As much as I love dogs, I am very picky when it comes to the breed of dog that I bring into our family. I weigh the pros and cons of the breed characteristics so that I know they will be a good fit and live a long, healthy and happy life with us! When I was thinking about bringing home two Shetland Sheepdogs, I did my research and found that some of the cons were poor oral health for dogs like Shelties and that they liked to bark a lot.
I loved the Shetland Sheepdog breed so much that I didn't let either of those things dissuade me.
I am so glad that I didn't, because Bailey and Toby are the best dogs ever! I always joke online that they (and Foxy too, of course) are my furbabies, but I am being totally serious. My pets have become such a part of our family that I just love them to pieces!
I read up on how to prevent poor oral health for dogs before I even brought them home! Because Shetland Sheepdogs are prone to poor oral health, I found that they should be fed lots of crunchy treats to help cleanse their teeth and keep their gums healthy. I have always fed them treats like Pedigree Dentastix treats, which can actually reduce tartar build-up up to 80%. . Foxy, Bailey and Toby all love Dentastix treats and I always stock up when they are on sale because they eat them once a day.
Bailey recently turned four years old and Toby is two years old. While Bailey is a generally healthy dog, he began showing signs of gum irritation after about a year, and I had to take him to the vet to have his teeth cleaned before it got any worse. The vet said he had gingivitis, which I didn't even know dogs could get! He went on a prescription to clear it up and they cleaned his teeth for me. Before I left, one of the vet techs gave me a few tips to prevent poor oral health for dogs - and they are all really simple to follow.
Tips to Prevent Poor Oral Health For Dogs
- Take your dog to the vet for annual dental check ups. When I take my dogs in for their annual vaccinations, I have the vet take a look at their teeth to see if they need to be cleaned. When tartar builds up on your dog's teeth, gingivitis and tooth decay aren't far behind. Avoid serious dental issues by staying ahead of the problem!
- Don't give your dogs rawhide chew toys. I know that it is very common for people to give their dogs rawhide, but for many breeds, their mouths are too delicate to handle them. Bailey and Toby can't have rawhide because it makes their gums bleed, so we don't give them to Foxy either.
- Feed your dogs treats that are designed to prevent poor oral health for dogs . As I mentioned before, we use Pedigree Dentastix treats and the dogs love them!
Pedigree Dentastix treats are clinically proven to reduce up to 80% of tartar build-up, and are proven to reduce plaque build-up too! A healthy mouth begins with healthy gums. We have tried other oral health-focused dog treats but Bailey and Toby won't eat them. They actually get excited when I pull out the Dentastix bag because they really are a treat!
Do you have a dog of your own? If so, you can enter to win a $100 gift card just by sharing how you maintain good oral health for your dog!
Just leave me a comment telling me one specific thing that you do to maintain good oral health for your canine friends and a winner will be randomly drawn on March 19, 2013.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Dentastix brand. The opinions and text are all mine.
anissa g
My dog is allergic to protein so most treats we can't give her. She loves carrots which is actually great for her teeth. She loves every type of veggie too except mushrooms. We also brush her teeth with a doggie tooth brush & doggie tooth paste once a week. I did find just find in a pet store, Zukes Z Bones treats that don't have protein and is plant based.
Mary W
I have 4 large dogs. They chew on Goliath size Nylabones as much as they want. These are the safest chewies on the market and promote excellent dental health.Nylabones have no calories and make a great companion to Pedigree Dentastix treats.
Crystal
I have a gel that you can rub on their teeth to prevent tartar build-up! I also look for treats that promote healthy teeth.
Lori Hagey
I have two dogs, a Jack Russell named Achilles and a Rat Terrier named Chopper. They are the absolute loves of life. However, being of the terrier breed they are prone to bad breath. I do what I can to maintain their oral hygiene by brushing with vet recommended tooth paste and feeding them clean breath cookies and chews. Unfortunately the only thing that really seems to work is getting their teeth professionally cleaned by a vet, as you may imagine this can be incredibly costly. I feel like I am out of options. Do you have any other suggestions ?
FYI: It cost about $200, plus the cost of medications to get each of the dogs teeth cleaned. The $100 GC would definitely help offset the cost of the cleaning.
Lori Hagey
Billie
We give them "chewies" to help keep tartar from building up.
Susan P.
We give our dogs Greenies, Dentastix and the small Nylabones to help keep their teeth healthy. Our vet doesn't charge as much as Lori's does for cleaning their teeth.
Adrienne gordon
we brush our dogs teeth weekly
amanda
we brush out dogs teeth : )
amanda
sorry meant to put *our and we also give them dentastix 🙂 they lovee them
Margaret Smith
We bring our Dog yearly to the vet to have his teeth cleaned. We also brush his teeth weekly and give him treats that promote better breath and helps keep his teeth clean.
Tamar
we brush her teeth weekly.
melissa Resnick
mine love greenies
Colleen Boudreau
I feed my dog Greenies.
patricia caradonna
I brush my dogs teeth weekly with a small amount of toothpaste.
Jenn
I didn't realize rawhide was bad for them.
Mendy Dinsmore
I brush his teeth with a wet washcloth. We give him rawhide bones.
Darby
We make sure that he has good quality food, and brush his teeth
deb
We feed BB raw carrots which I heard helps keep their teeth clean.
Liz
I didn't know that about rawhide!
sandra
we have cats actually, i used to brush they're teeth. now i buy dental treats
Miguel
I give him treats that help maintain healthy teeth.
Christine
give him Greenies
Jill D
We brush teeth and provide rawhide chews and treats to remove/prevent tarter buildup.
Amber
We do brush our dog's teeth, but in between brushing we give him greenies because it's healthy and helps maintain the strength and condition of his teeth!
Thomas Murphy
I brush my dogs teeth every week
Amanda Sakovitz
We give them dog treats that strengthen and protect their teeth
Amy Peschel
We take our three fur babies to the vet once a year to have their teeth cleaned like we do.
Audrey
I used to have a dog and was brushing her teeth regularly.
Carolyn G
Dog treats are a good way to keep my dog's teeth healthy
Deanna G.
I have doggie toothpaste & a toothbrush for my puppy. I try and brush her teeth often but she hates it!
Cori Westphal
My best tip is to go for the good food. Go for foods that are meant to be healthy for oral care. I also only feed in the morning, so he has all day to rinse his mouth out while drinking water!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Amanda L.
We give them dog treats that help keep their teeth clean.
traci
They get their teeth brushed once a week and some great dental chews we get at the vet
shelby
We make sure to brush her teeth once a week and give her special dog treats.
Carmen Q
Use tooth cleaning foods and treats
SHANNA
Brushing their teeth !!! They need fresh breath too and healthy teeth =)
Karen
We brush our dogs teeth and give her healthy dental treats
Beth B
We also brush his teeth and do dental treats!
Jammie
We give our dog dental bones. sweepmorey at gmail dot com
Amy Orvin
I give my dogs dentastix. That really helps!
jessica edwards
We use greenies
tina reynolds
We use greenies and other dental themed treats for them. We also have regular vet check ups.
Stephanie Phelps
I have a small dog and I use a toddler toothbrush for her and make sure to play with her with a rope toy that can help floss her little teeth as she bites in to it!
Shari
Get vet checkups and use treats that are good for her teeth.
Sarah Hirsch
dog treats that help clean teeth, and occasional brushing
Katherine
She gets dental treat sand to the vet twice a year to clean teeth
Katy M
I actually brush my Doug's teeth. He's 2 now, but as a puppy I got the puppy toothpaste and started by rubbing it on his gums. He loved the taste, so I moved from that to putting it on a finger brusher and brushing that way. Now he is used to it so I can actually brush his teeth. I do it a couple of times a week and the vet always comments on how great they look!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
katygmorris at gmail dot com
Brynn
Brush her teeth once a week and give her chewing sticks that provide oral health benefits
Monique Rizzo
We actually brush our dogs teeth every couple weeks.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com
Nadine L
My dogs live for their Greenies, Dentastix and Nylabones, they get so happy to see them coming out of the package. Makes me happy that their teeth are benefiting from it.
Daraya
Along with brushing my dog's teeth, I give her Greenies every once in a while. She loves them! 🙂
Erin Collins
I get my dogs' teeth deep-cleaned every 2 years and surface-cleaned every few months (when they get groomed).
Kyl Neusch
brush their teeth
Susan E.
Brush her teeth and she loves her Nylabones!
dan williams
twitted this today, 09/03
jacqueline
i take my pup to get her teeth cleaned at the vet every few months
Tabitha P.
I clean his puppy teeth with a cloth
McKim
I get the had plastic bones for her to chew on.
Christy Maurer
We use things like Dentastix or Greenies. Thanks 🙂 These are great tips!
ky2here
They get greenies and everyone is happy.
Migdalia -
My two toy Australian Shepherds get their teeth cleaned once a month when they get groomed. In between, I also give them "treats" that are designed to clean their teeth as well.
Btw, like you my Aussies are my furbabies - love them to pieces even tho they shed like crazy LOL Thanks for the giveaway!
patricia skinner
We use dental treats.
diane Baum
Very helpful, as my babies run when they see me with a toothbrush
Heidi Schuster
As Auntie to 3 chocolate lab boys (Baxter is 8, Mason is 5 & Patton is almost 2) I know my sister takes the time every morning to brush their teeth. She started when each boy was young so now every morning they line up for their turn!
When they come over to visit me they know they get a rawhide bone but only after they tell me they love me by barking once!
Robin
I give my dog dog bisquit that clean his teeth
Geoff K
We only feed our pup dry food and treats, and we often will buy rawhide and bones designed to strengthen his teeth and remove plaque.
Jennifer Reed
We give our dog the Pedigree Dentastix too and have regular veterinary checkups including dental exams.
Brittney House
We brush our dogs teeth and give them those bones that clean their teeth
Deb C
I get the Greenies products for dog dental cleaning.
wendy wallach
I use chew type toys
Brandy B
I have heard of people actually brushing their dogs' teeth but there's no way I'm going that far! We have 2 small chihuahuas and they love the DentaStix Fresh. Believe me, they need it! 😀
Hesper Fry
We give them dog chew treats that help remove buildup on their teeth.
Molly K
We give him treats that are designed to help with tartar build up and we also try to brush his teeth about once per month.
Aubrey
we brush our dogs teeth
Rebecca Peters
Dog treats that are for cleaning dogs teeth
xxbeccaannxx@gmail.com
Sonya
We use Greenies and take them to the vet
jules boot mcnubbin (
we give our english bulldog dental treats daily and we brush his teeth every other day
JoAnn F.
We take our dog for regular vet visits and give him chewing biscuits!
jofo120 at yahoo dot com
susan smoaks
we give our dog crunchy biscuits to clean her teeth, that's about it
Erica C.
I give my guy bones to chew on to help his teeth...and he always goes to the vet for his regular visit!
Kenny F
breath its teeth
Breanne
I brush her teeth
Susan Smith
We brush our dogs teeth.
Shirley Hicks
we give them greenies
Jennifer
I use an enzymatic toothpaste on a sonicare toothbrush. Yep, she's spoiled.
Ashley Morrissey
Brushing her teeth!
Leslie S.
We brush our pups teeth as well as take him for regular cleanings.Thanks!
lstanziani(at)yahoo(dot)com
Donna George
We clean our dogs teeth with a wet washcloth
Roxann
My son brushes the dogs teeth and we also give him Dentastix.
carol le...
We give him chews and toys and can see quite a difference just from that. We also have him teeth cleaned at the dentist and they don't put him to sleep for that,
melissa vosburgh
We have a schnauzer mix we rescued and her breath was So bad ! We have always used Dentastix, it really did minimize how much we had to brush her teeth.
Thanks for the giveaway opp
Norma Hartwell
I have two dogs, and they have stinky breath! I have tried it all!!
Michelle W
We give them treats that help with their dental health
Denise Donaldson
brush my dogs teeth regularly
winz135 at gmail.com
Samantha
We give him those treats that help his teeth and brush his teeth often
Lillian
We brush my greyhounds teeth everyday!
Wendy Lindsey
I don't know if this is proven, but we give our golden retriever carrots. She loves them and they seem to clean her teeth. We also give her a Milkbone before bedtime.
wendy2lindsey at yahoo dot com
Tammy Greer
I get my baby dental treats.
Dentist in Chatsworth CA
Well, my pets have very good teeth.