[Dailydrool] Plaque (not the kind you hang on your wall)

[JACQIE MARVICH]

I don't know that I'm any sort of "expert" but I've had a lot of experience with plaque buildup on my bassets teeth since I've lived here. (20 yrs +)  When I fed them only dry kibble, no one had plaque buildup on their teeth. My vet used to ask everytime he/she saw one of my dogs what I fed them. I'd ask why they wanted to know and they'd say "because your dogs' teeth are so clean". We also had soft water where we lived then. They never needed a dental and I didn't brush my dogs' teeth back then as I didn't know I was neededed to. So what happened? Well, someone told me I needed to soak their kibble to keep them from bloating. Hmm, that's funny, I thought to myself. None of my dogs ever bloated on dry kibble. Heaven knows, maybe I'd just been lucky and I definitely didn't want them to bloat so I started soaking their kibble. Oh, and we moved where we are now. We have rock hard water here. I suddenly began to have dogs with rotten stinky breath and teeth that looked like they were carved out of old wood. So I started having dentals done on them. Some needed them once a year. A few every 6 months. I was brushing and scraping and barely keeping them clean. 

I used to be able to get a dental done for about $65 per dog. Yes, I got a discount as a longtime customer with mutiple dogs being done at once. Then the original vet got old and retired. The new owners/vets are "in it for the money". The last dental I had done cost me $180 because they required she have bloodwork which she'd just had that done a month or so before and they pulled  some teeth. 6 if I remember without my approval. She came home stinking to high heaven with blood all over her. I vowed then that they'd never clean my dogs' teeth again. 

I've been brushing their teeth w/a tartar control toothpaste and using OxyFresh gel (according to the directions)to soften and loosen the built up plaque. The plaque comes off alot easier after they've had the OxyFresh gel applied to the gums above the teeth for a while and depending on the maount of buildup. I also use a dental rinse that I buy from Drs Foster and Smith following brushing. Once the plaque buildup is gone, the tartar controll toohpaste and the dental rinse seem to be all that's needed. This works well as long as I don't get lax about it. How often they need maintenance depends on the individual hound. Some need more frequent attention than others. My poop connosieurs develop "potty mouth" (pun intended) more quickly than those who leave poop alone which makes sense as they are definitely introducing bacteria to their mouth when they dine on poop. The dental rinse really helps rinse any bacteria off their teeth after brushing. Scraping actually makes the plaque adhere to their teeth. Scraping puts scratches and grooves in the tooth surface so the plaque seems to buildup faster. Using the OxyFresh and gently brushing until the placque will chip off in pieces dooesn't seem to cause as much damage to the surface of their teeth.

I currently have several in need of some serious dental maintenance. I can treat their gums and teeth for a few weeks and remove the plaque at a cost of maybe $20 or $25 each saving me a ton of money and even more piece of mind. I'm going to order some Petz Life Gel and spray from Revival Animal Health and see if it works as well or better than the OxyFresh. I have read and heard alot of good things about this product and it would be more cost effective for this many hounds. The proof is in the pudding though so I won't be surprised if I end up back with the OxyFresh.

Jacqie Marvich
Oakrydge Bassets
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