Canine oral health

[brydee]

Hi everyone,

My mums dogs are fed on hollistic cooked food, she wont convert them to raw at the moment but i'm worried about our elderly dog, she is full of beans, still does a little agility, eats her meals. But her teeth are in terrible condition, shes nearly 15, they were fine until a year or so ago, the vets say that it is old age etc, but i really feel for her. The caps have come off, they are black on the inside, her gums are bright red, her breath stinks, she doesnt have much plaque as i sneak her bones and raw veg now and again to keep that down, i also have her on herbs specifically for a veteran dog and ACV and she gets coconut oil and hemp oil now and again. I really feel for her though, i want to do something for her teeth but i cant, the vets say the age she is that it is highly NOT advised to put her under to sort her teeth out. But there must be something else i can do for her?
I know that some things are part of old age, but her being in pain because of her mouth, i dont think is fair.

[carolg]

I'm sure the red gums may be sign of suffering from all the dental probelms going on. Your hands are tied if your mother won't let changes happen sadly. I'm glad you can sneak the stuff in to the dog. The bones may be too hard for her chewing action at this late age. Great you are investigating herbs, etc. shirley's wellness cafe may want to google also...also there are BARF groups you can fnd who have similar situation and great number there including breeders.

It's sad that people don't want to change and make that choice too. My dog is on raw foods and no problems at 9 being 8 years raw. Super young acting like a pup. Ignorance can be a curse to pets and humans.

On the other hand, my TX daughter informed me today my other grandbaby from son who is local to us is GOING to be given her FLU shot this weekend. She has had all her vaccinations. My DIL is a jerk and my son is her counter part. He doesn't tell me anything cause he knows my feelings. The least I see them all or speak to them I am better off. This local grandbaby, 23 months old almost, is clueless who we are: neighbors down the block, people from out of the sky as they have not taught her grandma or such words. Can you imagine? I questioned my son and he can't think straight for himself. Oh well. Not the thread for this, but okay with our situation.

Keep us posted on the doggie. I will be reading here. Thanks for being a great pet owner or wanna a be!

carolg

[Eva]

My dog ALWAYS had teeth problems until he went raw. He even was on special Vet formula food for teeth. I even brushed his teeth almost every day.

I think the meaty bones help big time. Or maybe it is the change in his overall health with the BARF diet. I don't know. He had to get his first cleaning when he was less than a year old because he had SO much plaque and gingivitis already!!

Unfortunately, at 15 I don't know how much you can do for the dog you're asking about. Bad teeth are part of overall health. It sounds like (sorry to say this. :() this dog may be nearing the end.

I would take her for lovely walks and treat her with her favorite treats, toys and give her extra loving. That's just me.

[carolg]

The dog may enjoy the chewing action however, so just never know but worth a shot. I agree nice walks would be fabulous if the dog is not having major hip problems.

carolg

[brydee]

The place where i get my herbs from also do a HERBAL bute,normally used for equines but i may ask if they could prescribe some for her.


carolg- My mother agrees with and is aware of how beneficial raw would be, its a tough situation, i cannot explain fully as its personal and the whole family is under alot of stress at the moment. But i think in in the near future i will be able to swap them over to raw, which is good! definatly the younger dog, but i know time is ticking away for our elder dog...not that it shows other than her teeth and a few grey hairs!
Sorry to hear about your grandchild, i find myself biting my tongue constantly around family and friends when they talk about health. Part because they think im crazy and paranoid about the whole system... i wonder why?
I find myself shouting at the tv, but not what normal people shout at it for. i shout at the health programs, adverts and food adverts:o

Eva- I think it will mainly be the bones, i mean its a dogs natural diet, its what they thrive on! sure the veg does them good, but i think in the wild dogs would be more inclined to eat the meat and herbs rather than veg or other things.
I dont know whether i just dont want to admit shes getting old, or i am actually right...but compared to other dogs i see half her age she is very fit and healthy( other than her teeth) for her age. Nobody who meets her believes how old she is, and the vets are always v.impressed by both the dogs health. I guess it does annoy me rather alot though, because i know they could be even better on a raw diet!
She still more than manages to do long walks and shows no sign or tiring when we finish, she does not walk, EVER! haha, she only has one pace and thats run run run:D ...i can just tell that her mouth bothers her
Maybe im just being hopeful but i think she will go peacefully one day, i dont think she will get ill and spiral downwards, she so active if she did i think she'd die from depression.
I have some photos of them both jumping, when my camera is fixed:rolleyes: then i shall put them up

ALL the pets in this house get extra loving on daily basis:D

[Eva]

brydee... That's much better than what I was thinking! Have you been brushing her teeth?? Even though Boli went raw last year, I did continue to use the doggie toothpaste here and there. It definitely helped. I also -- before Boli was raw -- would take a small sharp object to remove the plaque sometimes. You can only do this if the dog totally trusts you and won't squirm.

Perhaps the vet could do that for you? They should have a couple simple pieces of hand-held equipment to scrape the plaque, then it would help but may not solve the problem, if you brush daily.

Going raw was the first thing that truly helped my dog to be rid of fleas and his tooth issues. I'm a believer! :D

[goobygirl]

Triple Pet Plaque Off. It is a liquid you add to the dog's water. It keeps plaque from adhering and also has good bacteria in it that alkalinizes the urine (less grass burn from urine).

I add it daily to my dogs' water. I brush a couple of times a week, and occasionally use a dental scraper (the kind used at the dentist office, but you can find online) to take the plaque off that tends to gather on the outside of the molars.

I buy the stuff on Amazon. I don't know if you can get it at the pet store, but the brand Triple Pet is carried there, so you could maybe special order it.

I have also used a spray that is supposed to work, but the dogs' hate spray in the their mouth, and you have to limit water before and after. It is called Petz Life Oral Care Spray. This is supposed to reduce tartar and plaque within one month.

Another thing I really liked was a tooth oil that I purchased at the farmer's market. I believe it had tea tree oil (not sure) and a few others. It was human grade. When I used a cotton swab a few times a week and placed it on the yellowing spots (also could go in drinking water) the plaque would get really soft and come off much easier.