TEETH

I had a nice surprise today when Donna and Vic from Billings called and were in the Bitterroot and wanted to visit and let Hannah run. It was great to meet them and Hannah had a good run. She did come in with some sore pads from running and turning. But we cleaned them with betadyne and she will be fine in a couple of days. Then we got looking at Hannah's teeth. It is one of my compulsions...I couldn't help myself. There was a little bit of gunk on her teeth which I HAD to get off. Before Donna could say "no" I had my scaler in hand and was giving her dog the once over. Vic was eager to learn and I showed him how to do it. We followed up with a good tooth brushing. Which brings me to something I have been meaning to discuss...TEETH

If there isn't infection you can clean them up yourself. Have your vet or someone who knows how show you how to use a scaler to just pop off the tartar. Vets would love it if you brushed your dogs teeth every day but honestly very few people I know actually do this. I would recommend that you check teeth the first of every month and/or every time you bathe your greyhound at least. Waiting until the smell bothers you is NOT the way to go and will end up with your dog on a table losing teeth. Dirty teeth ruin health. Just like people some have nice hard teeth and others have crummy enamel to which everything sticks. The unlucky dogs with bad enamel will benefit the most from lots of brushing to keep the tooth surface smooth. My Iris has soft teeth I check her teeth every couple of weeks or more. It is a battle to keep up with it but so far she still has her teeth.

I am not going to discuss the how-to of scaling teeth since that is more of a hands on thing but I would be happy to show you if you want to come out. So lets just assume the teeth are reasonably clean. First you need tools. Save your money and don't buy those stupid dog tooth brushes...awkward and ineffective = thumbs down. I have yet to find one that works well but the dog toothpaste is worth buying. I use an inexpensive battery operated people tooth brush ($5-$8). Look for one that the rotating brush is on the end. Those are your real cleaning bristles so you want them where they can get the most contact with the teeth in that long pointed jaw. Step one is desensitizing your dog to the brush. Turn it on while you examine the dog's mouth but don't try to use it yet. Flick it off and on a few times so the start up doesn't bother them. Next wet your brush and load with some dog tooth paste. Pushing the paste into the bristles slightly will keep it from falling right off. Next, with the turned off brush, open your greyhounds lips and brush the paste into the teeth. I always smear the paste into the teeth like this before I start to brush them because it keeps the paste where you need it instead of on the floor. At first work mostly on just the teeth you can reach. Don't worry about getting the back teeth until the dog understands what you are doing and relaxes. Now with the brush bristles resting against the teeth turn on the brush and start to move it. Be sure you push slightly so it doesn't just tickle. Brush both sides gently but quickly and stop. The tell them how smart and wonderful they are. Give them some love and repeat the process until your dog has very little reaction to this new concept. If your dog got wound up by the process stop before they fight you and do it again in a few minutes. But give them a break to think it over. Once they accept you brushing the front teeth, then you can start doing the back teeth. When I do the back teeth I hook my thumb in the back corner of the lip and pull the lips back resting my other fingers on the top of the skull. When I do the left side I use my fingers and rest my palm on the top of the skull. Its too awkward to use my thumb much on that side. Be sure you keep your fingers away from the chewing surfaces. Once you and your greyhound have the hang of it you won't have to lift the lips much and can just work under the lips like we do when we brush our own teeth. A simple brushing should only take a couple of minutes from start to finish if you do it right. Human tooth paste is not supposed to be swallowed so unless your dog knows how to sip, swirl and spit use dog tooth paste or baking soda. As for that stuff you can spend big money for to add to your dog's water to keep tartar at bay. It is proving not to be all that effective and some of it is actually dangerous. Ineffective, dangerous and expensive= thumbs down.

Some things you can do to help your dogs teeth stay clean. Many people like to give bones. They should be raw and you should watch your dog so you can take the bone away when it gets small. When you take it always give your dog a nice trade. A bite of meat or cheese in exchange for the used up bone. I have found big knuckle bones can break the teeth. So find a length of leg bone or even a rib....but keep checking the status of the bone and take it away when it is too small. You can also find sterilized bones which you can fill with a little cheese or peanut butter. When the dog gets bored the bone can go right into your dishwasher to be cleaned and ready for the next time. I have a friend who swears by giving her dogs fresh raw chicken (or turkey) necks or backs. On occasion I have done this and my dogs have had no trouble digesting it. Raw poultry bones don't splinter like cooked ones. Even beef bones will splinter if they are over cooked. Smoked bones sounds like a nice idea but smelly, carpet staining and splintering risk = thumbs down. Not over soaking your dogs dinner will also help. Greyhounds need a little lubrication to help them not choke when they gulp their food down but don't let the food become mush. The crunch of dry dog food will fall off the teeth to be swallowed instead of gathering in the teeth.

Giving some thought to your greyhounds teeth can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run...but feel free to pop those dollars in a envelope and send them over .