My dog eats toothpaste on Greenies. Is this a safe way to clean teeth?

Both help fight tartar formation on your dog's teeth. Both do a fairly good job of slowing the process down, however neither brushing or Greenies treats will eliminate or remove the tartar that has already built up on a dog's teeth. In an ideal world you would be brushing Bella's teeth daily and giving her dental chews (like greenies). The downside of brushing is really just the time it takes and getting your dog comfortable with the act of tooth brushing. The downsides of greenies and similar treats is that some dogs just don't chew on them enough to get the effect of the tartar control and instead swallow big chunks in their enthusiasm at getting a treat. Additionally if weight control becomes an issue as Bella gets older, extra treats mean extra calories. You're in a great position with Bella being so young to start getting her used to regular tooth brushing while she is still teething and may enjoy the act of brushing on her teeth and gums as her adult teeth come in. I recommend using a commercial toothpaste that is labeled pet safe (can be found at a local pet store, online, and many veterinarians have samples for patients to try) and a toothbrush that is appropriate for your dogs mouth (Bella will probably need a small brush since she is a little dog). Ask your vet if they have any instructional information for how to slowly introduce brushing into your routine. Also with dental chews always make sure you follow the charts and give the right size treat for your size dog (my 6.5 chihuahua once ate a Greenie that was for a much larger dog and did get a little loose stool for about a day... lesson learned). I hope this was helpful!

The most important part of a home dental care program is actually just brushing the teeth at all and does not seem to make a difference which toothpaste is used unless you use a proven toothpaste. There are actually only 2 toothpastes on the market that have been proven to help improve dental health in dogs. I am attaching a list of approved dental products below. http://www.vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Dogs.pdf So, I would recommend purchasing PetSmile or Essential Healthy Mouth if you are going to use a toothpaste. I have found that homemade toothpastes are not very good tasting (so it makes it harder for you to brush the teeth) and would recommend using a good brush without any toothpaste instead of making a homemade toothpaste. I am attaching a link to a handout below which includes a detailed discussion on home dental care including products for cleaning the teeth. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=640 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello. Human toothpaste contains a lot of soap, especially like what is found in shampoo. That is why we spit it out. If this was only a one time ingestion, Nanny will probably be fine. She may have some GI upset such as vomiting & diarrhea, but it should be self limiting. If you have been using people toothpaste on her, stop & start using a dog only version. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This particular toothpaste in general does not contain xylitol which is the concerning ingredient sometimes found in some toothpastes. I recommend you double check that this is not an ingredient of the specific crest toothpaste variant you may have. If xylitol is not part of it then she is likely going to be just fine though some dogs may get some stomach upset. If it does in fact have xylitol then she would have to be evaluated right away as that would be a medical emergency as that can cause liver toxicity and seizures. Good luck and have a good night!

As long as you are using a dog-only toothpaste, you should be good (NO fluoride). Daily brushing is the best medicine. With a 15 year old beagle, she probably has underlying tartar and calculus (unless her teeth were recently cleaned by a vet), so you won't be removing anything that is already there, you would be preventing anything new from forming. Good job for taking good care of Daisy's oral health!

I feed greenies to my own pet. As long as your pet chews the greenie and doesn't attempt to swallow it whole, it shouldn't cause any issues. Just remember they can add significantly to caloric intake so you should probably limit the number fed to once daily or every other day.

Hello and thank you very much for your question. I must say that this is not an a common occurrence eating toothpaste. It should be, however, not a problem at all to your dog. The ingredients of this specific toothpaste should not be toxic to your dog. Nevertheless, if he shows any kind of symptoms like not eating, not playful, lethargic, etc., then you should take him to a veterinary clinic as soon as you can. So as long as he is acting and playing normally, I do not think this is a cause for concern at this point. Thanks a lot for your question. Have a great day.