[krandall]

I don’t know if I could have survived puppyhood and working from home without giving Kiki something to chew on! But she’s now gone without bully sticks (the only chew we’ve used) for a few weeks. We’re figuring out new ways to spend the day.

Puppyhood is different. Puppies DO need things to chew on. Both for teething and developmentally… as well as to protect the owner’s home! LOL! But when we are talking about cleaning, (as opposed to daily brushing) we are talking about fully adult dogs.
I DO have a few moose antler slices and wood chews around the house, and once in a GREAT while one of the dogs, typically Ducky, who is the youngest, and still puppyish, will seek one out. I still would prefer that they have something appropriate to chew on than my base boards, thank you very much! But I don’t give them “consumable” chews, nor do I encourage chewing. They are just there as an alternative to “bad” chewing!

 

[Pucks104]

My integrative vet was the one that kept saying Leo’s teeth looked fine. By the time he had any redness in his gums the damage was done.

 

[Melissa Brill]

Puppyhood is different. Puppies DO need things to chew on. Both for teething and developmentally… as well as to protect the owner’s home! LOL! But when we are talking about cleaning, (as opposed to daily brushing) we are talking about fully adult dogs.
I DO have a few moose antler slices and wood chews around the house, and once in a GREAT while one of the dogs, typically Ducky, who is the youngest, and still puppyish, will seek one out. I still would prefer that they have something appropriate to chew on than my base boards, thank you very much! But I don’t give them “consumable” chews, nor do I encourage chewing. They are just there as an alternative to “bad” chewing!

Perry's favorite is still the himalayan chews (which is a consumable) though he doesn't go through them nearly as fast as he used to... we've now had one around for several months and it's about 1/2 chewed. When he did chew them faster I had to ration them so that he didn't consume too many calories from them. He also has a few split antlers and a wood chew that he also occasionally chews on.

 

[Havanese Dreams]

My integrative vet was the one that kept saying Leo’s teeth looked fine. By the time he had any redness in his gums the damage was done.

That is really awful, and so frustrating.

 

[mudpuppymama]

I agree, especially since anesthesia, itself, is not without risks.

Especially as they get older and for dogs with other health conditions. I think it is very taxing on a dog and should not be taken lightly. It is sometimes looked at like a nail trim…

 

[mudpuppymama]

Perry's favorite is still the himalayan chews (which is a consumable) though he doesn't go through them nearly as fast as he used to... we've now had one around for several months and it's about 1/2 chewed. When he did chew them faster I had to ration them so that he didn't consume too many calories from them. He also has a few split antlers and a wood chew that he also occasionally chews on.

I think the safety of a chew depends on a dog’s chewing style.

 

[Melissa Brill]

I think the safety of a chew depends on a dog’s chewing style.

Completely agree - I also weighed the risk of him cracking a tooth versus his enjoyment and decided I would risk the tooth because he just loves it so much.

 

[Havanese Dreams]

This is such a good conversation about chews… to chew, or not to chew… and what to chew? So in Kiki’s case, the vet/dentist think it’s unlikely a chew led to front tooth damage. They said chews (especially harder chews like antlers) are more likely to damage molars. Front teeth are used for grasping. This is a reason why it’s a mystery how she damaged that tooth. But this whole ordeal has made me worry about future damage to any of her teeth, especially since she’s missing some now and will be losing more. That’s why I stopped giving her bully sticks.

For those of you who’ve experienced your pup getting multiple extractions, do you have any tips on the recovery?

 

[mudpuppymama]

My integrative vet was the one that kept saying Leo’s teeth looked fine. By the time he had any redness in his gums the damage was done.

I was wondering if there were any signs of something being off in your dog with that big of an issue? For example, were there any digestive issues? Were the blood values good? Mood?

 

[Pucks104]

I was wondering if there were any signs of something being off in your dog with that big of an issue? For example, were there any digestive issues? Were the blood values good? Mood?

None whatsoever. Excellent bloodwork always. It’s checked annually. He didn’t even slow down on the eating. At least that was true for the first round. His gums just got red over 2 of the top teeth. This time he did back off eating which alerted me that there might be another tooth problem.

 

[mudpuppymama]

Puppyhood is different. Puppies DO need things to chew on. Both for teething and developmentally… as well as to protect the owner’s home! LOL! But when we are talking about cleaning, (as opposed to daily brushing) we are talking about fully adult dogs.
I DO have a few moose antler slices and wood chews around the house, and once in a GREAT while one of the dogs, typically Ducky, who is the youngest, and still puppyish, will seek one out. I still would prefer that they have something appropriate to chew on than my base boards, thank you very much! But I don’t give them “consumable” chews, nor do I encourage chewing. They are just there as an alternative to “bad” chewing!

I guess I lucked out with mine. I never experienced any bad chewing during puppyhood. I did give them some treats like dehydrated sweet potato chips and dehydrated lamb trachea. These are consumable, healthy and cannot damage teeth. No chewing on baseboards or anything like that.

 

[mudpuppymama]

None whatsoever. Excellent bloodwork always. It’s checked annually. He didn’t even slow down on the eating.

That is unfortunate.

 

[Flashgordon]

This is such a good conversation about chews… to chew, or not to chew… and what to chew? So in Kiki’s case, the vet/dentist think it’s unlikely a chew led to front tooth damage. They said chews (especially harder chews like antlers) are more likely to damage molars. Front teeth are used for grasping. This is a reason why it’s a mystery how she damaged that tooth. But this whole ordeal has made me worry about future damage to any of her teeth, especially since she’s missing some now and will be losing more. That’s why I stopped giving her bully sticks.

For those of you who’ve experienced your pup getting multiple extractions, do you have any tips on the recovery?

My pup had two adult teeth and one wiggly baby tooth that would not not come out. The recovery was fairly easy after the first two days or so when they are zonked out from the meds. I put her kibble in warm water for about a half hour until it was completely soft and had her eat that for about two weeks or so. Of course, I had been doing that for months previous because of the wiggly tooth. Absolotely no chew toys or even plush toys if they chew them for a few weeks.

She recovered completely and eats normally now. I tell her she looks like a pirate because two of the teeth are in the front. Her tongue does not stick out (personal worry) but I will always worry about the rest of her teeth. I brush them every other day, but they are still building up some plaque. My vet says not to worry about it, but <shrug>

 

[Pucks104]

Both times Leo had teeth removed he was on 2 different pain meds for 5 days and an antibiotic. He has been eating The Farmers Dog food for a couple years so he could manage his food right after the procedure. No chewing on anything else for a few weeks each time. Also both procedures were followed by an ear flare up which he really very rarely experiences anymore. Not sure why that would be. Drops took care of the ear thing each time.

 

[Tere]

Shadow had 4 baby teeth extracted when he was 10 months old. It was done the day before I got him(he was rehomed by the breeder & she had it done). He was feeling no pain and it certainly did not stop him from eating kibble. The only memorable thing was that he had some loose stools for a day or two that may have been related to the procedure.
One of my other dogs had 3 adult teeth extracted(lower front teeth) during a cleaning. Nothing afterwards. He also had 2 loose teeth the vet pulled out in an office visit. He was 15 and they were very loose so the vet just used some topical numbing. Again nothing.
The vets always sent a couple doses of pain meds home but they never seemed to be in any kind of pain or discomfort.

 

[Flashgordon]

Yes, I seem to recall not using the full prescription of meds because she did so well. Its the first two or three days that they are a bit out of it, but I think that is mainly the anesthesia.

 

[UrsaMinor]

I don’t give my dogs any chews…no bully sticks, hooves, antlers, dental chews, marrow bones, yak chews, etc. I feel they do not need the tooth breaking risk or the “nutrients” or the extra calories they get from them, or the risk of swallowing a chunk and winding up with digestive issues. My dogs do not appear to be suffering from their lack of chews. My yorkie is a power chewed and nothing is safe with him anyway. Some bully sticks are treated with chemicals to cut down on the smell. Definitely don’t need that…the smell or the chemicals.

I never gave Ursa bully sticks but I give her a no-hide stick from a local store after shower to reward her.
But when Ursa had her two lower molars under the gum at almost 12 months, I gave her split antlers, hoping the rough surface would help break the skin. I didn't know if the fact that she had eaten soft food since coming home had caused the problem. A few weeks later, the molars erupted. She had also retained two baby teeth for a while so eventually, I started playing tug with a little towel and they came right out.

Good luck to Kiki 💖

 

[krandall]

Completely agree - I also weighed the risk of him cracking a tooth versus his enjoyment and decided I would risk the tooth because he just loves it so much.

I agree. Also, if you have a dog who is REALLY committed to chewing… they are GOING to chew. On something you don’t want thwm to chew on, if you don’t give them something appropriate. Sometimes you just have to pick the lesser of two evils. I knew a family with a German Shepherd that was an obsessive rock chewer. He wore his teeth to nubs chewing on them. They took every rock away from him as soon as they saw him with it, but they lived on a typical NE property, with very rocky soil. He knew that all he needed to do was dig to find another one! They would have been THRILLED if they could have trined him to chew moose antlers. Nowadays, they might have kept him in a muzzle, but in those days, I don’t think they were even available.

 

[Heather's]

After their procedure they were pretty sleepy. I remember the last time Truffles whimpered on the way home. The next day they were back to normal. When the extractions were done they were only to have soft food for a week. I was sent home with an antibiotic and pain med. The pain med wasn't needed. I was told to restart brushing after 48 hours to prevent the start of plaque. The only chew they now get once in awhile is a C.E.T Veggiedent.

 

[Flashgordon]

I have tried those veggident (vet highly recommended) and she is able to eat them in less than a minute. I dont see how it can possibly scrape any tartar off in that timeframe so it seems like empty calories. She does love them though.