HUGO's teeth
 

So Hugo V.F.O. has a lot of build up (tartar/plaque) on his teeth. Eventhough I brush his teeth all the time. I have been told that many yorkies suffer from this. Does anyone know of a product or cleanser that can help me get rid of this? I know that a trip to the vet is the best thing to do, but right now I am working on organizing my finances (lost a job - long story) so I am looking for a more inexpensive way to treat this before it gets any worse.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!:aimeeyork

well some may disagree with my approach, but I think I've done a good job at teeth. My dog Barney just turned 10 and has never needed a dental. Daisy had one dental at age 8 after breaking a tooth and is about to go to the dentist next week because she cracked a tooth on a marrow bone. In terms of tartar - there is very little on their teeth. I use CET vanilla mint toothpaste for pets which is enzymatic and I scale their teeth using a dental scaler 2-3 times per year. My dogs allow me into their mouths and I scrape off whatever I see on the back molars. Doing this has helped to cut down on the tartar significantly. I would also give fresh carrots and celery pieces because they naturally help clean the mouth (just my opinion there). Also, what you may be seeing is staining on the teeth which is different - many dogs that eat dark colored kibble get staining. For that, I put a dab of baking soda mixed with the toothpaste and the stains come right off. They do not like the taste, but it only takes a few scrubs and they are bright white. It's me or the dentist, so they usually choose me.

Well thanks for the information! Question is where can I get a dental scaler? Also the Enzymatic Toothpaste!

Hopefully this is okay (I'm not sure why it wouldn't be...???), but I got MY scaler at Walmart in the toothbrush section (it came in a pack with a mirror and a pick). I actually just tried scaling today at my vet's suggestion since my Bella's plaque is pretty minimal and since she has liver disease so we want to avoid anesthesia unless absolutely necessary!! He showed me how and showed me which kind to buy, which is the exact one in the set from Walmart. He DID say that dentists are only allowed to use their instruments for so long and then they have to get rid of them, so if you have a regular dentist, you could ask if they have any old ones that they haven't thrown away and they may just give one to you! (I just moved, so I don't have a dentist yet. :() But, the Walmart set was really inexpensive.

About the toothpaste, I know some people swear by the enzymatic toothpaste, but my vet told me that it didn't matter whether it was enzymatic or not, and that honestly baking soda works as well as anything else...he said that really the brushing itself is way more important than using ANY toothpaste at all! Hopefully he's right because I tried the CET vanilla mint enzymatic toothpaste but only used it a couple of times because I can't stand the smell...kind of like root beer, which I abhor! :rolleyes: weird, I know! So now I just have a regular mint toothpaste, which I do like the smell of. I know Petco has enzymatic toothpaste (it's poultry flavor), but the only way I know of to get the CET vanilla mint is online...CET Pet Toothpaste for dogs & cats

Hope that helps!!