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Caring
For Your Greyhound’s Teeth
Quite a lot of pet
greyhounds are susceptible to dental problems. Soft, red,
receding gums, bad breath, brown teeth and recurrent
tummy upsets and diarrhoea can be seen even in dogs fed
only on dry food and daily rawhide chews. I have battled
these problems with my own greyhound and several foster
dogs, and have compiled a list of tips for others in the
same situation. It is important to tackle tooth and gum
decay because otherwise the infections can damage the
kidneys or heart and shorten life expectancy - bad
breath, icky tummy and squitty poo aside!
- brush
their teeth daily - even twice daily if
you find that makes a difference. Experiment with
different doggie toothpastes to see if your dog
does better on a particular type.
- get
an electric toothbrush for the
dog. They are extremely efficient at removing
particles of food from between the gaps in the
teeth. They also make brushing easier because you
just have to position the brush in the right
places - it does the actual brushing for you.
(The dogs do get used to the noise!)
- Get
some anti-gingivitis mouthwash,
such as Corsodyl, and wipe a cottonwool ball or
some gauze soaked in it around the gumline daily.
- Give
a large rawhide chew or denta
rask daily. Dogs that no longer like to
tackle chews can still usually handle denta rasks
and they do make a noticeable difference. The
cost can add up though, so shop around!
- Get
some oral hygiene gel from your
vet and rub it round the gumline last thing at
night
- Get
your vet to scale the tartar
from the teeth. Get a dental scaler from your vet
and ask to be shown how to use it.
- Even
if you already feed only dry food, a different
brand of food may help your dog.
- Check
your dog’s teeth weekly to make sure you are
not missing any bits when brushing or wiping. The
molars towards the back, the teeth just before
and after the canines, and the small front teeth
are all particularly prone to getting food
particles lodged next to them.
- Be
prepared to go back to your vet
if your dog is still having problems. A few dogs
still have problems despite a five-point daily
dental care routine, and there are treatments
which can help. Even if your dog is one of the
very rare beasts that has all its teeth taken out
(usually only the case where it has been adopted
in old age from a situation of neglect),
don’t worry - they can still eat and enjoy
life!
Please mail
suggestions or comments about this article to: Maria
Hamilton (mailto:maria@gurk.co.uk)
This page last updated 24 March 2002
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Oxford Greyhound Information