Well…maybe generally not, but the kibble that my dogs eat have the stuff to break down the tartar and it works when they eat the kibble. My vet is very impressed with their teeth being that I have NEVER brushed them…tried a couple times with Dolly but ended up with the toothpaste all over me, the bathroom walls, etc.
I do give my dogs the chew sticks…I won’t give them the little ones because they get to the size that I would throw out very quickly. They have had the larger chew sticks but don’t really like them all the time. The Petzlife, although the vet said he doesn’t see anything bad on their teeth, is doing a little extra to keep their teeth clean. If I didn’t just have this brain surgery, then I would already be adding toothpaste to the regime at least twice a week. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Deanna Corey Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 5:29 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Chihuahuas] Food & acid reflux questions Actually, that is completely false info...kibble does not clean or scrape tarter from dog's teeth. Bully sticks and raw bones will help...but not kibble. Wagging Tails in the Dog Park! Deanna and the Dog Park Gang: Nugget, Shuai Li, Mable, Mouse, Myrtle, Madison, Caleb and Maxine >From the mountains of CA On May 26, 2011, at 3:24 PM, Joan Croft <[email protected]> wrote: Dolly will have hiccups a lot. Desi will have jerks in his sleep. Both of mine are on Royal Canin Chihuahua kibble. If your dog is eating raw or a soft diet, it also compromises the oral health because they need the crunchy food to scrape away tartar. I do know that if you give your dog pure pumpkin – and my vet said ½ teaspoon twice a day for Dolly & Desi (each around 8 lbs) and also my neighbor’s Mandy (about 17 lbs.) Dolly loves the little cheese flavored treats that my neighbor gives her…today is a tough day for her and it is the only thing that I could get her in the house. This last time, I took out two pieces of the frozen pumpkin and put them on the carpet by the water bowl, and they each took one and ate it. It is good for constipation and diarrhea. Both of mine are a bit out of sorts with being at the kennel during my surgery and maybe their tummies are not feeling so good. I haven’t been good about enforcing the rules and just to get them happy have been giving them treats…not good and I know it. Now I am too tired and if they want to lay with me, fine; if they don’t, then they will find somewhere else to be in the house! From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of clowgerl Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 1:51 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Chihuahuas] Food & acid reflux questions Hello, It seems I have been battling the food issue for my Chi Coco ever since I got her approx 5 years ago (she's a rescue so we think she is about 10-11 yrs old). The problem is that she needs a high fiber food because she has trouble with too soft poos. I want to feed her a nice quality food but I feel confused over what to give her. She is a picky eater and turns her nose up at many things. I have researched and tried many different brands. The latest run was Stella & Chewey's but I couldn't get her poo to firm up with that either. I would like for her to eat something with more crunch to help with her teeth but it's sort of difficult to get her to eat crunchy after she has become so accustomed to soft food. I have been researching a raw diet and have tried it with her and she likes it but I'm not sure about it yet. On the raw group that I joined they very much dislike any kind of kibble so now I feel torn about reconsidering that. UGH. So, I wanted to see if I could get some feedback about what has worked for your Chi's and do any of you have this same issue? I also have noticed that she seems to "burp" alot and her vet told me about a year ago that she may have a little acid reflux. She gave me a script for a compounded liquid but when it seemed to get better I stopped it. Now she is 'burping' again. Just wondered if this is common for Chi's and if you know why it happens. I may need to get her script refilled. Giving her liquid is always such a fight. Thank you for your thoughts :) Laurie
