Teeth cleaning
 

I know many of you on here are not supporters of raw feeding and have no intentions of trying it, but I want to share something.

One reason I switched to a holistic vet was that my mainstream vet saw plaque on Teegy's teeth and said three things to me.
1. I can clean those for $900 (won't repeat what I said)
2. I have dental food (won't tell ya the response to that either)
3. When I mentioned I can find products that will clean that, I got a "there aren't any, but I can get you one"

He had already lost me at $900.
I went home did some googling and found Leba III, Petzlife and Healthymouth.

All these products are fantastic, I've recommended them to friends and family and the results are fantastic.
But the best inexpensive thing for teeth cleaning I have found to date are pork back ribs. One meaty little rib for them to happily chew on a couple of times a week has removed more plaque in a shorter time than anything I've tried and it's good for them.

So please consider a wee meaty bone for your furkids over anaesthesia and costly dental cleanings. I absolutely promise you it's not harmful, it's a species appropriate, twice weekly treat and how much does a meaty rack of pork ribs cost. Just be sure to cut them up and freeze for two weeks before feeding them to the dogs. I know many of you are concerned about bacteria etc., this kills any bacteria present.

Some of us don't buy into the hype of raw food cleaning teeth. I've fed a home cooked soft diet and have one dog who didn't need a dental until age 11. Another dog eating the identical diet needs a dental every year. So it's genetics. And despite your promise that raw food is safe, I respectfully disagree. You cannot kill pathogenic microbes in meat without fully cooking it. And freezing doesn't kill bacteria, it suspends it. It also does nothing for parasites. So you may feel its safe, I don't and not one vet I've ever met has ever thought positively of raw food but all support my holistic way of feeding home cooked organic food. I think you're playing with fire and I could go off for an hour on pork processing and why that would be my last choice but I know it won't change your mind so ill leave it at this -- dental cleanings under anesthesia are safe as long as your vet is progressive and using appropriate anesthesia and monitoring. $900 for a dental is high, but your dogs teeth must have been pretty bad. I would be concerned with cleaning below the gum lines - pork ribs can't do that.

As is your right to disagree. My holistic vet wholeheartedly agrees with my choices as do a huge majority of raw feeders.
There are many myths out their attached to raw feeding which many folks fail to see passed.
Cooking meat kills all the essential enzymes in the meat that are necessary for maintaining a healthy happy immune system.
I am very confident in my decision to feed raw to my dogs.
I have done my research.
Yes dentals can be a genetic thing but also the carbs in kibble and processed dog foods cause plaque and tartar buildup.
I merely offered this as an option for people to try rather than costly invasive dental procedures that can be avoided. It does work there is nothing wrong with feeding dogs pork. I am fortunate that my purveyors use free range local farmers.
Many maintstream vets are strongly opposed to raw feeding as you spend less time at their office and aren't purchasing the food they are pushing which they make their livin from selling.

How on earth is a dental $900???

I live in Calif and go to a very expensive vet and Peanut's dental's are only $125

What enzymes does cooking kill and at what levels are they necessary for dogs? I have always wondered this.

Essential amino acids Dr Karen Becker has a lot of info on this if you need further supporting info from a trained Holistic vet

I think it's called daylight robbery to be honest, I was disgusted. I checked a few friends with other vets in my area and they said generally it's $3-500 for the most part.

Was talking to my neighbour who's from Michigan and she said she cannot believe how much more expensive so many things are here in Canada

I honestly think your comments regarding mainstream vet medicine are out of line. The vets I use are not neighborhood losers trying to sell foods for penny profits. I don't look for cheap vets and I think you get what you pay for. I think the whole enzyme thing is without merit. Not a fan of Becker. My dogs teeth are nice and clean, and no, I don't mind paying for professional services. As for the myths with raw feeding, I could say the same to you.

That is still crazy! LOL

Not taking the bait pal. To each is own we all have the right to disagree and I stand by my decisions and choices

Neither am I. I stand by my decisions as well. Dental cleanings are safe. Safer than raw pork.

Ya Pal!! :p

:thumbup: I didn't think pork was good for them?

Thanks pal. I appreciate being called pal. Especially when someone really is my pal. Gotta run, eating baby back ribs for lunch. Yes they are cooked!

Essential Amino Acids That Are Destroyed By Cooking | Hidden Valley

Here is a nice read. I may dig up some studies later.
If cooking meat for dogs is wrong bc of aa destruction, then the same is true for humans. I am not about to eat raw meat...

I am not a fan of Dr. Becker. Her heartworm advice is of particular concern. My understanding is that she believes it is not as much of a concern as what it is portrayed. I can't agree knowing how many caees just oe vet office has seen this year.

All I will say is giving bones or chews of any kind is never perfectly safe.

Wow that's a good price. The anesthesia alone is $100-125 w/my vet. They charge about $300-400 that includes pre-op blood work, but we get 10% off & free extractions. So far, Momo is the only one that needed 3 molars pulled.:(

I'd love to give mine some raw meaty bones to help clean their teeth, but I'm scared to...what if they choke on a piece of bone.:eek: I have gulpers...

I don't care what dogs chew on, it is NOT a way to clean teeth. Food also has nothing to do with it. I don't know what kind of vets people go to, but my vet has NEVER told me what to feed my healthy pups....she only recommends RX foods that sometimes are needed for different conditions. I am just appalled sometimes by the remarks people make about vets in general and dog food. Totally unecessary and not true...they don't make a fortune selling dog food...they do it to HELP DOGS BE WELL.

If you want to feed raw to your pups, fine, but don't make it that it is because vets are ripping people off. I personally won't feed raw because of the risks involved and because I do have some pups with medical issues. I also will never give them bones. They simply don't need them. I see no benefit at all. That's my call...not my vets.

Dentals are necessary in MOST yorkies...it IS genetics as 107barney has said and I don't believe anything will remove plaque but a professional cleaning.

Indeed and probably cheaper in the long run. One serious medical issue can cost well over the cost of a dental.

As I said there are those you agree and those who disagree, my dogs are incredibly healthy and my post was for those who may be interested.
Several of you are not.
Go ahead and voice your opinions as I do, but I have the right to say what I say as much as you have to slam my personal choice.
I never slam my friends who choose to feed kibble and I encourage those friends to cook for their dogs.
I think Dr Becker is fantastic for what she does, my vet follows many of the same practices as she does.
In my area of the world many vets sell Medi cal and Science diet for kick backs from royal canin and hills and the only nutrition taught at our major Vet university is that provided by the food companies.
We can only follow what we feel is right for our dogs and I got my information from a vast amount of people who have fed raw for many years breeders and pet owners. My dogs thrive on it, as do many others and have no adverse effects whether I feed rabbit, lamb, chicken, turkey, beef or pork and they love raw bones.
I guess the seeing is believing and I totally understand the caution pet owners have, as you should. I also had them once.

Ya- that isn't with blood work/antibiotics to go home. With everything it’s about $2.. something under $250, which still isn't bad.

I would love for Peanut to chew on a bully stick, or meat bone. However I don’t trust it. Since I pulled at the chews ( when he got pancreatitis) he has been really healthy. So not giving any chews at all works for us- and his teeth really aren't that bad- I don’t even brush them and he gets a dental maybe every 2 years.

I hear ya. It's when Teegy got the pancreatitis that I sought out a holistic vet and began feeding raw. So all treats are natural not smoked or premade. Stopped with the bulky sticks and such kinda felt rotten because they enjoyed them but they enjoy what they get now just as much.

Hmm, so Teegy can handle all those meats? I would think those meats would start up his pancreatitis again. I would be too nervous to give Peanut those meats..

Honestly he's tip top. He gets a balanced diet with green tripe. He got natural supplements to support the pancreas while it healed and he's in excellent health. I looked at it from a logical standpoint in my mind. His organ is in distress, do I feed him processed food that will further stress the organ or something that is natural and what his body is built to digest. It takes a dogs system 14 to 24 hours to process kibble and 4-5 hours for the raw food. There is less waste, the boys drink less water as their bodies get loads of moisture from the meat. I know it took several years of research on my part and then a health scare for me to make the decision to change and I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.
I talked to breeders and owners and raw food manufacturers.
I don't regret my decision and I know I'll always have someone out there wanting to throw stones at me and don't agree but I'm thick skinned and its just water off a ducks back then I feed it to my dogs hahaha

Ya, I dunno. It is definitely personal choice. I started to think about Raw, but it is just too complex for me. Peanut is very cat like LOL. He eats his kibble in small amounts at a time. Glad your baby is doing well on it. I’m not sure if Peanut would be able to handle that- seems like he eats a crumb off the floor and he gets a tummy ache. Since Peanut had pancreantitis I have really limited his intake on table food.. He only really gets one treat brand and I will only give him small small amounts of human food that is good for him. He gets strawberries, blueberries, cottage cheese, little yogurt- that’s really it. Also those items are very limited. Since I pulled all the chew sticks he hasn’t been sick. I know for sure his tummy can’t handle those things!

Poor wee Peanut the boys love a blueberry very much they get yoghurt and berries on their birthday, it's their cake!!!
They also love pineapple and apple every once in a while too. They can sense an apple being cut from a thousand miles away and come running

I know, I blame myself for the pancreatitis- it was my fault. He ate the whole Texas Toothpick in one sitting! He ate the damn thing so fast too!! I wonder if that ever happened if he would be as sensitive as he is? Who knows, I’m glad I don’t give him anything like that anymore- one thing less to worry about.

They are so smart aren't they!!?? Peanut always knows when I am making him something special in the kitchen!

My way is pretty easy. ~ $5. Tooth brush and dog paste. I brush Mokies teeth everyday. Since he was a pup. He lets me now. But it wasn't always easy. Routine is the key $5 will last ~ 4-6 mo depending on the brush and paste..
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f9...psa7f0438a.jpg

LOL Peanut puts up a fight, and I end up getting more paste and water on me than in his mouth! :p

Yup you have to start as soon as you get them. I started with just a finger brush putting it in his mouth everyday just wiping his teeth. Took a few months. But now he will let me brush every tooth. When he sees the toothbrush. He jumps on the couch and waits for it

Ya, that was my bad! Peanut is now 6 ( will be on the 25th) I really need to start brushing, I know if I did it every day he would get use to it. His mouth is so tiny, it is so hard to get all the way in the back!
Esp since he is getting older, it won’t be as easy for me to put him under.