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Dog dental chew sticks recommendations

Basenji Health Issues & Questions

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  • 0 Votes
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    imbjI
    Alex, did you find a vet in the Bay Area (or somewhere in the South Bay) who specializes in dental work for B's? Pat (Tanza), do you know any vet near the South Bay who specializes in dental work for B's? My B has a cracked tooth/molar which I found and took a photo, showed it to my vet and he suggested tooth extraction. Since he missed it during the physical last week and he hasn't even suggested an x-ray or something to confirm if extraction is the only option (he seems to just base it on the photo and nothing else), I'm suspicious and would like a second opinion from another vet. (I did ask for blood work and the vet said the results are fine, no issues.) Your help is appreciated!
  • How dogs drink

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    bewlerB
    Also - does anyone else's Basenji drink in threes? When Cody drinks he goes "lap, lap, lap, pause, Lap, lap, lap". For some reason this just cracks me up. Maybe because he's so consistent. Or maybe I need to get our more! LOL!
  • Dental issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    21
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    nodakerdebN
    Periodontal disease is a tough one to get on top of once it takes hold (in both humans and dogs) because the bacteria gets down in the pockets and it is very difficult to keep clean. People have better luck because they have the ability to floss daily, but that is very difficult with a dog – and believe me, I've tried. :D Periodontal disease is not the same as an auto-immune disease that dogs can get (lest I be accused of getting them confused). I believe the reason our furry companions, and especially the dry-mouth (non-slobbering types) often get it is because of a couple things in addition to not being able to floss. 1. They don't slobber so their mouths really don't get a good natural rinse, and 2. they are fed an unnatural diet. In the wild they would be crunching up bones which acts like a natural toothbrush/floss, and they wouldn't be eating cereal grains which are carbs on steroids turning to sugar once it hits the saliva. There are kibbles out there that do not contain grains which may help by keeping the sugars at bay in the mouth. Evo is one, Instinct is another. Feeding raw is a great alternative. I am also a big fan of the PetzLife product and think it works wonders to keep plaque at bay on the teeth, but not sure how well it works with the plague and bacteria already under the gumline. My rat terrier does not have periodontal disease. I feed him Evo and brush his teeth daily (with a three-sided toothbrush) with Petzlife and he has the teeth of a two year old which isn't bad considering he's almost 11. If his gut could handle it I'd feed him raw, but that has not bode well with him unfortunately. FWIW, in a past life I worked as a chairside assistant for a dentist so I do know a bit about teeth and periodontal disease. I came away from that experience realizing that if I were on a deserted island I'd rather have an endless supply of dental floss vs. a toothbrush. I would be more likely to keep my teeth with the first rather that the latter. Now if we could just figure out how to floss a dog's teeth. :)
  • Bumpy dogs?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    S
    Thanks everyone! Now I'm wracking my brain trying to remember where exactly her vaccines were. She got two in one day, and I preoccupied with holding her and giving her cookies! I keep rubbing it, and if anything, it seems a bit smaller, but I will absolutely let everyone know what happens next. Cheers
  • Chewing Questions

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    KiroGurlK
    I got worried giving kiro so many bones, so i would take lots of old shoe laces and tie them in her crate on the side.ONe big sting with tons of THICK knots and let her pull it off and that kept her busy. You just have to make sure they wont swallow it. (she didnt) and make the knots big and thick. she loved the challenge of getting them off the side of her crate. it helps if your worried about to many bones…..
  • My dog had a Spinal injury!!!!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    BarklessdogB
    My wife's hand is worse where she can't bend her finger or lift objects. I finally got her to go to the doctor, they X rayed her hand and asked her how long she has had arthritis! So this is how she found out she has arthritis at age 48. It seems that her knuckle where she was bit has an inner infection, no broken bones, they put her hand & finger in a splint. The dog bite did not break the skin, but as any body who has been "really" bitten by a basenji knows they have bone crushing jaws. They leave horrible bruises even if they don't draw blood. The dog seems all better still, no more pain attacks. While petting him we noticed a scab on his ear after the fight. It goes all the way through his ear. The other dog bit a hole in his ear, when she tried to finish him!