# ~ Tarter...... a good remover ~



## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Just thought I would ask about tarter on teeth here a min. I'm not into brushing a dogs teeth & never have or tried. I would rather know of ways like giving certain bones, chews, etc ?

What works & what is best to use ? How often ?

I couldn't resist & bought 3 HUGE Hartz natural beef (smoked flavored) knuckel bones tonight & boy do they love ! They were crunching them & giving their jaws a workout ! These knuckles are so big ! I have never gave these to them before.

I also don't want to be giving them bones & stuff like this too often as I do fear they will take in too much & will block them or something. All are pretty good chewers. I stopped the cow hooves due to Shadow breaking up in quarter pieces & eating whole ! He threw them all up one time & stopped giving them.

I have tried rawhides, but now hear they aren't good for dogs.

Just wondered on this issues b/c want to cut out some of this tarter, but don't want to give them to many bones, etc too much or something.

~Thanks~


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I would never give my dogs those baked bones like Hartz as they are so hard they can and do break teeth. If you want to give bones, give raw bones.

I have given rawhide in the past and don't have a huge problem with it as long as chewing them is always supervised. 

You could also try brushing and/or using an enzymatic cleaner. This is by far the best method for keeping teeth clean. For built up tartar you could use a dental scaler to get it off and start clean.


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## foader (Dec 19, 2008)

My friends pup had lots of tatar build up so they started her on those greenies bones and her teeth look alot better now. Course she's a little dog and a slow chewer. they gave her one a day for the first week to see if it would help and it made a huge difference after the first week they cut back to one every few days and haven't had a problem with it since.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

kimba had a surprising amount of tatrar even at 1 1/2 yrs old. ive been brushing her ever since and she does get raw meaty bones about 3x per week. ive tried the greenies, but they did nothing. no amount of brushing has removed much, if any tartar. i looked into a dental scaler, but am too concerned about permanently removing enamel.

i sure next yr im going to have to have her teeth professionally cleaned, then stay dedicated with the brushing. i use C.E.T. enzymatic toothpaste, which she likes the taste of. this really helps, since she doesnt fight me while im brushing her. she is too busy trying to lick the toothpasre, which keeps her mouth open.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I have used liquid cleaners that you add to drinking water. Works great!! My vet recommends the type with chlorhexidrine. 

I also give some raw bones and these really helped knock off the loosened tartar. My 9 year old has no tartar. Vet amazed, stares ar her teeth!


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: SambaI have used liquid cleaners that you add to drinking water. Works great!! My vet recommends the type with chlorhexidrine.
> 
> I also give some raw bones and these really helped knock off the loosened tartar. My 9 year old has no tartar. Vet amazed, stares ar her teeth!


is this something like what you are talking about? id sure be willing to give it a try.

http://allpetsolutions.zoovy.com/category/suziestartarliquid/


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## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

My friend tried Greenies for her Shelite. Didn't work. She brushes his teeth daily. Slight imporovement. She tried a produt that you put in the dogs mouth - didn't see any imporvements.


I will tell her about a product to add to the drinking water.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

Grimm is raw fed, and has horrrrrrible tartar. Sometimes a dog really has a genetic predisposition to tartar. Grimm gets chicken quarters as his RMB. Maybe that isn't the right RMB to give him, maybe he needs recreational bones sometimes too? Anway, Petzlife gel, brushed on nightly, is NOT helping.


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## kshort (Jun 4, 2004)

My senior sheltie mix girl had the most horrendous breath. I started giving her the small C.E.T. chews about a year ago and it has made a huge difference. They have an enzyme on them that helps clean the teeth. When the vet saw her a couple months ago, he was surprised at how good her teeth were for her age. I've found the best price is at http://www.entirelypets.com. Here's the link to the chews: http://entirelypets.ecommerce-site-search.com/search?query=CET+chews
I order the petite for small dogs and she gets two per day. She's picky, but loves her C.E.T. chews. She'll eat them before her biscuits!


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## natalie559 (Feb 4, 2005)

I would first try raw meaty bones, either 1/2 a turkey neck or a chicken quarter skin removed if your dogs have issues with too much fat. The dog won't become blocked up if its a meaty bone and not just a bone or if you give them maybe a spoonful of pumpkin to go along with it. These work best for the molars and might not work as well for the canines. Each dog is different.

I don't like the rec bones as they are too hard and can damage teeth in that respect. Plus they don't provide anything to sink the teeth into or to work the jaw muscles.

Next I would try a dental scaler. Worked really great for my Sasha who had build up on her canines that a raw diet didn't fix. Some say it scrapes the enamel some say it doesn't- you'll have to decide what your comfortable with.

If neither of those things worked I would maybe try petzlife but I tried that pre scaler for Sasha without positive results.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks much for the replies so far.









I do worry about blockage + teeth damage. These knuckles sure are lasting, but have taken a toll also. It's says smoke flavor not smoked so, I assumed they weren't baked. My female has bad teeth due to being a heavy chewer & all k-9 teeth looked sawed in half like we filed them down or something.

I also like to get something they can work on & not something that's gone in 5 mins.

Meaty bones.......... being bone marrow type soup bones ? I do give them, but seem to have to watch. If real big from a slaughter house with lots of marrow, boy that gave our girl Sable the scoots ! Maybe I should give a little here & there, but that time gave it to her for most of the day.


I also keep the bones when their done for awhile & they're hard. They will chew on them from time to time & add PB in them sometime. . Not sure if I should allow that, but it's like giving them them Nylabone chews, which I have some of they sure are hard.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

O, wasn't sure either on how often to be giving bones ? 

Good info on the stuff to add to their water, always wondered if this stuff was a waste ?


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

Yes, I have used Suzy's with great results! Follow directions, you don't give it all the time. My vet would prefer I use the chlorhexidine type and I will check on that brand for you.

I have used CET chews and they help knock off loosened tartar too.


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## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Here's my opinion, raw bones are great at keeping a low amount of tartar on the BACK teeth down but unless you feed a full raw diet your dogs teeth aren't going to be cleaned on the FRONT.

And as Patti pointed out, just because the dog eats a raw diet doesn't mean it'll have clean teeth.

THE best way to keep your dogs mouth clean and healthy is to brush your dogs teeth at least every other day. Starting as early as possible. If you are starting with a dog that already has tartar build up, get a professional dental cleaning in to remove it and then start fresh by being sure you keep up with your dogs brushing.

I look at it this way, I can take 5 minutes out of my day a few times a week to brush my dogs teeth OR my dog can suffer the rest of it's life with painful dental diseases that can effect his heart, liver and kidneys and cause early death just so I can save those 5 minutes to be on the computer, watch tv, ect.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

I have noticed within a few days of chewing on these knuckle bones here & there, a good amount of tarter chipped on the back outside of the teeth.









Sable, that darn coyote has hers about gone already !


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