Dog Teeth

There is no doubt that in many cases good and bad teeth are genetic.Some kinds of dogs, particularly the small breeds, lose many teeth by the time they are two years old. Others have healthy teeth all their lives. Frequently the owners of a two-year-old show dog with loose teeth that need to be extracted will not permit the procedure to be done until the dog has finished its show championship.

Tartar. The principal problem with teeth is the tartar, or plaque,that builds up on them. It is theorized that some dogs have saliva that encourages this tartar buildup. It is not unusual to find thick crusts of tartar larger than the teeth. In some dogs this may be removed in the veterinarian's office without an anesthetic. Other dogs will not permit such treatment and must be given a short-acting anesthetic in order to have their teeth cleaned. In any event the insides of the teeth may be cleaned only after anesthesia has been administered.

Some biscuits do help to clean a dog's teeth but only minimally so. Better is a raw beef rib bone into which the teeth sink - but bones may not be for your dog. Chewing the tags of meat and cartilage from beef soup bone will also help, but many dogs eat mushy food all their lives and have beautiful teeth with no tartar or guns disease.