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Originally Posted by yorkie08  I'm glad to hear that wet food is better. I have some wellness wet food that i recently bought and i feed it to her this morning. She gobbled it up. (when she saw it she got really excited and just sat next to me and waited...for once she was actually excited for her food). So it's okay to feed her wet food? I will start brushing her teeth...though i don't really know how. I'd appreciate it if you could give me some pointers. I'm hesitant about the raw diet, but I am interested in home cooking and would be glad if you could give me some pointers. But for the time being I'm just glad that she actually finish eating all her food.
P.S. on another note, i've also heard that dry food is better cause it excerises the jaw whereas wet food doesn't. is this true. (i know i'm paranoid but i don't want to sacrifice her health/well being).
Thanks for everything. |
Feeding all wet food is okay. My Yorkie eats homecooked (so it is wet). Kibble didn't do a thing for her teeth but since homecooking and brushing her teeth are a lot better.
I would not feed raw at all (from what I have read, I would not be comfortable with it at this time). Homecooked, in my opinion, is just fine and you don't have the bacteria concerns of raw (which would only be a concern if your dog has a compromised immune system). I also would not give bones.
When homecooking you do have to supplement with vitamins/minerals.
As far as exercising the jaws, I give Ellie raw vegetables to chew on.
To brush your pups teeth just get some dog toothpaste (not human) and a toddler toothbrush or finger brush (sold at pet stores) and brush jsut like you would your own (being cautious not to push too hard on the gums). I recommend once a day but any amount is better than nothing. You could also use Petzlife Oral Gel but I wouldn't really recommend it.
Be careful when picking out a toothpaste. One oral rinse (that you put in their water) made by CET contains xylitol which is very toxic to dogs. I don't know why they use it but I would not chose that product. Some of the toothpastes contain other artificial sweeteners. Usually most anything but xylitol is considered safe but it is best to avoid sugar substitutes entirely.