Is There Such A Thing As

[luvsdogs]

Is There Such a Thing as a kibble that keeps the teeth clean? Panda my little Japanese Spitz boy is going in tomorrow for a dental. I've had him on a raw meaty bone diet for about the last 2 years to try & keep his teeth clean. It hasn't worked. The back teeth aren't too bad but from the k9's forward the tops of his teeth are brown. In the last few weeks his gums have also been swollen, again, from the k9's forward.

I asked the vet, who incidentally doesn't like bones - surprise, surprise, & she said there's a kibble by Canidae with smaller kibbles for little dogs that has a plaque inhibitor in it & one other that I can't remember. I've tried plaque off, which also didn't work & also have water additives which I have yet to try but will after tomorrow.

I know they say that kibble doesn't work on plaque because they just crack & break without actually making much contact with the tooth. And raw feeders will tell you that it's the action of chewing huge chunks of meat that cleans the teeth & not the cracking of bones.

So again I ask, has anyone tried a kibble that really does keep a dog's teeth clean?

[kelpiecuddles]

Most of the premium brands include dental diets, off the top of my head I seem to recall the royal canin one was reasonable, they like to custom shape the different food varieties to suit the purpose. As long as he'll chew it larger kibble isn't a bad thing.

That said it could just be a combo of mouth shape and the way he chews. Try as I might I can't keep the teeth in the middle of my basset's mouth clean, pretty sure she doesn't chew with them as much.

[Staff'n'Toller]

The incisors will only be cleaned by mechanical action if the dog uses them to pull and tear at meat. Most dogs will use the carnassials and the pre-molars to grind up bones rather than use the front of their mouth.

I would look at brushing them yourself or using a water additive.

[Danois]

Have not seen a small breed specific food from Canidae.

Would be interested if they are making a claim re plaque inhibition ingredient as this would be a therapeutic claim ie something that prevents or alleviates a medical condition - and such claims cannot be made unless registered with APVMA.

[kelpiecuddles]

Surely then Danois that would also apply to any brand food that markets a dental diet(whether it has specific ingredients or simply a certain shape)?

[Danois]

No. It comes down to what the food claims it does and how it is worded.

[JulesP]

There must be something in Holistic Select that is helping teeth. I stopped using it and Poppy's teeth went skanky. I started using it again and her teethies are better.

[Sagittarian]

We've stocked Canidae since it first came to Australia, and have never been told or read on any literature that it contains dental properties. I think it may be worth checking with the vet on brand again - there is no small breed specific food in the range, so perhaps she is thinking of another food?

All Eukanuba dry have dental properties and Advance have a dental range. Hills Oral Care. Maybe some others.

There are several products on the market for plaque removal/inhibiting, including the Nylabone Advance Dental products that include a water additive, wipes, and toothpaste (the toothpaste is irradiated btw but not the other products), and we've got good feedback from the Petkin range as well.

Sags

:)

[seregil]

Hills Prescription range has one called T/D which is specificly for dental care, there is a "small bites" and "regular bites", depending on size of dog. Your dog needs to be prepared to chew a large kibble but these bikkies are supposed to have a particular texture that does not 'shatter' but rather the teeth actually penetrate through the biscuit, giving a cleaning action. I think they also contain some sort of special 'plaque inhibiting' enzymes or something. I don't have first hand experience but I have heard of otherwise fussy dogs that absolutely love the taste of these. Your vet would be able to get them in for you.

[LisaCC]

My last dog was on kibble and raw at different stages of his life for medical reasons, even on a lower quality kibble his teeth were much better than when he needed to be on a purely raw diet.

Current dog gets a mixture of kibble and RMBs and if I see he's getting a bit of dirty teeth he'll get some extra bones with lots of ligaments (for flossing), and that cleans it up. Vet said the other day he had impeccably clean teeth.

I think it's just one of those things that is different for every dog. I would give the recommended kibble a go, if it works for your dog, then it works