# Brushing their teeth!



## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I voted NO/Never because my dog eats a raw diet. His teeth stay very clean and healthy. He is 9 years old, and has never needed a dental. His teeth actually look better then my clients teeth that they DO brush! Only about 2% of pet owners actually brush their pets teeth every day. It is so healthy and beneficial to brush or keep your dogs teeth clean another way!


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## Ruth (Nov 18, 2010)

bigpoodleperson said:


> I voted NO/Never because my dog eats a raw diet. His teeth stay very clean and healthy. He is 9 years old, and has never needed a dental. His teeth actually look better then my clients teeth that they DO brush! Only about 2% of pet owners actually brush their pets teeth every day. It is so healthy and beneficial to brush or keep your dogs teeth clean another way!


Me too, I voted no cause their raw diet keeps their teeth clean.
Sirius' teeth were very bad before I switched to raw, and then just a month or so later I actually thought he had chipped some of his teeth, because he used to have some dark spots on them, and then said spots were gone and his teeth are so much cleaner! Even the vet compliments him all the time because of that, and thinks I brush his teeth daily.

And yes, but if they didn't get such a benefit from their diet, I would definitely brush!


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

I feed Nickel raw but I still brush his teeth every night. I see it as a bonding activity. And I like the fact that Nickel is very used to me sticking my fingers in his mouth. People at the dog park are amazed that I can open his mouth and pull out whatever he has just picked up. The three vets that we visited are all very happy with Nickel's teeth and said he probably won't need any dental cleaning.


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## Olie (Oct 10, 2009)

My vet only thinks I feed Raw to Suri......he always says your dogs teeth are the best looking teeth he sees coming onto the office. This makes us very happy!


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## Rowan (May 27, 2011)

I brush my poodles' teeth every day in the evening during the brush out. My oldest two will turn 9 and 10 this fall and have never had to undergo a vet dental cleaning. They have stains but very little tartar. My vet is very happy about this! 

My rescues all had severe periodontal disease (their mouths smelled like decomp), which resulted in extractions of most, if not all their teeth. My recent addition, who is only 6 _and was on a raw diet_, has a lot of tartar build-up and moderate periodontal disease. He's also missing a couple of teeth! He may have to undergo a cleaning so we can start with a clean dental slate. 

I strongly believe in the value of a daily brushing. It not only saves you money in the long run but more importantly, your dog won't have to undergo a surgical cleaning or risk the health issues associated with bacterial growth from tartar build-up. 

Brushing is a win-win! (Like grooming, it's a good bonding exercise too!)


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## CharismaticMillie (Jun 16, 2010)

I do not ever brush my dogs' teeth because they eat raw which provides greater dental benefits than brushing. I would brush if they weren't eating raw.


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## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

Patrick's teeth are such a dilemma for me. I brushed my last poodle's teeth almost daily with an electric toothbrush and chicken flavored paste. He loved it and he had nice looking teeth his whole life. Patrick likes it too but almost as soon as his permanent teeth came in about seven months ago, most had non-removable brown staining. Apparently he has an enamel defect and I've been advised not to use a toothpaste with any abrasives. Additionally he's allergic to every low allergy food we've tried (can't even keep them down) but he is successfully eating Hill's z/d Ultra which cammoflages the proteins and carbs from his immune system. So... I don't dare give him a raw diet - or any new diet - he was really sick until we started z/d. I have a tooth gel from the vet that tastes noxious and so brushing went from fun to yuck. His molars look terrible even though I brush nearly daily. I'm so bummed about this. His breeder brags so much about how she never has anything but healthy puppies and, frankly, she's quite dismissive about Patrick's problems - like it must be me. I waited 8 months to get a puppy from this highly recommended breeder. Sorry for the rant. I think this was just supposed to be a quick comment on brushing.


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I am glad you started this thread. I intend to brush Swizzle's teeth every day but it ends up being more like every other day. I also have a tarter scale that I stick in his mouth and pretend to scrape but he is only 7 months and his teeth are very white. I just want him to be use to it when he gets tartar. I am going to have to get better about brushing if I want his teeth to stay white. I also am feeding some raw so hopefully that will help keep his teeth healthy. 

I don't blame you for being frustrated about Patrick's teeth. I have never heard that this is something to look out for when choosing a dog (health background). I am surprised if this is a highly regarded breeder that her dogs would place in shows if they have genetic teeth problems. How upsetting that she is dismissive of your concerns.


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## Patrick's Mom (Apr 26, 2011)

Thanks CT Girl. Patrick's breeder said none of Patrick's relatives have teeth problems but that she's "seen it before" and the affected dogs had no problem. Sometimes I don't think I'm hearing the whole story though. She also said none of their dogs have ever had food allergies (in 25 years?) and thought it was my environment, although she hasn't said anymore about that since we discovered he could eat z/d. I don't really keep in touch with her much now. I do think she's a dedicated breeder (and yes, she shows a _lot_) but I don't think she wants to hear or believe that any puppy has an issue. 

For what it's worth, my dogs like the electric toothbrush more than a regular one. It's small and they never get poked with it. Even though Swizzle is small, he might like it.


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## onlypoodles4me (May 18, 2009)

My dogs eat raw bones regularly, and have very nice teeth, but really enjoy having them brushed, so we brush.


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

I'd no sooner skip brushing Chagall's teeth every day than I would my own! We have our nightly ritual; right before bed-time I go into the master bathroom and call out, "Time to brush your teeth!" He comes running into the bathroom and sits right down on the mat. I wish my own children had responded so well when they were young! I've always given special care to my dog's teeth and our last one, who lived to be 16+, had "pearlie whites" to the day she left to cross the Rainbow Bridge.


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