Thank you Mary for sharing your tooth brushing technique. It is very helpful.

Some dogs teeth just suck.

Mine's canines are worn flat from play and has nasty teeth despite raw.

With Turbo, I try to brush every other day. He hated it at first, but at the very least tolerates it now. Plus there is always a jackpot treat at the end, and I let him lick the tooth brush after I'm done which he loves to do for some reason.

Might look at some of the oral rinses, too. Something to try and help between brushings. We've used those, too. Everything helps when you've got a dog with bad teeth.

I too use PetzLife and use the spray. I decided to try an experiment. The company says you don't have to even use a brush because it works so well.

So, I decided for the beginning initial protocol, I would use twice a day for two weeks, without brushing.
The key was to make sure that you do it after the dog has eaten it's meal and drank water and apply after that.
It is not as effective if the dog is drinking or eating within an hour of applying.

I just did two sprays on each side, after their morning meals, and then before bed, when I know they are not going to drink anymore. It worked wonderfully.
Even though I feed raw, currently feeding premade patties. So, they still get a bit of plaque.

I brush every third day if I remember, but this stuff really works great at getting the plaque to soften and wear away.
A plus, is that it is all natural, and a holistic vet recommended it highly.
It sure worked for me. Just my 2cents.

ETA; I forgot to mention, then once you get to the point where the plaque is really gone down, the maintenance is use every three to four days.

Thank you all for the guidance in regard to tooth brushing. You have helped me renew my commitment to my dogs dental hygiene.

Here is another question:
I read elsewhere that carrots make great chew treats. I understand Cindy to say dogs do not digest vegetables. Are carrots safe? I'm particularly concerned with bloat.

I can't see carrots lasting long enough to be a treat.

Dog's do not digest raw vegetables. Pre-digested(by cooking, pulverizing, or spilling on the ground at the site of a ruminant kill that your dog's packed up on and took down like National Geographic......or stomach contents left on store bought tripe if thats easier..... ) vegetables are digestible and beneficial in the diet in small amounts.

Carrots are safe. But raw carrots will come out the same way they went in.....raw carrots.

Yep. This is how my dogs (particularly the Pugs, or dog-like animals) like their produce:

.... spilling on the ground at the site of a ruminant kill that your dog's packed up on and took down like National Geographic .....

The Pugs take down the wooly mammoth while the GSD watches the door to make sure I don't catch them making a big mess.

 Quote: Michael_Wise

..... raw carrots will come out the same way they went in.....raw carrots.

Yep. Raw carrots are particular high on the list of produce with stiff cell walls of cellulose and hemicellulose. Nothing the dog produces in his saliva or pancreas can process it.

Freezing any vegetable will do a pretty good job of bursting cell walls and make them more or less digestible for dogs. (That's why most veggies turn mushy after having been frozen then thawed. The water in the cells expands and bursts the cellulose walls that give the thing structure.)

So, a frozen carrot would not only make a longer lasting chew (teething puppies seem to like these) as well as make them more nutritious. But even a frozen carrot isn't going to last too long as a chew toy.

Freezing is my method of choice for "processing" veggies for the dogs. Way simpler and no need to dirty a food process or blender turning them into puree.

Really good point. In fact, my big baggy of dog-produce in the freezer is both stored and "processed" in one easy step! LOL

Celery tops, dark romaine leaves, zucchini guts (which are pretty gooshy even w/o freezing, so very handy), the leaves around broccoli, etc.

I do throw some stuff in with yogurt sometimes, though, in the blender.



I plan to get that dog-tooth goo you mentioned next vet trip, BTW. Also a wrap-around brush someone else mentioned (although I still use and still recommend the little soft one that fits over the fingertip as an easy intro to brushing).

Thank you ALL for taking the time to share with me your knowledge. I feel so fortunate to have access to your experience and expertise.