Dental Sticks

[superscot]

Brea now hitting just over 5 months and coming along fine ....she loves the above and have been giving her 1 after her last meal of the day ....is this ok or are we needing to try again with the teeth brushing ....She allows me to check her teeth without any problems and they are super white at this moment.
Cheers 

[Helen]

honestly?

If you're referring to the pedigree brand ones then they're full of rubbish and I wouldn't feed them 

here are the ingredients:

Rice flour, wheat starch, glycerin, calcium carbonate, gelatin, gum arabic, cellulose powder, natural poultry flavor, sodium tripolyphosphate, salt, potassium chloride, potassium sorbate (a preservative), vitamins [choline chloride, d-calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (source of vitamin E), folic acid], smoke flavor, turmeric, iron oxide, copper sulfate. Guaranteed Analysis %:moisture (max.) 18 Crude protein (min.) 8 crude fiber (max.) 4.5 crude fat (min.) 1 Feeding Recommendations:Medium and Large Adult dogs: 1 Stick per day

Not suitable for dogs under 22-lbs/ 10 k

[superscot]

honestly?

Yip and loves them !

Recommended by vets, these denta sticks are light, chewy and ideal for daily use. They will help to keep your best friend's teeth and gums strong and healthy. Fed every day, it is clinically proven that the unique shape and texture can reduce plaque and tartar build-up by up to 50%.

so they say ?

[JennyBee]

I’m not too keen on giving Brodie denta sticks either.  I'd rather give her a raw carrot every now and then, and I also give her teeth an occasional clean with a toothbrush - but that’s just because she has wonky teeth and I like to be doubly cautious that there’s nothing trapped in between them

[Jessie_Pup]

I agree, I don't give my dogs the dental sticks because of the ingredients. But there are more natural chews for dogs if you look around. One company is Fish4Dogs that make a more natural chew. My dogs love them they don't last as long as rawhide but I feel they are a bit better for them and on their tums. Tried the nylabone chews but they weren't interested.

[Sheryl]

Our vet sells chews.  Ostrich ones!  They are rock hard and then stringy when they start to get moist.  They act almost like dental floss and from what I can see, they are totally natural.  I am sending a few to a friend soon, would you like me to send one your way and see if Brea likes them (or you can pick them up if you are near Aberdeen )? 

[Harveypops]

Is it his breath that's making you want to use them?

Harvey had really bad breath around about 5months. I checked all his teeth and they seemed fine, I figured it was just due to him teething as he had began to lose some teeth. OH said it wasn't worth brushing the teeth as he still had baby ones so I bought the dental sticks. I used to use them with our foster dogs who LOVED them. Hadn't used them previously with Harvey as I realised they were full of rubbish but was desperate as he breath could take out an army. 

Dental sticks seemed to work, but I kept checking his teeth and decided to book him to the vets anyway to see if I had missed the cause of his death breath. The day prior to his appt I found a snapped tooth which had become inflamed around the gum's.

Now, I don't know if this happened before the dental sticks, but I'm sure they didn't help considering how hard and chewey they are. The vet and I guessed the tooth had become infected and the chew had snapped the weak tooth making it worse.    My vets not a fan of them.

To cut a very long story short, I wouldn't use them again as it cost me £90 in vets bill and discomfort for Harvey (although the little pig never lost his appetite!).  If I' d pursued with brushing I may have spotted the problem earlier, and the chews may have ended up masking the problem and I may never have found out about the tooth until it got really bad.  . I think their teeth are just to delicate for them when their pups, and like everyone said they are full of rubbish. Harvey loved them though, and would perform a a quick down and rollover without any command the moment he saw me getting one.
 
Good grief this post is long    I'd start brushing. Get some pet toothpaste and start by using your thumb and index finger the massage the teeth and gums- Harvey loves the stuff! Once she's used to that get the scary looking brush out.

[Jessie_Pup]

I agree, started with small amounts of doggy toothpaste on a finger when mine were pups, then on to a finger toothbrush then when they where happy with that on to a doggy toothbrush. Gently checking their mouths regularly and then treating them works wonders. When they go to the vets for a checkup there is no problem, and they sit quite happily while it is done.

[superscot]

Is it his breath that's making you want to use them?

Westwcae her breath has been fine and really just trying to find out apart from the  brushing the best way to try and keep her teeth in the best condition possible.

One company is Fish4Dogs that make a more natural chew

Will check them out on the internet many thanks for the link.

[*Theresa*]

We use the PAH ones. 

Have just started last week as Sally's breathe honks. We have had her teeth etc checked at the vets and he says they are fine so we are trying this route now....*runs of to hide*

[6thSense]

Ours have nyla chews which they love and they can have these at all times as they don't seem to cause fights. Mine also have tripe sticks daily and have had things from the Fish4Dogs company as well. 

[Cob-Web]

Recommended by vets, these denta sticks are light, chewy and ideal for daily use. They will help to keep your best friend's teeth and gums strong and healthy. Fed every day, it is clinically proven that the unique shape and texture can reduce plaque and tartar build-up by up to 50%.

so they say ?

"It is clinically proven that the shape and texture can reduce plaque and tartar build up"  - Why don't they say that their product does reduce tartar and plaque - if they had scientifically proved they do actually work, don't you think they would use those findings in their marketing?

There is no mention if what else this product "can" do - such as cause weight gain, behavioural changes and so forth    I would certainly consider giving a cocker half, rather than a whole stick every day - the recommendation is one stick for a medium/large dog, and cockers tend to come in more in the small/medium size 

[EmmaA]

I give my two a whole carrot once a week to help keep their teeth clean.

[Helen]

lots of kids love fast food, doesn't mean it's any good for them....same with dogs and this product 

We use the PAH ones. 

Have just started last week as Sally's breathe honks. We have had her teeth etc checked at the vets and he says they are fine so we are trying this route now....*runs of to hide*

rosemary is great for bad breath in dogs Theresa - either chop some up fresh and include in her food or use in livercake/tuna bread etc

[Nicola]

If it's mainly for keeping her teeth clean and in good condition then you could consider giving her a few raw bone meals per week. Chicken wings and lamb and/or pork ribs do the job for mine, they have sparkly teeth and sweet smelling breath and I've never been near them with a toothbrush in their lives.