occured to me that Daisy's never had her teeth brushed either. She's now over 1 year old.

I've looked a bit into different doggie toothpaste and stuff but can't seem to decide on which brand/company, etc..

Can anyone tell me which they use..toothpaste..and explain a little about your routine (brush once a day, twice a week, etc)

Thx!

How do Daisy's teeth look? I think that brushing her teeth daily is a good habit to start since yorkies tend to have teeth issues if they are neglected over time. I wouldn't start completely freaking out just yet--she's still young and you can still begin an oral routine with her.

I brush Max's and Abbie's every day with the Petzlife gel--I've even used the spray--and Max's teeth are still funky. He turned 4 in Sept. and has already had his teeth professionally cleaned by the vet twice. He's now due for a 3rd cleaning b/c he has so much tartar buildup. Abbie turned 3 in Oct and she has never had to have her teeth professionally cleaned. The Petzlife seems to work well for her, but not Max. I recently started using Petrodex enzymatic toothpaste for him so I'll let you know if that works.

Hope you find something that works for Daisy.

[nvnvgirl]

I just learned something about doggie dental hygiene and thought I'd pass it on FWIW....

An acquaintance has several dogs, all small breed...most long haired Chi's....regardless.....he had been taking his dogs for the type of teeth cleaning that's done without anesthesia...now, if this goes against anyone else's experience with the same thing, please don't feel bad about contradicting me or saying what your experience has been.....I'm just telling what he told me happened to his dogs.....
Apparently, they just "scrape" the tartar down (or this is what I understood him to say) but it gets under their gums, so they end up with bigger problems....and his dogs (a couple of them) had to have ROOT CANALS .
This has made my decision to be more fastidious about dental hygiene even stronger; I can't imagine having to deal with that! Max HATES me trying to clean his teeth, but I'm going to have to do it AND I'm getting some Petzlife ....probably both the gel and the spray at least at first. I was hesitant to have him put under anesthesia for tooth cleaning, but I'll probably do it at least once to get his teeth really cleaned initially and then I'm going to try to do it all on our own.....I think they know when their breath is really bad and they don't feel so good about themselves...and probably their teeth hurt or something.

[bren]

Originally Posted by MommysBabyRoxy

Thats good advice! I did notice those brushes were big... I also thought about getting one of those ones that goes on your finger... I think she might not mind my "finger brush" as much as a toothbrush...

I tried those finger brushes but they don't work as well as a regular brush. Like Marci mentioned, the toddler brushes are a perfect size

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by bren

How do Daisy's teeth look? I think that brushing her teeth daily is a good habit to start since yorkies tend to have teeth issues if they are neglected over time. I wouldn't start completely freaking out just yet--she's still young and you can still begin an oral routine with her.

I brush Max's and Abbie's every day with the Petzlife gel--I've even used the spray--and Max's teeth are still funky. He turned 4 in Sept. and has already had his teeth professionally cleaned by the vet twice. He's now due for a 3rd cleaning b/c he has so much tartar buildup. Abbie turned 3 in Oct and she has never had to have her teeth professionally cleaned. The Petzlife seems to work well for her, but not Max. I recently started using Petrodex enzymatic toothpaste for him so I'll let you know if that works.

Hope you find something that works for Daisy.

Hmmm...wonder if it's in the name . JK....I've been using the Petrodex regular stuff...I'm going to check out the enzymatic paste tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by bren

I tried those finger brushes but they don't work as well as a regular brush. Like Marci mentioned, the toddler brushes are a perfect size

Also a good thought...Max HATES the finger brush (altho I'm sure he would hate anything being put into his mouth unless it's food )....I'm going to try a child's brush and see if that will be any better.

[bren]

Originally Posted by nvnvgirl

Hmmm...wonder if it's in the name . JK....I've been using the Petrodex regular stuff...I'm going to check out the enzymatic paste tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestion!

Yea, poor little Max--he has the worst teeth and such stinky breath, like perpetual morning breath . I feel like the only time the little guy has fresh breath is immediately after I brush his teeth.
I don't know if the enzymatic toothpaste works yet...but hoping I'll have to let you know, too.

[yorkiecrazy]

I brush our girls teeth every morning. Gracie is 8 yrs old and just had her teeth cleaned last year. Her vet said they weren't bad. He was very impressed. So brushing daily really works.

[bren]

Originally Posted by nvnvgirl

Also a good thought...Max HATES the finger brush (altho I'm sure he would hate anything being put into his mouth unless it's food )....I'm going to try a child's brush and see if that will be any better.

Neither were fond of my fingers near their mouths but they both got used to the toddler brushes over time. It took a few weeks of using the brushes daily

[luv_my_yorkies]

I have a dumb question....
Ok, I noticed that one of Petzlife's main ingredients is grape seed oil. Is that safe for dogs, especially small ones? I know that grapes are toxic for dogs and cause kidney failure...so is grape seed oil OK?I would love to try Petzlife on my dogs...but was curious about that. Any thoughts?