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Do You Brush Your Gun Dog's Teeth?
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May 17, 2010
Do You Brush Your Gun Dog's Teeth?
By David DiBenedetto
I’ll do just about anything to insure the health of my dog. (If you have any doubts, just click here for documented proof.) I’m religious about heartworm pills, flea and tick treatment, vaccinations, and so on. In fact, I enjoy our yearly Vet appointment even if Pritchard doesn’t.
But recently I stumbled upon some pet advice that even I don’t follow. According to the L.A. Times, dog owners should brush their pet’s teeth every other day. Here’s what a Vet had to say to the newspaper.
Veterinary dentists recommend brushing pets' teeth every other day for optimal dental health. Pet toothbrushes come in different sizes, depending on the size of the mouth…It is imperative that you use veterinary toothpaste since pets will swallow the toothpaste, and regular paste for people can cause severe stomach upset. Besides, they make salmon, beef, chicken and malt flavor, which could actually help to make teeth brushing a more pleasant experience for everyone.
In doing my research I also found the above video of a pug owner taking care of her dog’s chompers. I’m not sure what is more unsettling the dog standing in front of the sink or the pajamas it’s wearing.
More fruitful research revealed that brushing your dog’s teeth may not only help with oral health but overall health, too. (Seems some dental infections can travel to the internal organs, possibly causing death.) And the above tooth brushing advice is fairly common.
So I’m left wondering, am I one of the few gun dog owners not brushing their pup’s teeth? My informal surveys suggest that I’m not alone. (Of the three gun-dog owners I asked none had ever cleaned their canine’s canines.)
How about you? Ever brush your dog’s chompers? Ever plan to?
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Comments (15)
My dogs are on dry food and the occassional milk bone. That seems to keep them in pretty good shape and I suspect most sports dog owners fall in the dry food crowd. My childhood dog was on canned food, which besides being more pricey and messy seemed to absolutely ruin her mouth. Breath was always terrible and a tooth fell out about every 6 months. I'm no vet, but I think if you're feeding them crunchy, dry food, their teeth pretty much clean themself. If you're feeding your toy dog gourmet pet food, it might be a bigger issue. That's just my .02.
This video is hilarious—just emailed to a pug-owner friend. My pup would never let me brush her chompers, so I assume the Nylabones she gnaws on are doing the trick. According to the package they fight plaque...
I have brushed my dogs teeth but find chew ropes and milk bones do some to help keep thier teeth cleaner.
My dog gets hers brushed about twice monthly. My fiancee has spent a significant amount of money on her dog's teeth, and I have found that an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure any day.
My pups go under the toothbrush once a week. I hail from a family full of dentists, so oral health is important. The plague that builds on tooth enamel isn't all that different that the plaque that builds up in your arteries, and if ingested, can add to blood pressure problems and clots. Although my vet said I can use the same Crest I use for myself, I recommend going with a canine specific type. I'm tired of my dog looking at me while I brush my teeth.
I stick with dry dog food. I can barely remember to brush my own teeth.
have you seen the things dogs put in their mouths??? as blitx said, I can barely get my kid to brush her teeth let alone the dogs!
nope. dry dog food with nylabones and "greenies" bones do the trick
During our last vet trip for puppy shots the vet gave me a trial size tube of chicken flavor tooth paste and a brush. He said he would like me to brush Shooters teeth at least once a week. My wife has brushe his teeth a couple times. Im not sure how faithful we will be with brushing. But I have been giving it a little thought.
I have been a veterinarian for over 13 years, and look in 50-60 dogs' mouths weekly. The biggest variable in a canine's dental health, in my opinion, is genetics. Dachshunds tend to be the worst - my partner's wiener dogs get a dental prophy every 6-8 months. I have a mixed terrier who has great teeth and has had one dental in 8 years. Brushing can make a small change for the better, but won't make a big difference. I do think the chlorhexidine impregnated raw hide chews can help as much as brushing. Let your veterinarian be your guide to your dogs health. Lastly, I will admit that I haven't ever brushed any of my dogs teeth, and probably won't ever. Just my 2 cents from the veterinary side of it.
hell no!
BlueFiveSpot -- Appreciate the professional advice and the honesty. I think you nailed it when you mentioned genetics and letting your Vet be the guide. Every dog is a bit different, even from a training perspective.
dry food, nyla bones, milk bones, and these pedigree treat bone things that are vitamins too seem to do the trick. can't even begin to imagine trying to hold any of my 3 dogs still long enough to try and brush.
My dog is not a "gun dog" per se, but we have been brushing his teeth for 7 years and they look great. In fact, he even loves the toothpaste and looks forward to it every morning (it's chicken-flavored). Again, depends on the food and genetics and stuff probably, but for the overall health of your dog I would recommend it.
I enjoyed reading it. I need to read more on this topic...I admire time and effort you put in your blog, I often read at my work as a sales assistant at container transportation Turkey, because it is obviously one great place where I can find lot of useful info.
Post a Comment
I have been a veterinarian for over 13 years, and look in 50-60 dogs' mouths weekly. The biggest variable in a canine's dental health, in my opinion, is genetics. Dachshunds tend to be the worst - my partner's wiener dogs get a dental prophy every 6-8 months. I have a mixed terrier who has great teeth and has had one dental in 8 years. Brushing can make a small change for the better, but won't make a big difference. I do think the chlorhexidine impregnated raw hide chews can help as much as brushing. Let your veterinarian be your guide to your dogs health. Lastly, I will admit that I haven't ever brushed any of my dogs teeth, and probably won't ever. Just my 2 cents from the veterinary side of it.
My dogs are on dry food and the occassional milk bone. That seems to keep them in pretty good shape and I suspect most sports dog owners fall in the dry food crowd. My childhood dog was on canned food, which besides being more pricey and messy seemed to absolutely ruin her mouth. Breath was always terrible and a tooth fell out about every 6 months. I'm no vet, but I think if you're feeding them crunchy, dry food, their teeth pretty much clean themself. If you're feeding your toy dog gourmet pet food, it might be a bigger issue. That's just my .02.
This video is hilarious—just emailed to a pug-owner friend. My pup would never let me brush her chompers, so I assume the Nylabones she gnaws on are doing the trick. According to the package they fight plaque...
I have brushed my dogs teeth but find chew ropes and milk bones do some to help keep thier teeth cleaner.
My dog gets hers brushed about twice monthly. My fiancee has spent a significant amount of money on her dog's teeth, and I have found that an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure any day.
My pups go under the toothbrush once a week. I hail from a family full of dentists, so oral health is important. The plague that builds on tooth enamel isn't all that different that the plaque that builds up in your arteries, and if ingested, can add to blood pressure problems and clots. Although my vet said I can use the same Crest I use for myself, I recommend going with a canine specific type. I'm tired of my dog looking at me while I brush my teeth.
have you seen the things dogs put in their mouths??? as blitx said, I can barely get my kid to brush her teeth let alone the dogs!
nope. dry dog food with nylabones and "greenies" bones do the trick
I stick with dry dog food. I can barely remember to brush my own teeth.
During our last vet trip for puppy shots the vet gave me a trial size tube of chicken flavor tooth paste and a brush. He said he would like me to brush Shooters teeth at least once a week. My wife has brushe his teeth a couple times. Im not sure how faithful we will be with brushing. But I have been giving it a little thought.
hell no!
BlueFiveSpot -- Appreciate the professional advice and the honesty. I think you nailed it when you mentioned genetics and letting your Vet be the guide. Every dog is a bit different, even from a training perspective.
dry food, nyla bones, milk bones, and these pedigree treat bone things that are vitamins too seem to do the trick. can't even begin to imagine trying to hold any of my 3 dogs still long enough to try and brush.
My dog is not a "gun dog" per se, but we have been brushing his teeth for 7 years and they look great. In fact, he even loves the toothpaste and looks forward to it every morning (it's chicken-flavored). Again, depends on the food and genetics and stuff probably, but for the overall health of your dog I would recommend it.
I enjoyed reading it. I need to read more on this topic...I admire time and effort you put in your blog, I often read at my work as a sales assistant at container transportation Turkey, because it is obviously one great place where I can find lot of useful info.
Post a Comment