My 7 m/o with teeth problems, ALREADY?! Advice please, sheltie lovers.

Katie Kay · Oct 12, 2016

Hi all,

I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the fall.

So, I grew up with shelties and collies, and yes, I know that their teeth/breath can be a large issue if the teeth are not maintained.

Our 7 month old, Charlie, started to get bad breath about 1 month ago, I thought this was strange, but then I thought, hmmm maybe it will go away. We do put puppy fresh in his water, for bad breath, ever since he was pretty little (vet recommended).

We feed him grain-free kibbles, he's picky, so we started to add some wet food (also grain free) only about two teaspoons per meal, so 4 a day. However, in his lifespan, he's only eaten 12 cans, we've already discontinued giving that.

Anyways (sorry, long story), we were playing with his friends the other day, and my friend Nina who is a vet tech looked at his teeth, he already has tartar on his back teeth and two rather large black spots! (Keep in mind, on a good week a brush 2-3 times, but always at least once! We also give him bones to chew on, etc).

At this point, I'm nervous that this is starting so early! Is this normal?! Also, any suggestions on what I should do? Any experience with what type of food I should feed him that will slow this process down?

Thanks in advance,

Katie & Charlie

Ann · Oct 13, 2016

In my experience, food alone won't keep your dog's teeth clean. Most don't crunch the kibble enough to make a difference. Brushing is a must of course, but I also use Proden Plaque Off which is a natural seaweed product that helps remove tartar. It's kelp, which is actually good for your pup as long as he doesn't have thyroid issues (some Shelties do). I have one senior Sheltie who had pretty bad tartar and it's really made a difference. I start giving it to my puppies once all their adult teeth are in. You can get it on Amazon and it's quite cost effective. I give it to six, and a jar lasts me nearly a year. Here's a link.
https://www.amazon.com/Proden-PlaqueOff-Dental-Care-Dogs/dp/B0047VWPNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476362010&sr=8-1&keywords=proden+plaque+off&th=1

corbinam · Oct 13, 2016

I will also recommend finding a bone that your dog will chew. We have a 9 year old that has had bad teeth/breath for a while now (must be genetic since our other dogs are less affected). We've been giving them all bully sticks for 10 minutes every night and have seen a HUGE decrease in the amount of tartar buildup on those hard to reach molars.

Shelby's mom · Oct 13, 2016

Shelby has always had bad breath and her bottom front teeth also have black on them. We do brush (not daily, I know bad mommy). She definitely does not chew her kibble. She does love to chew bully sticks. And I do add a mouth rinse to her water. When she was teething her breath was HORRIBLE.

Every year I expect the vet to recommend a cleaning etc. but when they check her mouth they tell me she has great teeth for a sheltie, no need for a cleaning yet. The vet says that the black on her front teeth is staining and there really is nothing that can be done about that.

I think she has bad breath because she does have a significant underbite and her mouth doesn't close all the way, so I think her mouth just dries out.

I am guessing that the staining was caused by the antibiotics she was on as a puppy. I know that can happen in humans too.

I hope nothing is wrong and maybe this is just the way he is.

Cubby2014 · Oct 14, 2016

Raw (or raw freeze-dried such as Sojo's or Primal brands) will help. Kibble is a breath/tartar issue. Using Perio Support sprinkled on food helps too. Using thin bully sticks once a week also helps (it's not about power crunching but knawing using the back molars). Cubby at 2-1/2 has shading on a couple molars. Since I switched to Sojos raw dehydrated they are actually going white again. I see other benefits as well. The beef & the lamb Sojo's are fabulous. Primal is incredible but more pricey and I add in one of their nuggets every couple days for a bit different protein.

Mignarda · Oct 14, 2016

Every day I give Dickens some sort of doggie treat that forces him to chew. I alternate between turkey necks, braided beef esophaguses, and the flat beef esophagus sticks. I don't give him sugars or starches, or foods that tend to stick tothe teeth. Knock on wood, his teeth have stayed pretty good-looking (he's four years old) up to this point.

I've found that if you have a dog that likes to play tug, a session or two per day with an old knotted cotton sock will clean the teeth as effectively as brushing. Unfortunately Dickens doesn't like to play tug. My son's dog, who lives for tug, still has fantastic teeth at an advanced age.

Cubby2014 · Oct 14, 2016

That's right! Sock tug / chewing. Get a huge hikers thick sock and tie a big knot in the middle. Fun!

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My 7 m/o with teeth problems, ALREADY?! Advice please, sheltie lovers.

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