# Tartar build-up and stinky breath (help)



## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

Hello, 

I haven't been here in a while but I'm glad to be back. I thought I'd ask some help about this bad breath issue. And I mean really bad...

Tamara is 5 and has had tartar build-up and bad breath for years. I bring her to the vet to have it removed once in a while, but I don't like to, because it means anesthesia and there are risks associated with it. Also, vets always want to extract teeth when they do it (I give specific instructions not to, because I don't want her to have only one teeth left when she's 10 or so...)

She eats dry kibble, free feed, once a day. She does well with that, she's the perfect weight. She eats in the same bowl as her Boston T. sister. Now, here's my question : what should I feed her so she doesn't accumulate tartar as much ? (I can't brush her teeth, I've tried, it's mission impossible). Would canned food be better ? Or put water in her kibble ? If possible, I'd like to be able to feed my Boston the same, but I can also seperate them on feedings. 

Here's a pic of the two sisters :


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

I feed a raw diet and the dental benefits are huge. It's not for everyone, but if you are interested and open to it, it is a very healthy diet.

The first page of this post gives you the information you need to learn more about it.

http://www.chihuahua-people.com/showthread.php?t=49576

If you aren't interested in doing a raw diet, you can still get some of the dental benefits by feeding raw meaty bone-in pieces, such as wings, drumsticks, thighs, ribs, etc. in place of a kibble meal. Bullysticks can also be helpful if your dog is a vigorous chewer.

Do not feed cooked bones ever. That includes the smoked bones you get at pet stores. Rawhide is also not advised. The raw soup or marrow bones from the butcher CAN be appropriate, but it depends on your dog. I hesitate to recommend them as they are known to be tooth breakers for some dogs. The best way to clean teeth is with a natural, species appropriate diet.

Expecting kibble to clean teeth is like chewing crackers and then expecting your teeth to be clean. There is NO scrubbing action that is going to clean teeth, this is a myth.

There are also products you can use, such as petzlife oral gel which is supposed to be good at dissolving tartar. I haven't used these products but have heard good reviews.

I would also advise you to stay away from 'greenies' and other dental treats. There have been cases of impactions and blockages from these products. They are just hardened corn starch.

A natural diet is best, in my opinion.

Here's a picture of Brody's teeth. He is almost 2. He's never had a dental and has never had a speck of build up on his teeth.


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## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

Wow, those teeth are really clean ! 

Unfortunately, I don't think raw feeding is for me, although I really believe in its benefits. But maybe I could give her a few raw pieces once in a while, to help. 

She's only 4 pounds, what kind of raw meat would be good for her, are chicken wings and thighs too big ?

I will check out the products you are mentioning. Thanks !


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

When I first got Pip and Roo I took them both in for dentals (they had a lot of tartar build up, yellow/brown teeth etc) and their teeth came out pristine. I now brush their teeth every other day with a special doggie toothpaste and it has kept them pretty clean so far. I think they will still likely need dental every so many years though. 

I have always wondered about petzlife oral gel, but I'm leery to use it because of the grain alcohol it has. Does anyone here use it? Is grain alcohol really ok for them to ingest?


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

foggy said:


> When I first got Pip and Roo I took them both in for dentals (they had a lot of tartar build up, yellow/brown teeth etc) and their teeth came out pristine. I now brush their teeth every other day with a special doggie toothpaste and it has kept them pretty clean so far. I think they will still likely need dental every so many years though.
> 
> I have always wondered about petzlife oral gel, but I'm leery to use it because of the grain alcohol it has. Does anyone here use it? Is grain alcohol really ok for them to ingest?


I've never used the petzlife gel but had no idea it had grain alcohol in it! Man, that's probably how it dissolves the buildup on the teeth! Not sure I'd be wanting to put alcohol on my little guy's gums/teeth.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Get you some chewies, bully sticks, or any kind of bone that they can really gnaw on, works for all 4 of mine.  None of them have tartar build up.


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## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

Well, I decided to get the Petzlife stuff, and I'll also give her chicken wings (raw). 

Even though it has alcohol in it, I think it's better than having to go through anesthesia. You really give them a very small amount, and once it's cleared, only once every 3 days.

As for chewing stuff, she gets them, but it doesn't help. 

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for your help.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Brodysmom said:


> I've never used the petzlife gel but had no idea it had grain alcohol in it! Man, that's probably how it dissolves the buildup on the teeth! Not sure I'd be wanting to put alcohol on my little guy's gums/teeth.


Yes, exactly. That's my concern with it and why I haven't bought it. : /


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## Rico's Mom (Feb 21, 2009)

I asked the company about the alcohol...they said not a problem as it evaporates...idk???


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

I use a water additive called Pet Dental by Four Paws. I have only used it four about 2 months, but it has made a huge improvement to my 15 year old Lab/Chow, 11 year old Cairn Terrier, and 2 year old Chi. I only wish I had that stuff from the time my dogs were puppies. Pet Dental seemed to work within a few days and it's still working for the odors. I'll have to see over time if it really keeps tartar down. 

Pet Dental changes the pH of their saliva to make it a bad environment for the bacteria in their mouths. This controls tartar production because there is much less plaque formation from the bacteria. This also controls the bad odors from the bacteria. It has a slight minty scent but no xylitol. Other products have things like alcohol or stabilized chlorine dioxide to kill bacteria.

Only the Lab/Chow took a few days to start drinking water with Pet Dental. The air used to smell like rotten garbage when my older dogs sat near us, but now there is no noticeable scent unless we stick our noses in front of their mouths. The scent isn't roses, but it isn't bad either.

The Lab/Chow has only had a couple of dental cleanings in her life because I was never satisfied with how clean the vet would get her teeth, and now she's way too old for me to risk it. I would do a non-anesthetic cleaning with her, but I don't even want to put her through that at this point. The Cairn got non-anesthetic cleaning on her teeth which had probably never been cleaned in her life. She was rescued as a senior dog, and she was a stray. Her teeth went from nasty/crusty brown to sparkling white. I thought for sure they gave her new teeth. The Chi has had non-anesthetic cleaning once, and they didn't have much on them so they came out perfect. I would only do the non-anesthetic teeth cleaning with reputable people that have a lot of good references. There is nothing regulating non-anesthetic cleanings so you can end up with horrible crooks out to make cash or you could get the best cleaning for your dogs from caring people. Make sure you can watch it being done or at least be close by. A lot of times they will come to your house. 

Tropiclean makes a gel that you can put on their teeth with no brushing and it takes the tartar off. I have seen it at grooming salons and at Petco near the grooming area. Tropiclean makes other dental care products that seem like they would work. I haven't tried them.

Good luck getting rid of the stinky smell and the tartar.


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## pigeonsheep (Nov 8, 2008)

bullysticks and petzlife oral spray is the best


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

For Oakley, because of double teeth, by 1 year old here teeth were in ROUGH shape. I did the following things...

1) started giving her 3 raw bones each week (chicken drumstick with most meat removed)

2) put Tropiclean water additive in their water

3) used the Tropiclean tarter buildup gel

4) started brushing her teeth 

5) scaled her teeth with a human teeth scaler... (she is VERY cooperative with me, though, as I've picked and poked at her since she was young...I firmly believe in exposing them to mildly uncomfortable stimuli so that they don't turn into snappy, cranky dogs)...

And voila...all tarter is gone, in the last month. Before I was just doing raw bones but it wasn't helping as she can't chew with her teeth until some are pulled,...she WILL be having about 4-5 teeth pulled here soon, poor baby.


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

flippedstars said:


> For Oakley, because of double teeth, by 1 year old here teeth were in ROUGH shape. I did the following things...QUOTE]
> 
> Venus just got 6 baby teeth pulled recently. She came out just fine. So much food kept getting stuck in between her adult and baby teeth.
> 
> I'm glad Tropiclean worked well. They sound like good products. I may give them a try instead of Pet Dental.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I prefer them over Pet Dental because they are all natural and no dyes are used. My dogs don't need dye anymore than I do! But I'm glad the Pet Dental works for some people


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## qtchi (Jun 19, 2010)

flippedstars said:


> I prefer them over Pet Dental because they are all natural and no dyes are used. My dogs don't need dye anymore than I do! But I'm glad the Pet Dental works for some people



I didn't see Tropiclean until after I tried Pet Dental. I got the Pet Dental at Petsmart, and they didn't have Tropiclean for me to compare the two. I did like the sound of the ingredients, and I'm glad to have at least one review that it worked.


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Does the tropiclean have grain alcohol in it?


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## Sidech (Apr 3, 2006)

I saw this Pet Dental stuff from four Paws, it wasn't as expensive and I wasn't sure it would work. Maybe I'll try it next.


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## chi's R me (Jun 30, 2009)

Does anyone use Dentastick? I think it's from Pedagree. The comercials show the dogs with doggie dentures. lol Just wondering if they work.


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

chi's R me said:


> Does anyone use Dentastick? I think it's from Pedagree. The comercials show the dogs with doggie dentures. lol Just wondering if they work.


Ugh, I wouldn't. It's mostly corn starch. Which is bad for dogs. Some products, like greenies, have caused blockages.


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## chi's R me (Jun 30, 2009)

Brodysmom said:


> Ugh, I wouldn't. It's mostly corn starch. Which is bad for dogs. Some products, like greenies, have caused blockages.


Oh, that's good to know. This is why this board is so good, with so many knowledgeable people on here, you can get info without all the trial and error and putting your dog thru harmful situations. I will not be buying them. I will try one of the other methods mentioned on here. Thank you.


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I have used Petzlife Oral Care spray for years and highly recommend it. I've had excellent results with it and have never had a problem. For those of you concerned about the grain alcohol it is such a minuscule amount that it really should not cause any issue. The grain alcohol brings out the properties of the other ingredients and keeps the oils suspended and as has been mentioned before it almost completely evaporates before the dog even has a chance to swallow it. If I had even the slightest concern about it I would not be using it on my pets or recommending it to others.


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## Rico's Mom (Feb 21, 2009)

Do you use the spray or the gel?? Can you brush the teeth using the gel one??


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

I use the spray because for me that is easier, just lift the lips and spray it on. The gel you just apply to a finger, swab, or toothbrush and gently rub it onto the teeth. I do not brush their teeth at the same time I apply the Petzlife so that it has time to do it's work. I brush my dogs' teeth in the morning after their breakfast and then spray their teeth at night before bed. My dogs' teeth are in great shape, never need dentals, and never have bad breath! In fact when my dogs pant right into my face I smell nothing!


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## Rico's Mom (Feb 21, 2009)

So do you use a regular dog toothpaste for brushing then??


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## huskyluv (Oct 24, 2008)

Rico's Mom said:


> So do you use a regular dog toothpaste for brushing then??


Yes, I use enzymatic dog toothpaste for brushing. Petzlife is not for brushing their teeth.


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