My old dog lost teeth from rawhide. What are safe chew alternatives?

I would recommend the Virbac dental chews and/or the dental diet Hills T/D bites, which work phenomenally well. The T/D diet is prescription so ask your vet to give you a card if you’re interested. I have never heard of freezing bones to kill bacteria. I wouldn’t advise that since these raw hides are meant to be consumed as is, and whatever enzymes are present on the bones is meant to be there to break down soft plaque, and shouldn’t be altered. Best wishes with your pet Otis and I hope he likes his new dental chews and/or dental diet. Take care!

That's not good that Charlotte has lost most of her teeth! This is a sign of severe dental disease, as her teeth should not be falling out. I would make an appointment with her vet tomorrow to discuss having a dental procedure done. The vet can examine her remaining teeth, extract those that are diseased, and can clean her remaining teeth. It's very important to have this done because leaving dental disease untreated leads to further health problems such as liver abscesses and endocarditis from the bacteria from the teeth traveling through the bloodstream. The vet can also discuss an appropriate diet for her now that she is missing teeth. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

For my own personal dogs, I like bully sticks, large rawhide chews, or cow or pig ears - all of these can be good options for chewing, and will help to prevent tartar build-up and periodontal disease. You may need to try a few different options for your dog to see what she likes. You should also supervise her closely at first to make sure that she is not attempting to swallow any of these items whole.

If Sha Sha isn't interested in the chews, switching to other toys such as a Kong that needs to be chewed on to get a treat, or even brushing the teeth with a dog toothbrush and dog-safe toothpaste can help keep the teeth clean. There are also additives that can be sprayed in the mouth or added to the water to help reduce buildup (look for a VOHC seal on these products to know it is veterinary approved). You may also want to try out multiple different brands of dental chews to see if there is one she will eventually eat and chew on as they come in a wide range of choices such as rawhide-like chews, to more bone-like ones.

I’m sorry to hear about the tooth loss. It sounds like you are trying hard to maintain good oral health and you should continue this. Definitely try to brush the teeth every day, even twice a day if possible. Pet tooth paste helps but the main benefit is the physical brushing. They also make dental diets which can improve oral health. Some pets also go on pulse therapy antibiotics to help control bacterial populations in the mouth. Unfortunately despite best efforts, dental disease can progress resulting in a he tooth loss. A fair amount of dental disease is found under the gumline and so it is hard to address without a proper dental cleaning. You may ask your veterinarian if there is an option to have you pup cared for by a specialist who may be able to preform a dental cleaning. If this is an option. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question! I am sorry to hear that Ruby lost so many teeth! Unfortunately, some dogs are predisposed to bad dental disease genetically. There really is not a great food for prevention of dental disease. A diet that was designed to help with prevention of tartar accumulation is a food called Hills T/D and requires a prescription from your veterinarian. There are other means of preventing tartar from occurring such as Oravet chews, Tartar shield, Plaque off or CET oral enzymatic toothpaste. The most beneficial thing you can do for Ruby is to have her teeth cleaned professionally under anesthesia once yearly. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I wouldn't use a raw hide for him to chew on. I personally dislike them because of the big risk of choking and obstruction. There are toys you can get from the pet store that you can freeze and then give to him to chew on. The cold would be very soothing to his gums. Until you can get to the pet store, soak a wash cloth in water and put it in the freezer to freeze. You can give that to him to chew on, but monitor him the entire time to make sure he doesn't rip or swallow any piece of the wash cloth. I hope this helps!