Feb
18
How to cure my Rat Terrier of her bad breath and teeth?
Posted by admin under Dogs
tripleSchick11 asked:
My female rat terrier, Zoe, has the habit of licking herself like a cat. Over the years it had wore down on her teeth, pretty much rotting them. It’s extremely gross and makes her have horrid breath. We took her to the vet and they pulled nine teeth. She looked creepy but her remaining teeth were white.
My female rat terrier, Zoe, has the habit of licking herself like a cat. Over the years it had wore down on her teeth, pretty much rotting them. It’s extremely gross and makes her have horrid breath. We took her to the vet and they pulled nine teeth. She looked creepy but her remaining teeth were white.
Well, the teeth are turning brown again and her breath is, once again, horrible. I don’t want to take her to the vet yet, because I’m afraid they’ll have to pull the rest of the teeth so I’m trying to see if there is another solution that is less dramatic.
She won’t eat any of the bones that will actually help clean her teeth and breath. I’ve tried brushing her teeth but it did not really work either. Is there some kind of medicine, a pill? Or something I can put in her water? Any advice?
Katherine
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Her teeth need a vets cleaning,unless they have decay or are broken they don’t need to be pulled.This has nothing to do with her licking,dogs need dental care,the same as people do
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:03 pm
The simplest way to cure bad breath is to get her on some excellent, wholesome dog food..like Innova, wellness, wysong. All these brands come in wet/canned food if she can’t chew up hard kibbles. Bad breath has to come from some where and if she has had recient dental work, then it must be what she’s fed. Try a better diet and you will soon see or not smell the results.
December 4th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Once tartar and decay are present on the teeth, then brushing and chewing on things won’t resolve the problem. Brushing is only preventative – it won’t solve the problem. She needs to go to the vet and get her teeth cleaned and get any needed extractions done. They can get infected and make her very sick. If nothing else, the decayed teeth can get very painful. Time for the vet.
December 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Regardless of your diligence with your dog’s dental care, it’s important to have your vet examine her teeth and gums at least once a year. This is the best way to catch problems before they become too serious.
If there’s a problem with your dog’s teeth, the first sign is often bad breath, caused when bacteria begin to multiply in food trapped between teeth or at the site of an infection. Other signs to watch for:
* Drooling more than normal
* Reluctance to chew food or toys
* Misaligned teeth
* Missing teeth or failure to develop adult teeth
Check this link for more info.
December 5th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Seeing your vet annually is very important. I know in the past she’s had extractions and although they seemed a little overboard, NOT having them extracted would have caused further complications. Something you can do at home to help slow down the tartar build up and bad breath is brush her teeth. You can pick up special enzymatic toothpaste at your vet that helps break down the tartar building up on her teeth. Another product that is really helpful (though not all vets carry it) is called ORA-VET! Its a wax substance you rub on the outer part of her teeth and what it does is it adheres to the electric charge of the tooth so when the tartar does begin to build up it builds up on the wax that eventually melts off with the warmth of the mouth. BRUSHING AND ORAVET are ideal in prolonging the life of her remaining teeth.
Good Luck!
December 5th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
It is really good that you care for your good friend. You also need to know about the primary cause of bad breath. Dogs and humans are the same when it comes to bad breath. The main cause of bad breath is the tongue, not the teeth. Bacteria grow on the top of the tongue and produce sulfur containing compounds that smell, that is bad breath. The only real cure for bad breath is to remove the bacteria from the tongue by cleaning the tongue. OraBrush will do this, because it has individual, pointed, flexible, soft bristles that reach downinto the folds of the tongue and remove the bacteria. Learn more about the cause and cure of bad breath at: