Dental cleaning question

[LauraM]

I’m really new so hopefully this is an appropriate question. I’m wondering if we should get our 3 year old healthy (just) Vizsla’s (Reno) teeth cleaned. I’m attaching pics of the teeth I have concerns about. All his other teeth are completely white and look great. We do not have a vet we trust and I’m not sure we could find a holistic vet to do the cleaning in town. We have a traditional vet that we have used in the past that I would probably trust more. I also don’t know how to determine if a vet is talented at teeth cleaning. We are in Las Vegas.

 

[LauraM]

Just 3 years old - not "just healthy" sorry!

 

[Dr. Christina]

Every question is a good question, and often one that others have just not asked yet.

Great photos. you can actually see the little bit of gum inflammation above that small amount of tartar. If the other teeth are clean I would first try several things we discusses in the dental empower hours before you do a dentistry.

One supplement to sprinkle on their food that we did not mention earlier is by a great company, Animal Essentials - Sea Dent for Dogs (can use on cats too). From their site: "SeaDent attacks plaque-forming bacteria in multiple ways: by the systemic activities of the kelp, and by introducing digestive and antibacterial enzymes that begin working against plaque immediately upon entering the mouth. These enzymes break down food particles trapped between the teeth and under the gum lines."

Other approaches are to feed big enough hunks of meat and meaty bones so that your dog has to sink his teeth into it, and rip, and tear. Make sure he is doing that on both sides.

Brush the teeth, especially that one.

Check out the early warning signs of internal imbalance to see if there are other symptoms you can track.

There are some great holistic vets in Las Vegas. Dr. Joanne Stephanatos, 1325 Vegas Valley Drive, 702-735-7184, has a full service clinic. In 1982, some of us attending the Western States Veterinary Conference visited her clinic. She introduced me to acupuncture, fresh food diet, essential oils and so much more, including problems with metal necklaces/glasses/ around some people's necks and a machine to clear the problems, a biotron energetic machine she was using to help very ill animals. She may offer non-anesthetic dentistry if you end up needing it. She certainly will support you in what you learn here at HA!.

Dr. Christina

 

[LauraM]

Thank you, Dr. Christina! I was on the dental empower hour on 3/25 and I just listened to the ones from 3/4 and 3/18. Just to make sure I haven’t missed anything, based on the Empower Hours, our dental care plan:
Brush daily with coconut oil using a micro-fiber finger brush – hopefully that is okay – it came with the doggy toothbrush and is easier to use. I like it because I can feel the teeth and know I’m covering all the surfaces. I’ll make sure to put it on his gums as well based on what I heard today. Is just coconut oil enough?
We got the Kong Dental Stick and are getting rid of our Nyla bones.
We have been including raw cow heart in Reno’s diet based on Dr. Jeff’s recommendation which we have been cutting up into small pieces but it would be even easier to include bigger chunks so I can do that. We do include cooked chicken in his diet which we also cut up into small pieces.
Would it be better to leave the cooked chicken in big pieces?
I get boneless breast of chicken which are $1.99 a pound – they aren’t organic – I’m thinking we have to cook the chicken but we are open to raw suggestions. I know the cow heart was about the same price but I’m wondering if it will be even be possible to find 25 lbs of cow heart to include in his food - we use about 25 lbs of chicken for a 6 week supply which we cook and freeze (and mix with rice, pumpkin, green peas, spinach, and coconut oil) and we add yogurt to each meal. Reno eats a ton so he eats 4 cups a day of that mix and then we are still doing dry food continuous in between but he has been eating less of it since we have been adding the cow heart at meal times. I have no idea where to buy the kind of raw meat I hear you talk about. At Smith’s, they only had the cow heart, no chicken heart.
Per your suggestion above, I have ordered the Animal Essentials - Sea Dent for Dogs which we will sprinkle on his food.
Thank you for your recommendation of Dr. Joanne Stephanatos – great to hear she is recommended. Would you recommend an initial check up for general health or can we just wait to go if we Reno has a health problem that warrants going to the vet? Thanks again!

 

[JoannC]

Dr Christina,
Would sea dent be ok for my moms dog who has very bad teeth but I am beginning to care for her dog and have started using cocumnut oil, just bought oretine manintenance gel and wondercide Neem Bark Powder to use on gums. I would like to try Ubiquinol 3 x a week how do you use it? I have integrated Theraputics product so it’s just Ubiquinol. Can I just rub on gums or should it be ingested. The large teeth in the front are half covered with plaque. Very bad. She will not take her and put her under anesthesia to clean?
Can I rub Ubiquinol on Teddy’s gums too since he has mild gingivitis? Thank you!

 

[lizkunz]

I'm not sure if this was ever mentioned but Coconut Husk was recommended to me as a chew toy to help keep teeth clean. I found this on an internet search. CocoChew LLC Any thoughts? Dogs must have clean teeth in Hawaii.

 

[LauraM]

For Sea Dent, do we add that to the food indefinitely as a new part of his regular food or should we just do it for a short time and check the results?

 

[Dr. Christina]

Great question, Laura. A totally healthy dog should not develop tarter on the teeth. I remember a client with 4 big dogs. Only one would develop tarter on the regular diet. She would then feed turkey necks for a few days, and his teeth would gleam again.

I would try the Sea Dent or other approaches until the tooth is clean, then stop it and watch. Also, of course, after adding any supplement pay attention to BEAM and any other early warning signs.

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Christina]

Is just coconut oil enough?
Great plan. Discovering what works best for you (the finger cot) is so important. No one person has the RIGHT answer since every person and animal are different. Coconut may be enough for some dogs and not others.

Feed the biggest hunks of heart meat he will eat. A whole heart would be fine. !!!!
Would it be better to leave the cooked chicken in big pieces? YES

Cooking does not improve the quality of non-organic meat. Actually it causes the probiotics and enzymes to fail. it would be much easier to buy fresh chicken each week and just feed. Check out butchers who may have "stewing" chickens as they are older and tougher so often cheaper. Boneless usually costs more. Just cut the whole chicken into quarters and hand to your dog (raw with the bones). Rather than a frozen mix of veges, put your leftover raw and cooked vegetables into the food processor with the water from cooking your vegetables or other liquid. this way your dog is getting seasonal vegetables and using what you would toss on the compost or in the garbage. One meal could be as easy as cutting a whole chicken in half and feeding it for dinner (skin, bones and all) and the pureed veges. You could feed a huge chunk of heart for breakfast. Eggs, fish, dairy are all accepted by most dogs. Know any fishermen there? Get the heads and tails from them. Try to find some tripe (not bleached in the store) as it is nicely tough!

Reno eats a ton so he eats 4 cups a day of that mix and then we are still doing dry food continuous in between but he has been eating less of it since we have been adding the cow heart at meal times. He may eat even less if you feed huge hunks of heart, and raw chicken carcasses. If his appetite persists, he may need homeopathic or acupuncture treatment to restore health.

I would stop the dry food for a few days to see if it is actually increasing his hunger.

I have no idea where to buy the kind of raw meat I hear you talk about. At Smith’s, they only had the cow heart, no chicken heart. For dogs, beef heart is fine. Close to Vegas, in Spring Mountains and Mount Charleston, is hunting for elk, deer, bear and sheep. So find the butchers who work for the hunters. Many hunters like to kill and not eat, so there may be cheap, healthy, non-GMO meat. And go to Top 10 Best Grass Fed Beef Butchers in Las Vegas, NV - Last Updated April 2019 - Yelp, then call each of them to see what "left overs" they have. The more you buy parts that people do not eat (tongue, etc) the better for the planet.

Dr. C

 

[lizkunz]

Another product I ran across. Icelandic+ Capelin Whole Fish Dog Treat 2.5-oz Bag I ordered a bag to try I'm particularly interested since it has benefits besides helping to keep teeth clean. Maybe?

 

[Dr. Christina]

Let us know what you think about it Liz. After Bill wolf's talk you can assume the icelandic fish are probably good, though higher on the food chain than the seaweeds. Check how they process the fish - high or low heat?
Dr. C

 

[lizkunz]

From their website: They are caught fresh daily in the cold, pure waters of Iceland, and air-dried within FDA, USDA, EU, and MAST standards. Our 100% edible and digestible capelin treats promote healthy skin and coat with Omega-3 fatty acids. They also reduce plaque and tartar build-up, making them good for your dog’s teeth. So hopefully Penny and Ernie will enjoy them. I'll update when I receive them.

 

[lizkunz]

Another product I found: RX Vitamins, KrillWELL dental sticks. Has anyone tried them?

Krill Chew Sticks With Excellent Health Benefits And Bioavailability

"KrillWELL’s unique nutritional advantage of its Krill Sticks for dogs is the superior bioavailability of its phospholipid-bound omega-3s. Made from Antarctic Krill rich in EPA, DHA, marine fats, proteins and the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin. Recommended to help support healthy skin and coat, cardiovascular function, immune system, joint function and brain development and maintenance. For dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds. Free of heavy metals, pesticides, and dioxins. Easy to digest for dogs. No wheat, corn, soy or artificial colors. Added peppermint oil to help freshen breath and due to abrasive action of chewing helps remove tartar buildup and remove plaque."

By the way Penny and Ernie loved the little capelin fish. I have to buy more!

I will also try the raw chicken again. Thanks for listening!