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Old March 5th, 2010, 10:52 PM
AnnaD AnnaD is offline
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Is bigger better?

Hi, I have a question for you. I have been feeding my Bichon Maltese Orijen dog food for three years. His first year, he was on Science Diet. I have noticed that while I brush his teeth daily, he has some tartar near his gum line. My vet suggested that this is because his kibble is not large enough (bigger kibble = more chewing = workout for gums). It is true that the Orijen food is small compared to other foods and the year or so he was eating the larger Science Diet kibble, his teeth were whiter and cleaner (and I wasn't as regular with the brushing then).

Is my vet right? Is there a link between the size of the food (chewing) and his tartar? If so, is there an organic food that is bigger than Orijen but still as good quality and organic? Do you have any other suggestions for his teeth (he is not one for chewing bones)?

Please let me know,

Thanks!

Anna
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Old March 5th, 2010, 11:02 PM
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Hi, Anna! Welcome to the board!

I don't believe kibble of any size is hard enough to really keep teeth clean. Many dogs, by the time they're 3, have some tartar buildup. Like you, we brush our dogs' teeth every day (well...nearly every day ) and still need to have them attended to by a veterinary dentist every 3 - 5 years. If we were feeding raw, or even raw bones now and then, their teeth might be even better, but we don't have the freezer space.

Are you using one of the enzyme-based toothpastes? They do a decent job of cleaning deposits off of tooth surfaces. Unfortunately, brushing doesn't really address the problem of tartar gathering beneath the gum line, which is why a professional cleaning now and then is good practice for a kibble-fed dog.
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Old March 6th, 2010, 12:06 AM
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Few dogs chew their kibble much--no matter the size. Even if they eat slowly and chew each piece, though, the kibble is not hard enough to really make a difference. Your dogs teeth were cleaner when he was younger, as Hazel said--they all collect some tartar as they age--unless eating enough raw bones to scrape their teeth clean, or one brushes every day.
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Old March 6th, 2010, 11:48 AM
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When the grrrls were on a purely raw/ home-cooked diet their teeth were pearly white. Now, I can always tell if they haven't had a raw bone for awhile because of the yellow/ brown teeth. Raw bones really do work!
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Old March 7th, 2010, 12:19 PM
AnnaD AnnaD is offline
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Thanks!

Thanks for the responses; they make sense; his teeth were cleaner and whiter because he was younger. I guess I will continue with Orijen and keep brushing his teeth.
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Old March 7th, 2010, 08:30 PM
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Some dogs are genetically more prone to tartar buildup. ANY dog will need teeth brushed periodically though and a teeth cleaning by the vet if there is enough buildup.

Food size won't help with tartar buildup. Does chewing really hard crunchy food help clean your own teeth? Nope. It's not any different for dogs.
Chews can help. Stuff like ropetoys, rawhide (not recommended if your dog tends to chew pieces up and gulp them), rubber dental cleaning toys, raw bones (never give cooked) etc..
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Old March 14th, 2010, 06:20 PM
lindapalm lindapalm is offline
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Why should the bones be raw verses cooked, do they get too soft? I've always wanted to give our dogs bones, but were afraid of them choking on splinters. That doesn't happen?
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Old March 14th, 2010, 06:28 PM
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Myka Myka is offline
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I would be getting a new vet if he told me that my dog's teeth had tartar buildup because of the kibble size.

Raw bones don't splinter, cooked ones do. That's why you feed raw ones.
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Old March 23rd, 2010, 04:12 PM
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I'd actually read the opposite - that smaller kibble helps get the tartar off better than large kibble. Interesting. I sometimes scrape the yellow tartar off Ranger's teeth with my nails...gross, I know but he doesn't care. I should get him a raw bone from the pet store - I noticed his teeth aren't as pearly as they usually are!
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Old April 21st, 2010, 08:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnaD View Post
Thanks for the responses; they make sense; his teeth were cleaner and whiter because he was younger. I guess I will continue with Orijen and keep brushing his teeth.
Small dogs are prone to teeth problems regardless. Because of their small teeth, stuff gets in between. The size of the kibble doesn't matter; their teeth aren't designed to crush kibble but to tear and rip meat off bone. If anything, kibble gets stuck in between their teeth and pushed up into the gumline.

I can't stand how vets push this myth. One of my colleagues thanked God for Hills t/d and then had to get her dog a dental and was told to brush her dog's teeth. Is this not proof that kibble isn't an effective way of cleaning teeth? I am obsessed with my own and my dog's teeth so I brush hers every day or I at least try for every other day but don't listen to the vets when they say kibble cleans their teeth. That's like saying froot loops will clean my teeth.
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Old April 21st, 2010, 09:16 PM
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When I got Leo at 8 month old (Dachshund) the vet who did his neuter at the shelter said he had some tartar which was early for a young dog. I really doubt based on him known history that he ever had anything significant to chew on which is probably the problem, plus the fact we have no idea what he was being fed before.
That vet said to get him tartar diet (I'd rather feed him a old boot) so I smiled and went on my way. We give raw bones occasionally, rawhides, and tartar buster bones (cows kneecaps) all these things definitely help keeping his teethies cleaner and whiter. I still notice plaque buildup on the canines since these teeth aren't involved in chewing, so I also brush about once a day and that polishes them right up. So I also advocate raw bones, and brushing.
Pork bones seem to be his favourite because he actually manages to eat them, and can crush down on them well since they are softer then a beef bone, which he usually just strips of the good stuff them leaves the rest.
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Old April 23rd, 2010, 01:39 PM
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I watched a vet do a dental a couple of weeks ago and was a little bothered that the cat got a better cleaning than I do. The instrument which he scaled the teeth with vibrated to scrape the tartar off - I don't get that - just the hygenist digging with her torture tools! However, if you don't have pet insurance, it can cost a gold mine to pay for it.
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