What are some of the safest dog toothpastes and other dental care options?
There are so many products, opinions are options out there when it comes to the world of pet care. How do you make sure your dog is getting the safest, most beneficial foods and products? Rather than relying on social media, friends of friends, the local pet store or elsewhere, I am here to try to help you simplify the way you care for your dog, and in the process, our goal is to enhance and support his or her health. Visit my Services page for options, and if there is a service not listed there, feel free to email me with your thoughts.
One of the numerous things to decide on is dental care. As one of my readers recently pointed out, so many dog toothpastes have unhealthy ingredients in them. I know I wouldn’t want to subject my dogs’ mouths to chemicals anytime, let alone on a regular basis for tooth brushing. So how do we find some of the safest options?
There are many ideas I have come across over the years. Some I have tried myself, while others I’ve seen in holistic vets’ offices or found in my books. Here are some for your consideration.
Raw bones for dog teeth cleaning
Raw bones are an option, although controversial. If you are willing to give raw bones for tooth cleaning, choose those that do not splinter, such as a knuckle bone or marrow bone. An important note on marrow bones: The part of the bone that assists with cleaning is the fibrous, chewy part on the outside of the bone. Therefore, it is pointless to purchase the stripped, often bleached versions you find in pet stores. In order to help with teeth cleaning, scraping of the gums needs to occur, and that happens via the fibrous outside of the bone.
Another note about marrow bones is the marrow inside is basically pure fat, which can cause diarrhea or other tummy upset. Therefore, it is best to hollow out the marrow if you can, and then let your dog gnaw away at the outside to clean his or her teeth. Always supervise your dog to make sure he or she does not bite off a piece too big. Start with letting your dog gnaw on the marrow bone for 5 or 10 minutes at a time, a few times a week. One other note: Some vets report fractured teeth from marrow bones, while some individuals use marrow bones with no issue.
If you are using a different kind of bone like a knuckle bone, it will not have these same issues as the marrow bone. That said, I have used marrow bones for my dogs for years.
Dental chews for dog tooth cleaning
There are numerous dental chews available on the market – too many to list here. You could look around online or at your local pet supply store and see what looks good to you. Always read the label, ingredients and country of origin. If you have questions, feel free to contact me.
And always – I can’t stress this enough – make sure you are purchasing a quality product from a reputable source. Did you know that some large scale vendors like amazon have a huge counterfeit problem. So much that had to launch a “Counterfeit Crimes Unit.” So please… be careful where you buy from!
If you are looking to purchase supplements, you can visit my Supplements information page and create an account in my Fullscript storefront.
Brushing your dog’s teeth
Brushing your dog’s teeth can be an option, if your dog will let you do it. Ideally, we start when they are puppies. But that is not always an option.
The concern comes with what we are brushing WITH. As mentioned, we want to find the safest options, and so many dog toothpastes have unhealthy ingredients in them. (And actually, the same may go for your own toothpaste.)
In the past I have used a finger brush (generally used for human babies) and a little hydrogen peroxide. You can dip the brush in the peroxide, and then gently brush teeth. Repeat a few times to get a steady (but tiny) amount of peroxide onto your dog’s teeth and gums.
In an initial search for “safest dog toothpastes” I did find an ‘enzymatic’ toothpaste on chewy, with ingredients I could actually pronounce. Here is the link (I am not an affiliate with chewy):
https://www.chewy.com/vets-best-enzymatic-dog-toothpaste/dp/56141
If you search around a bit, you may find some others!
Do you have other ideas?
These are just a few ideas about how to help address your dogs’ dental care in a natural, non-invasive way. If you have tried other methods with success, please feel free to let me know!
~ Sarah