Dental Confusion???

[buddybear]

Buddybear had his first dental exam. To my shock and horror she listed bully sticks as an absolute no-no. Vet says they are too hard and can crack the enamel or even chip a tooth. She listed three other off the list items: bones, ice, and now I've forgotten the third. Everything he is to chew on must be flexable or some give to it.

What chew things do you give your baby?????

Nyla bone...doesn't like, kong that gets filled with treats.....nope, doesn't like......the puppy teething toys, nope, doesn't like.

She suggested pig ears and chopped up rawhide that resembles a puck. So I stopped by the pet store on the way home and got a cow ear as it was Waaaaay less greasy than the pig plus a chopped maple puck looking thing.

In two weeks Buddybear has 1-2 baby teeth to be pulled and his first cleaning.

[Maximo]

Yes, bully sticks are potentially teeth breakers. A member here, Taylor's Callie, fractured a tooth on one.

All chews are potentially dangerous or bad in one way or another, but some dogs never have a problem.

Max chipped a couple teeth on a Himalayan chew. I was really sad about having to discontinue those because they were the only thing I could let him have safely without me holding onto it.

My boys are very aggressive chewers, so I have to limit them to softer type chews. We use CET chews that are rawhide from the vet. I try to prevent them from swallowing any of it, but Teddy sometimes gets tiny pieces off.

[Maximo]

Forgot to add: chewing ice is potentially damaging to human teeth too.

[buddybear]

What are CET and can I get it somewhere else?

I bought a bag of beef hide chew sticks from the vets..for small dogs......mfg by Sogeval Labs in Florida says product of Mexico. Won't be buying these again.......Buddybear does not seem to be thrilled with them anyway.

[Maximo]

I buy our CET chews at the vet's office, but you can find them online too.

Warning: they are a potential choking hazard. Wylie's Mom almost lost one of her pups when he choked on one.

Because of that, I hold the chew while my boys work on them. I also use the medium size for my big boys. The chew can turn into a rubbery potato chip like thing and potentially be swallowed, causing the choking hazard.

https://www.chewy.com/virbac-cet-enz...FUIfhgodgeQEfQ

[buddybear]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I buy our CET chews at the vet's office, but you can find them online too.

Warning: they are a potential choking hazard. Wylie's Mom almost lost one of her pups when he choked on one.

Because of that, I hold the chew while my boys work on them. I also use the medium size for my big boys. The chew can turn into a rubbery potato chip like thing and potentially be swallowed, causing the choking hazard.

https://www.chewy.com/virbac-cet-enz...FUIfhgodgeQEfQ

Wow, I compared the two products and they are so similar, but the ones from Chewy.com are about 1/2 the price. Buddybear has me hold some of the bully sticks but this chewy he doesn't want me to so I'm sitting here Hawkeyed to make sure he doesn't choke.
Thanks for the headsup on this product.

[dannbarbery]

Oh, I haven't scheduled yet my dog to any dental check up as I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any gum or tooth problem. I make sure to regularly brush her teeth. Is it necessary to have them schedule to dental check up to their vet?

[buddybear]

Originally Posted by dannbarbery

Oh, I haven't scheduled yet my dog to any dental check up as I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any gum or tooth problem. I make sure to regularly brush her teeth. Is it necessary to have them schedule to dental check up to their vet?

The vet we had yesterday said they like to get started on the dogs between one year and one and a half years. Buddybear will be two this month. Then they want to do a yearly check up. We're going to Pet Dental USA and their prices seem to be reasonable.

[Wylie's Mom]

I use RMBs (raw meaty bones), CET Chews (don't get the petites - choking hazard!), Honest Kitchen Beams, Naked Sticks, Munchy Stix, kongs.

[Lovetodream88]

Yep I had mine break a tooth on a bully stick. Big ears are to fatty and can cause issues and rawhide can cause blockages. You can make chicken jerky and sweet potato chews at home with a dehydrator.

[maxdog]

Max and Sasha love the mini kong. i put a little peanut butter in there and they have a blast getting it out

[Britster]

I take the risk and still give Jax bully sticks on occasion. They're great for boring rainy days etc when there is not much else to do. He's almost 8 and is fine with them. I won't do antlers or himalayan chews though or nylabones, I find them all too hard. The bully sticks, in my experience, soften once chewed so maybe that's why we don't seem to have an issue. Anything else I give him lasts all of 60 seconds, so bully's are the only thing that actually allows him a long time of chewing. It's tough... everything has risks - some are deemed indigestible, some are choking hazards, some have risk of tooth breakage etc. You have to figure out what's best for you and your pup and the risks you're willing to take to provide their natural instinct to chew. Also, some dogs don't seem to care about chewing, while others would drive me crazy without it, so it just depends.