ANYBODY EVER DARED TO CLEAN THEIR CHOWS TEETH (FANGS)?

[christina chow mum]

I am totally ashamed to say I have never cleaned or attempted to clean Ming's teeth (fangs). Disgraceful! Naughty naughty! Everything else gets cleaned, bathed, brushed or "medicated" when required but I have always had a fear of being bitten to death. Giving him one or two large bones every day from the butcher which I boil myself to keep his teeth firm doesn't really ease my guilt So, if anyone here has tried it, or by some miracle, actually achieved it, please DO TELL!! Thanks

[Juniper]

No need to be ashamed since most people don't do it...at least you're concerned about it.

All the tooth brushing and bone chewing (which can crack/chip their teeth and injure their gums) will never take the place of a chow’s teeth being professionally cleaned by a vet who can go below the gums. The tartar will build up just like our human teeth-especially in their rear molars. Plus this is truly the only way to see if any teeth are cracked, chipped or need to be removed. Not all is visible by just inspecting a chow's mouth whether or not they are consistently trying to prevent you from holding their mouth open to take a peek. Plus bad breath does not always appear as a warning that something is wrong with their teeth.

Sheena has had her teeth professionally cleaned by a vet 3 times in her 12.5 years. The last has saved her life since the discovery of a lump at the extreme base of her tongue which ended up being oral melanoma at the beginning stages and she had a cracked tooth removed. All this while her breath smelled just fine. After research, I was amazed to find out that 30% of dogs with high melanin producing bodies (chows, shar peis...get melanoma) I did clean Sheena’s teeth once in a while with a doggie toothbrush, which she didn’t care for; the rubber finger brush & doggie paste I placed on my forefinger worked the best but I could only get the outside of her teeth, never the inside sections so it was rather pointless. Although it made me extremely nervous to put her under anesthesia I knew the safest was isoflurane inhaled gas and she had no problems at all.

So if you haven’t had your Ming’s teeth professionally done I would suggest doing so. It’s not cheap…$300 to $500 depending on what needs to be done. Healthy teeth prevent heart disease and other health problems so it is very important to get it done-even in us humans.

[sterlingarcher]

I brush Archer's teeth once a week. He's nearly a year old now and I've been doing it since I adopted him at 9 weeks old. I use a dog tooth brush and peanut butter flavored tooth paste. No bites! Since I adopted Archer, I have always grabbed his paws, picked him up and opened his mouth so he is used to those things.

[wokman]

Thanks Christina for bringing up the subject of teeth and Juniper for the importance of Dental check-ups.
The late Miss Abby's early death may have been avoided if she had preventive Dental maintenance.
Fourteen teeth were removed shortly after I had adopted her last November, 2012; a few teeth were juvenal that had not fallen out. Abby died September, 2013 of complications from a mass on one her Kidneys.
Out of sight, out of mind; it pays to check under the hood once in awhile to save a lot of future grief.
Shame on me I have not had Zoey's teeth checked for five years and a recent blood test showed an elevated white blood cell count.
Call Veterinarian Schedule Dental Isoflurane gas inhaled

[christina chow mum]

Thanks guys for all your valuable and experienced chowlie input. Frankly, the point about training from an early age is the one that sticks out like a sore thumb!..From a tiny puppy, I have trained Ming to want, accept and enjoy his baths, his brushing, applying general medications, fur drying with a hair dryer, a general going over with the vacuum cleaner (YES IT'S TRUE!) from time to time, general obedience training and acknowledging commands but WHY OH WHY didn't I do anything about his TEETH from a puppy as well After reading all the input again I find myself in a Catch 22 situation. On the one hand I am relieved that some other chowlies don't/haven't cleaned their chows teggies, on the other hand, as I have said before in other posts, doing absolutely anything at the vet with Ming, even just to get him on the dreaded "metal table" is torture for all, with several injections of tranqs involded [GROAN] required which cost a small fortune over here [GROAN] and there is no way I am sticking my hand in his mouth even supposing I could get it open in the first place He has already lost a little lower front tooth from gnashing on his beloved bones and the point made about melanomas has freaked me out somewhat and really given me something to think about. So, friends it looks like I will just have to win the lottery or raid my piggy bank and think about putting him under, after all when push comes to shove, what price a visit to the vet in the face of such furry loyalty, love, protection and devotion . Many, many thanks again

[JasonandNat]

We trained them from pups, first with fingers, then small soft brushes, and it really is important so good on you for looking into it.

[Tippsy'smom]

I brushed Tippsy's teeth her whole life. And she didn't protest it. I taught her from the time she was a puppy to be accepting of me doing so many different things to her (brushing teeth, brushing her fur, bathing her, clipping her nails, etc.), I could even open her mouth and take things out if I needed to.

I tried to brush Dixie and Jasper's but they've fought it from the time they were puppies. I've had the vet clean Dixie's teeth once in 3 and a half years; and we attempted to have Jasper's cleaned for the first time about 2 months before his 5th birthday but he had a reaction to the anesthesia. So that didn't happen...

I definitely know the importance of having their teeth cleaned though... Todd (my little pom) has very few teeth left because of not having his teeth cared for in his previous home... We've had his teeth cleaned twice in 2 almost 2 years.

[JammyJoy]

We just brought our chow to the vet for his dental cleaning. It's his first time and the vet was amazed because it seems like he was to used to it.

[Mia]

I have always cleaned Chutney and Mia's teeth and even though I have tried to get them used to it, it has never been easy. It has always been a struggle, but I have always persisted.

I've told them, that in order to be a good chow mom, I will out-chow them with my stubbornness.

They are 6 1/2 and 7 years old respectively, and both have had their teeth cleaned twice professionally. (Both needed teeth extracted as they had broken them, so I am so glad they had their teeth cleaned, or we would never have known and those teeth would have become infected, causing a myriad of other problems.)

If possible, I would try to persist, only safely, in brushing their teeth. In the beginning, if it is not too difficult, I would use a doggy or human toothbrush with a long handle and after putting on DOGGY toothpaste only, I would begin by letting them chew on it. Most chows, maybe dogs in general, don't like having instruments stuck in their mouth involuntarily, which is why I say, for the first many times, I would not even try to brush. Just let them chew on the toothbrush a bit as you try to move it in their mouth. Talk to them while doing it and try to make it a positive experience as best you can.

It probably won't be easy, but as they say, you can always teach an old dog new tricks!

It may take weeks or months before you are able to actually brush. But, if you introduce it gently it might work. Never force it too much or make it an unpleasant experience, because chows have long memories and will fight the experience out of stubbornness.

That would be my best advice.

[Michael's Maggie May]

I had a vet tech show me how to wrap gauze around my finger and rub the teeth, You can add doggy toothpaste but you would be amazed that even a wet gauze will remove some discoloration off the teeth. I know they are tough dogs but lots of loving helps.