Enzyme cream for doggy teeth? or, How to fight tartar build-up w/o teeth cleaning?

[aba]

I hate to put anyone under anesthesia, even our dogs ;).  (Not to mention the expense...)  But our littlest one, a 7 lb chi mix has really bad tartar build-up. 

What are my options to deal with it outside of getting a teeth cleaning?  I heard about an enzyme cream that you can rub on the gums and teeth?  Any tips???  tia

[lonegirl]

At this point, truly the best thing is a professional cleaning and know that the little guys tend to have the worst mouths.  What you see can be an indication of what is below the gum line.  Get the teeth cleaned with your vet (pre-anesthetic bloodwork, iv fluids, anesthetic  monitoring are all part of the procedure).  Once they are done you have a clean slate to start daily brushing and a good dental diet. 

[aba]

That's kind of what I was afraid of.  I have 2 mid-sized dogs and their teeth are fine, but every single chi/ chi mix has had to have cleanings. 

What is the best/economical toothpaste for dogs and/or chewies?  I like to stay as natural as possible....

[Arduinna]

Our adult dogs are about 10 years old and never had their teeth cleaned. Both are on a raw diet. We had one dog years ago that loved to eat lemons that fell from our tree, she had the cleanest teeth and best breath. One of our current dogs is obsessed with water and will run around biting the water and cleaning it of leaves anytime she is outside. She has got really pristine teeth also LOL. I don't think you can probably teach that though.

[Mirzam]

Raw meaty bones clean teeth better than anything else.

[fresh_veggie]

I had a huge response typed out and my server reset

Anyway, just sayin' we have a greyhound, and they're notorious for not chewing food and building up tartar, especially based on their previous diet they had as athletes at the track.  They almost need yearly dentals unless you know how to manage it.

We give Enzo frozen raw bone-in poultry or pork - make sure you ONLY give raw bones, and nothing from deer or cows, as their bones are much too hard and you risk tooth fractures giving those.  We routinely give Enzo raw frozen chicken feet, turkey backs, turkey necks, pork picnic, etc.  He's 80 lbs big, so you could probably do chicken necks, chicken feet, etc.  Watch closely as you feed these, they are dogs and know how to handle them but they may not know what to do at first, and you want to supervise (I supervise with kibble anyway, it's easy for them to inhale!).  Also BULLY STICKS are great!  Dried bull penis - they love 'em though :)  Provides great mental stimulation and a good jaw workout.

Enzo's teeth are sparkling :) 

[Mirzam]

Originally Posted by fresh_veggie 

We give Enzo frozen raw bone-in poultry or pork - make sure you ONLY give raw bones, and nothing from deer or cows, as their bones are much too hard and you risk tooth fractures giving those.  We routinely give Enzo raw frozen chicken feet, turkey backs, turkey necks, pork picnic, etc.  He's 80 lbs big, so you could probably do chicken necks, chicken feet, etc.  Watch closely as you feed these, they are dogs and know how to handle them but they may not know what to do at first, and you want to supervise (I supervise with kibble anyway, it's easy for them to inhale!).  Also BULLY STICKS are great!  Dried bull penis - they love 'em though :)  Provides great mental stimulation and a good jaw workout.

Enzo's teeth are sparkling :) 

I am a raw feeder and would like to clarify the bolded statement, cow and deer bones are okay as long as they are not weight bearing bones, my 8 month old mastiff enjoys buffalo tail and can get through a whole one in a couple of sittings.