Broke a tooth, looking for ideas for how to keep teeth clean

[MirandaW]

My questions are

1) Now that he has lost his PM4 and the teeth under and around that tooth wont be cleaned as well- is ther a dental product I should use with him?
2) Raw bone- what is the safest to feed. I used to say non-weight bearing, but he broke his tooth on a beef rib bone
3) Is there anything I can do to support him post dental surgery and NSAID use?

1. Your pet's name- Willy
2. Approximate age- 2 years old
3. Sex- Male
4. Neutering status- neutured at 4 months in rescue
5. Breed- Cattle Dog/Border Collie
6. Approximate weight- 50 lbs
7. What's their BEAM (behavior, energy, appetite, mood) B- Balanced energy, calm in house, but picks of the energy of others easily, loves to run, play, cautious of getting into the car at times, Does not love body handling such as brushing body or teeth, is very aroused in new environments, whining and stress signals, loves kids and people, is working through a dog attack- some trauma to other dogs. Overall a happy, lovalble, loyal boy who is confident sometime and totally not at other times.
8. Diet- Raw fed, pre-ground raw, chicken, beef, pork and fish, also raw bone such as turkey necks, lamb ribs, capers etc, greek yogurt, bone broth, occ goats milk
9. Vaccination history / exposure to toxins, other medication- Vaccinated for everything by resuce(DHPP,Rabies, Lepto, Lyme, Bordatella) as well as dewormed and on heartworm prevention at 4 months. Titres done rather than re-vaccinate 1 year later. Has been on Symparico for flea/ticks/worms in the spring & fall ( 4 doses a year)
10. Primary problem, when it began and if there was anything else happening around that time- He broke a tooth- dont know when it happened as I just saw it cracked after he came in from outside.
11. Is the condition better or worse from exercise, heat, cold, time of day, certain foods, emotional upset, being touched, excitement, etc? N/A the tooth was fractured into the root and it was removed with a dental surgery. Fractured on a beef rib bone I think
12. Has any diagnostic work been done? Diagnosis if available (you can attach your diagnostic tests to the post if you have them)
13. Current and previous treatment- Was treated with surgery, on pain meds after for 5 days but no antiobiotics
14. Other health concerns- Is being treated by an osteopath for a shoulder injury as well as a sprained tail.

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Long bones (ribs, legs) have linear structures, they are rigid and will break teeth. Cancellous bone (vertebrae/necks, cartilaginous ends of bones, oxtails, knuckles) are safer.

Here are my "Rules for Bones"--

• Appropriately sized (no beef knuckles for 2-pound puppies!)
• Fresh (bones harden quicker than you might imagine); discard at the end of the day.
• Raw (cooked bones will splinter and can crack teeth; but raw bones canalso splinter)
• Cancellous or spongy bones, such as chicken vertebrae. (Do not give cortical bones: long straight bones like thigh, leg, rib, and wing bones)
• Sanitized (dipped in boiling water for ~1 minute or soaked in a dilute solution of Grapefruit Seed Extract to kill surface bacteria (recommended but not mandatory)
• Supervised (in case of choking, tooth damage, or stuck piece in mouth or throat)

What supplements are you giving? Just meat and dairy do not make a complete diet. Given his orthopedic injuries as well as the tooth, I would be concerned about calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, trace minerals, and antioxidants.

 

[MirandaW]

Long bones (ribs, legs) have linear structures, they are rigid and will break teeth. Cancellous bone (vertebrae/necks, cartilaginous ends of bones, oxtails, knuckles) are safer.

Here are my "Rules for Bones"--

• Appropriately sized (no beef knuckles for 2-pound puppies!)
• Fresh (bones harden quicker than you might imagine); discard at the end of the day.
• Raw (cooked bones will splinter and can crack teeth; but raw bones canalso splinter)
• Cancellous or spongy bones, such as chicken vertebrae. (Do not give cortical bones: long straight bones like thigh, leg, rib, and wing bones)
• Sanitized (dipped in boiling water for ~1 minute or soaked in a dilute solution of Grapefruit Seed Extract to kill surface bacteria (recommended but not mandatory)
• Supervised (in case of choking, tooth damage, or stuck piece in mouth or throat)

What supplements are you giving? Just meat and dairy do not make a complete diet. Given his orthopedic injuries as well as the tooth, I would be concerned about calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, trace minerals, and antioxidants.

Hi Jean, Thanks for that. I had always thought it was non-weigh bearing bones that were safe. I'll look for the cancellous bones next time. I'm sorry if I was not clear- he eats pre-ground raw, which has meat, bone, organs, and stomach contents. as well as some raw meaty bones like turkey necks, lamb ribs etc.

 

[GinnyW]

So, I'm supposed to be an expert here: I agree with Dr. Jean's recommendations, but after many years of raw feeding I am still searching....We are using Teef!, and I see results, but not enough or consistent enough. I am pondering buying the powder from PetLab, and wonder if anyone is using it. They have a zillion reviews, of course, but who knows if they are authentic? Any other ideas? He allows a limited amount of brushing, with a finger brush and sodium bicarbonate. And of course he eats a lot of whole bones....Thanks!

 

[GinnyW]

And another one: MyPetLab (different outfit) electric scaler. Looks promising; anyone know for sure?

Canident - Tooth cleaner for dogs​

Thanks for any input. To have a definitively effective tooth cleaning modality would be really, really useful to most of us.

 

[LaurenHW]

The Candident sea algae looks very interesting indeed.

I have a cavity and the Dentist was booked for a month despite my zings of pain! So I started using Deer Velvet and Ozone(both gas & in Oil)! Its eliminated the pain!