My dog has brown, stained teeth. What dental care options are there?

That's quite a bit of tarter buildup, and it would be best to have Joshie examined by a vet to determine if she is a good candidate for a dental cleaning. Dental cleanings often involve having your pet go under anesthesia so that the teeth can be thoroughly cleaned and any damaged or infected teeth removed safely. February was pet dental health month (at least in the US), and many veterinary clinics extend dental discount packages into March, so now is the perfect time to schedule a visit and check it out. At home, brushing is always a good idea, and there are many pet toothpastes available that are palatable and can encourage your pet to get their teeth brushed (never use human toothpaste as it is toxic to pets). You can also spread some on a dental chew or other "scrubby" like chew toy to help clean the teeth. Chews like nylabones, Kongs, etc, that encourage your dog to use their teeth can help. There are also prescription diets available from your vet such as t/d which is designed specifically to improve dental health and clean the teeth while eating. It would be hard to predict lifespan, but if you're working to clean your dog's teeth and keep her healthier, then that is always going to help.

Hello, and thank you for using PetCoach. It's great that you're thinking about Teddy's oral health! It is best to brush Teddy's teeth daily using a toothpaste formulated for dogs. There are lots of good options, so try a few out and see what flavors Teddy likes, but I recommend an enzymatic toothpaste. Here's an example: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/sentry-petrodex-enzymatic-toothpaste-for-dogs-5000644--1 It's also beneficial for Teddy to chew on things that are meant to massage his gums and help work tarter off his teeth. I prefer rawhides that are coated in enzymes to help combat tarter, such as these: VIP-_-92700027187667220&kwid=p27187667220&device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2PLt-eSv1wIViLrACh0JkwyJEAQYASABEgLS3PD_BwE My own opinion is that providing good products for dogs to chew on does the most to help their teeth - but the combination of chewing and regular tooth brushing will benefit Teddy's oral health the most. Also, some dogs are less enthusiastic about chewing, which makes brushing the teeth even more important. Of course, all of these are measures to help slow tarter production - but nothing completely replaces regular dental care from your veterinarian. Just as we humans brush daily and still need regular dental care, our pets need the same. Hope this helps!

Hello, you'll likely need to scale the tartar accumulation off of his back teeth so that you can have an easier time keeping them clean. Ideally, after their teeth have been scaled, brushing their teeth and using dental treats may help keep their teeth clean and white the longest. As in humans, dogs should have a dental exam at least every 6-12 months with a scaling and polishing as needed. Brushing daily and dental chews such as OraVet have worked the best for my clients in the past. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I am so sorry that your pet has dental disease and a heart condition. Unfortunatley the tartar that causes dental disease is mostly underneath the gumline, hence the name periodontal disease. So most of the tartar that we see on the surface of the tooth is not the main issue here. It is the tartar that is touching the gum and underneath the gum that is the problem. This isn't tartar that you will be able to get off with the pet awake, because it will be uncomfortable for the pet. Also, you have a good chance of causing damage to the gum trying to do this in any awake dog. What you are asking is not possible unfortunatley. However, there are a number of heart dogs that can actually go under anesthesia for a dental cleaning, even with a heart condition. I would suggest taking Chhutki to get an echocardiogram of her heart to determine if she is a good candidate for anesthesia and then go from there. If she isn't, then the only thing you can really do here is to do a daily oral rinse and water additive such as this one --> https://www.chewy.com/nylabone-advanced-oral-care-liquid/dp/47912 Dental disease and at home care recommendations --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951515 I do hope that your pet Chhutki proves to be ok to go under general anesthesia, just like many other heart disease pets, and can appropriateliy address her dental disease condition. Best of luck moving forward. Take care. : )

Hi and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The gold standard for at home dental care is brushing teeth. However, we all know this is not easy for you or your pet!! If Lilly will let you do so, then yes, I recommend getting a silicone tooth brush (finger or long handle- whichever is easier) and brushing her teeth all the way from her back molars to her front incisors. I also recommend the dental chews called OraVet. They tend to work a little bit better reducing plaque and maintaining better smelling breath. You can likely find these dental chews at your local veterinary's office. With age and time, dog's teeth tend to build tartar more quickly. Therefore, I recommend brushing, dental chews and even particular dental food. Thanks for being so on top of Lilly's care! You are doing a great job!

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this with Kohl. Dental disease is very common in our dogs. If Kohl had 2 teeth fall out and needed 3 teeth extracted at his dental last year, then he likely had fairly significant dental disease. Often, we try to save as many teeth as we can when we perform a dental, but if they are too diseased, then our efforts may be futile. A tooth becomes discolored when its blood supply is interrupted. If Kohl frequently uses his front teeth to pull on things, this could be due to trauma. Once a tooth is discolored, it is considered "dead" and should be removed to prevent infection. Unfortunately, I would recommend that Kohl have another dental performed. If your vet did not do x-rays of his mouth, he should have that done and have any teeth extracted that have abnormal bone on x-rays. If your vet does not have dental x-ray, you can go to a veterinary dentist. I have attached a link to a handout below that has link to website were you can find a veterinary dentist. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2368 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Kohl will feel better soon. I had a veterinary dentist take out a number of teeth in my dog and he feels so much better now! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Brushing is recommend at least once per day so I suggest you increase to brushing once per day. Sometimes dogs get some dental staining that you cannot remove. I think his teeth look great from this photo. Dogs will never have no tartar at all; you can expect some will always be present. If you can get Zymox products you can try using this water additive along with daily brushing. It may help. ( https://www.amazon.com/Pet-King-Brands-Additive-Solution/dp/B00D2QN8X0 )