A question I see asked almost daily on the Facebook beagle pages is "how do I clean my dogs teeth?". You get so many different responses, ranging from not needing to clean them, to a full recommendation of products to give and when to give them.
First lets start by saying, you DO need to clean your dogs teeth. Dogs can get dental diseases just like humans, and this can have a huge and detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing. As we know from our own visits to the dentist, plaque on the teeth can cause gum inflammation. If your dogs gums are inflamed the edges may look red or darker pink than the rest of the gums, and they may bleed when your dog chews on something.
The gums will gradually shrink back, and eventually if not treated, the attachment between the tooth and the socket will break down, this leads to loose and diseased teeth. At this point your dog will almost certainly be in severe pain and discomfort. As humans, we wouldn't let it get to that point, and so we shouldn't with our dogs either.
What not to give your dog...
According to the website www.allaboutdogfood.com, the following products have a nutritional rating of just 10%-20%. This is shocking, as many are the big brands that new dog owners would naturally gravitate towards. At 10% they are probably doing more harm than good, and should therefore be avoided.
There are also a number of products that have a nutritional rating of 30%-60%, again these are not great, but they would have some nutritional value, so I would say to use with caution, or sparingly.
Whimzees dental stix / dental toothbrush - these are mainly potato starch, they are low in fat but high in carbohydrates. (60%)
Greenies dental chews - these are made from vegetable by-products. They are very high in protein, but not much else. (40%)
Edgard & Cooper Doggy Dental look to be fairly new to the UK market so don't currently have a rating on AADF. They are plant based (mainly potato) and claim to be hypoallergenic and low in fat.
True Hemp Dental Sticks are also fairly new, and is something I have used myself. These are also totally plant based (mainly pea protein and potato), as well as the addition of hemp seed and hemp seed oil. This is the only dental product for dogs that I have found that has somewhat jumped on the CBD bandwagon, and it will be interesting to see if others follow.
The Good Stuff
There are a number of products with a nutritional rating of 70% or over. These products are likely to have some noticeable benefits for your dog, and should be considered over others. They may have a higher price point, or be harder to find.
Lily's Kitchen Woofbrush - these are made from potato starch and tapioca flour. They are very low in fat, but high in carbohydrates. They are owned by Nestle who also make Bakers and Dentalife, which both feature in our do not use category!
Soopa Dental Sticks - these are made from potato starch and potato flour. Soopa is an independent British company.
Yakers Yak Milk Bars are made from a combination of yak and cow milk, they are low in fat and high in protein and fibre. They are made by a British company called Kennelpak.
Scrumbles Gnashers are made from sweet potato and are high in carbohydrates. Scrumbles are made by British based Smudge and Friends Petcare Ltd.
Fish4Dogs Dental Sea Jerky scores a whopping 90% on the nutritional rating. The highest rated dental product that I could find. They are made from 100% white fish skins, and are incredibly low in fat. Fish4Dogs is also a British company.
Natural Alternatives
Air dried products offer dogs lots of benefits, including teeth health. I have a preference towards using natural or air dried products, rather than commercially produced dental treats, simply because they have no added ingredients.
I have used:
Dried cow hooves, tails and horns
Braided skin - goat, buffalo, lamb, fish, beef
Ears - pigs, cow (dried and furry), goat, buffalo, lamb, ostrich, rabbit (dried and furry)
Buffalo horns and cores
Pizzle sticks
Moon bones (beef cartilage)
We also regularly give our dog raw and frozen chicken wings and necks, plus lamb and beef rib bones. You don't have to raw feed to give your dog these, and there is no issue with feeding your dog raw bones, or raw chicken.
Furry ears are also a natural wormer!
Some good UK suppliers to try:
JR Pet Products, available from lots of pet shops including Pets at Home
https://chompandchew.co.uk/product-category/chews-and-treats/long-lasting-chews/
Supplements
You can also add supplements/powders to your dogs food to help remove plaque from their teeth. The most popular of these is Plaque Off. This works in the dogs saliva which then coats all of the teeth. It softens the plaque and tartar build up making it change texture, to a softer, gloopier texture. This can then be removed either through chewing or brushing.
I personally have not used these as I prefer to use the natural option instead.
Other options are:
Herbal Dog Co Ultraclean - this has mix of Seaweeds, Marjoram & Fennel Seeds
PlaqueX - which is made up of Turmeric, activated carbon, premium kelp seaweed & organic parsley
The old fashioned way
You can of course just get a toothbrush and toothpaste and manually brush your dogs teeth! However, you should probably use a toothbrush made for dogs to ensure it isn't too rough, and don't use human toothpaste.
Most human toothpaste includes fluoride, which is extremely poisonous to dogs. You can find toothpaste formulated for dogs at most good pet stores. Some pet stores also offer dog mouthwash, which you can add to water bowls to help kill bacteria and reduce plaque.