Need Advice on Oral Care....

[Jaya and Jenna]

ooh this is a great thread guys!! Keep the responses coming in..... I have so much to learn about this topic!

Gotta go out and buy a toddler toothbrush asap....

[yorkiegirl83]

We use the PetzLife too! We get it at sassypup.net since I think that's the best deal on it I've seen anyhow .

I try to do it 3 times a week and I attempt to brush, but sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't . I actually use a tiny bit of gauze instead of a toothbrush or fingerbrush because to me they seem too clumsy and I can't get in there well!

I have the mint flavor and two of mine love it, and two don't

[ladyj]

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!

Bichons are notorious for bad teeth. My Lacy (10 years old) has bad tartar buildup and I try to brush her teeth every day. She hates it and I have to hold her cheek and/or chin hair. I am as gentle as possible, but she doesn't like it and squirms, even though I've been doing it for quite a while. I just keep at it. Cosmo doesn't mind as much when I brush his teeth and it's easier with him. Cosmo hasn't had to have his teeth cleaned for four years and they are in great shape. Cosmo is 9 years old. Lacy had her teeth cleaned a few months ago and I'm trying very hard to keep them clean so we don't have to go through that again. Lacy is very scared at the vet's and anything with her is twice as hard. I also use PlaqueOff to keep the tartar soft so it will brush off easily. I will brush Kozanna's teeth eventually (10-month-old Chi), but am not trying to do it yet. Don't want to push too much at her at once.

[Ellie May]

I didn't know about that ingredient in the Petzlife. Now I'm concerned.

We brush with a toddler toothbrush once a day (thinking about making that twice) with CET vanilla mint toothpaste. Then we use OraVet once a week.

[FL Tink]

We use Petzlife on Bella 4 times a week after her last meal of the day. I have a very thing glove like a medical glove that has a small brush attached to the finger pad of my first finger and thumb. This works great because once it is on your hand it doesnt slip and you dont have to hold any thing. I only brush bella 2-3 times a week because its seems so traumatic for her. She is a great chewer. I give her things like hard plastic caps to anything.
Her favorite right now belonged to a pepcid ac bottle. it is about the size of a tennis ball. she takes it everywhere to chew on.
She gets bully sticks too. Her back teeth get a great scraping with the bully stick. she really goes at it!

[scoobiedooiscoo]

for lacey i just use water, she has mvd and i wasnt sure if there was any tooth paste i could use on her, does anyone know of a brand that wont hurt her?

[cindy0721]

Originally Posted by LuvMySissy

I tried several different brushes with Sissy and even the super soft finger brush made her gums bleed and she fought me every time I tried to get it in her mouth. Plus, I never saw much come off the teeth. She has never fought the gauze, you see lots of stuff come off, and she has never bled. My vet actually suggested using the gauze and they recommend it over any kind of brush. It is very easy to reach all the teeth front and back.

ok I am going to try the gauze... any particular kind you recommend? Also what type of toothpaste? Gizmo hates toothbrushes too and the gel works ok but not the best...

[DoubleYorkie]

Tommy hates Petzlife. Something in it make him uneasy in his belly. Probably grape seed oil. Does anybody had a problem like this with Petzlife gel?
Almost always after I tried to use gel he would get sick and throw out. I also tried to mix a bit of gel with peanut butter and it seems to be better but I lost confidence in the product. Maybe I'll try again but I will need to increase amount of gel because I've used far less then recommended.
I really wanted to like Petzlife because it seems to be so effective for many YTers. I use mostly regular CET toothpaste nowadays. Tommy loves it. He does not like toothbrush but got better with it lately. I will try gauze - excellent advice. Thanks.

[MissPinkBarbie]

Originally Posted by cindy0721

ok I am going to try the gauze... any particular kind you recommend? Also what type of toothpaste? Gizmo hates toothbrushes too and the gel works ok but not the best...

Jodi [LuvMySissy] said she buys a "roll" at Target that's about 4.5 inches wide...

I have to go get that next time I go there!

[nvnvgirl]

Originally Posted by LuvMySissy

I use the gauze dry, nothing on it. Even on the days I use the PetzLife, that gets rubbed on the teeth after I "brush" with the gauze. I buy the gauze in rolls, then just cut what I need (hope that answers your question). There is a particular type I like best I get at Target, but I think it is just a generic. The gauze is about 4.5" wide and is the type that would get wrapped around a square gauze pad to secure it in place.

My concern with the PetzLife was with the grain alcohol. I was told it is minute in quantity and assits the breaking up of the tartar. The vets confirmed they have done many studies on the formula and have never had a pet of any size or type become ill from daily use. The amount used is about pea size. Daily use is only in the beginning for no more than 90 days, then maintenance use of 2-3 times per week.

Jodie, thank you so much! You answered my questions perfectly! Now, to get that gauze....I'm definitely trying that!

[MissPinkBarbie]

Ok, so I went to Target today, got the "gauze roll" and then Petsmart and purchased a tube of "Petrodex Natural".

So I went home and attempted to clean Daisy's teeth..

Now my dilemna is HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO SIT STILL AND COOPERATE??!!!

Also, please share any methods-specific positions of holding them (lying on their backs,, side, etc)..

[bren]

Originally Posted by MissPinkBarbie

Ok, so I went to Target today, got the "gauze roll" and then Petsmart and purchased a tube of "Petrodex Natural".

So I went home and attempted to clean Daisy's teeth..

Now my dilemna is HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO SIT STILL AND COOPERATE??!!!

Also, please share any methods-specific positions of holding them (lying on their backs,, side, etc)..

If you never cleaned Daisey's teeth before, she may just need to get used to you getting into her mouth. Max and Abbie took a few weeks before they would even let them put anything in their mouths, especially a toothbrush. I started out putting my finger in their mouths to get them used to me playing around in there. When they were a bit more cooperative, I started using a toddler toothbrush. Rather than using your finger, you can just wrap the gauze around your finger and try to put your finger in her mouth that way. If you do this every day, she may get used to you playing with her mouth and let you brush.

I have a grooming table that I put them on. There's no where to go when they're up on that but before I bought the grooming table I used to put their harnesses/leashes on and kneel on the leash so they couldn't go anywhere while I brushed their teeth. I've also put them in a corner in the bathroom and sat in front of them on the floor so they couldn't go anywhere. Max would never stay for me if I put him on his back.

They still squirm a bit but they're managable and I'm able to brush their teeth regularly.

[PunkinPie]

Just a couple of days ago I read and article about brushing and it made me feel so guilty for hardly ever brushing Punkin's. I've resolved to do it every day now.
Punkin loves the beef flavoured paste and when she sees the brush and tube she will follow me anywhere My problem is she loves to lick like crazy at the brush and chew on it. I'm hoping with time that will settle down.

[nvnvgirl]

I too, got the gauze for Max....I already had some of the Petrodex "enzymatic" toothpaste (I looked at both types including the "natural" and it's NOT enzymatic if that makes a difference). I feel really so terrible for not paying more attention to Max's teeth before this. I just really didn't know how and I really don't want to have him anesthetized if I can help it!
Anyway, a long time ago, my neighbor had a person who does pet teeth cleaning over at her house and for some reason, she was looking at Max's teeth (I think one was loose at the time)....but she had him lying on her lap on his back....and that seems to work better for me too. It's easier to see what you're doing when they're that way, and it's easier to stabilize their head (you put the head against your stomach, kind of) while you're working on their teeth.
I have to say that since I have started cleaning his teeth everyday, his breath is MUCH better! My plan is to continue doing this for a few weeks and see how much plaque I can get off and then I'll use the Petzlife if needed. I also got him a "Busy Bone Dental" which I'm going to post about now!