# Tooth Trouble



## asthehind (Jul 5, 2013)

Hi all, my chi Mimi has a bit of a problem with her teeth. There are a few complicating factors unfortunately! Ideally they need a clean under anaesthetic, but she has heart disease and my vet is unwilling to put her under without a very good reason. She has Plaque Off in her food every day, and I give her Whimzee's chews which she loves. Using a tooth brush would be very difficult, as she has a very small mouth (she's only 9 inches tall!) and doesn't like her mouth being messed with at all. The vet also said that brushing wouldn't do much with the state her teeth are in. She has a mixture of wet meat and dry biscuits for every meal, her 3x daily meds are in Nature's Menu treats, and she adores carrots. She can take or leave other chews, even the different Whimzee's shapes which she has to be in the mood for. I haven't been overly worried about her dental health until earlier today - she had a chew of one of her Whimzees and I noticed that there was some blood where she had gnawed on it. I will of course be asking the vet for advice when she next has a checkup (early August) but I was hoping that some people might have some ideas on anything else I could do for Mimi. Has anyone else had to deal with a similar situation?


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I also have a long hair, Zarita, who has bad teeth and heart trouble. Same with my vet, she is not willing to put her under. The last time I had her in--a few months ago, the vet opened her mouth, and I touched one tooth, and it fell out! None of the others were loose. My chi does not like hard treats at all. I soak her kibble and use soft treats. She is 10 years old and has had heart trouble for 3. I don't have any ideas---just tell the vet.


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## MMS (Aug 2, 2012)

I've started using thesetooth swabs for all of my dogs. I haven't been using them very long, so don't know if they're working yet or not. But it may be an option for you to try.


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## asthehind (Jul 5, 2013)

Thank-you both for the advice! Those tooth swabs look good, but unfortunately they don't seem to be available in the UK.


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

Have you tried putting the Plaque Off directly on her teeth between meals with your finger? You could give her a small treat after so she doesn't resist too much. It might be more effective if it is not mixed with food, though a rep for the company once told me she mixed it with peanut butter and stuck it in her dog's mouth so the gel spent more time in the mouth. You could also try rubbing her teeth with gauze wrapped around your finger. Good luck!


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## asthehind (Jul 5, 2013)

I wonder if we're talking about the same product? The Plaque Off I have is a powder. 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Plaque-Off-Dog-60-g/dp/B0047VWPNI


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## MelodyoftheForest (Sep 11, 2015)

Oh, right. I got confused! I don't know if this is available in the UK, but I found this was helpful when directly applied to the teeth. It doesn't seem to be as horrible-tasting as some of the alcohol-based sprays and gels. https://www.chewy.com/tropiclean-fr...qR2y-Jo6ajYCvYyZK7xoCxjgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## asthehind (Jul 5, 2013)

Update! I managed to find Tropiclean gel at Pets at Home:
http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...esh-breath-made-easy-clean-teeth-gel-for-dogs
We're on day 2 so far so I can't say yet if it's making any difference. It's a bit hard to squirt into such a tiny mouth!


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