Both of my Greyhounds teeth bleed when I brush them

[ChristineDG]

I try to keep up with brushing their teeth. I have slacked lately, and both of their gums are now bloody when I brush. My vet had told me to add 16oz of water to their meals, and they get 2 meals per day. Inam worried that the softened food may be contributing to bad oral health. I tried giving them beef rib bones, that were raw, but one of them swallowed half of the bone as he does with most longevity snacks, it's like he cannot eat fast enough. So I don't want to give him things like that anymore. Any thoughts? Should I cut out the water? I do like that they are so well hydrated though

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Christine-

Greyhounds seem to be genetically predisposed to periodontal dis-ease so the oral hygiene is extra important.

Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders - Canine Medicine and Genetics

Background The greyhound is a sighthound known for its speed and agility. Greyhounds were selectively bred as functional racing animals but increasingly are kept as pets in the UK, often after their racing careers are over. The VetCompass™ Programme collates de-identified clinical data from...

cgejournal.biomedcentral.com

1. How about holding a chicken or turkey neck while they use it to safely and effectively "brush and floss"?

There are also many other recommendations on the forum and in the member area webinars about dental care. If you can't find them @aruna can point you to them. For example:

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe from Dr. Katie

Sue asked for the coconut oil toothpaste that Dr. Katie mentioned. Here it is: Homemade Toothpaste ▪ 2 tsp of coconut oil ▪ 1/2 cup baking soda ▪ 1/2 tsp cinnamon ▪ 1/2 tsp probiotics ➢ Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth and then apply to the dog’s tooth brush You can also...

www.holisticactions.com

I also recommend incorporating Neem Bark powder and CoQ-10 in with their tooth brushing regimen as these both support immunity and oral health. You can use them both topically as well as in their food (doses will vary based on the product used).

There are also conventional treats that work well like:

https://www.petcarerx.com/oravet-dental-hygiene-chews-for-dogs/35573?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5PGFBhC2ARIsAIFIMNdr7rsvHRljKIIIP-MocxWLh-xVlsm-PGTC2Dhv3t9VKhBHiyV2CrwaAtM-EALw_wcB#54555

2. Yes, continuing with the water in their food (is it fresh or raw food?) is a great idea.

 

[Dr. Sara]

Dear Christine,
Dogs bolt their food, so adding water to the food is not making a significant difference in the amount of cleaning / plaque abrasion provided by the food. Recreational chewing on bones, large, non-consumable chews (and it sounds like they would need to be quite large chews), or smaller consumable chews like tracheas and turkey necks, will help keep the teeth clean as the dog holds the chew and gnaws on it.

Greyhounds are notorious for developing tartar. I routinely scaled the teeth of my raw fed greyhound, even though she ate recreational chews. Certain breeds and individuals simply are prone to develop plaque / tartar, regardless of the diet.

Most dogs' gums will bleed when the teeth have not been brushed for a while. This is typical, and will resolve with regular brushing.

It is good for dogs to be well hydrated. Was there some concern for your dogs' hydration?
Were they avoiding the water? If they weren't drinking on their own, I would try to deduce why. Do they prefer warm or cold water? Ice cubes? Filtered water?
Adding water to the meals will increase water consumption, though this seems like a lot of water to add. I will recommend 'floating' the food with large quantities of water in certain situations, such as stone forming Dalmatians. I don't usually add more than a quarter to a half cup per meal (2-4 oz) for dogs with kidney disease, though that is for dogs on a wet diet. (Kidney disease cats get 1-2 Tbsp per meal)
If your dogs are eating kibble, more water might be added if lab work revealed a need for more. A more natural food form would likely benefit your dogs if they are eating kibble. Studies show that dogs (and cats) absorb more water when fed a wet food, than when fed moistened kibble because in wet food the moisture is part of the food.
Of course, the most important factor is how your dogs feel. If the increased water intake helped their BEAM, I would continue it, and brush more often to improve gum health so the gums don't bleed.
I hope this helps,
Dr. Sara

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks Dr. Sara!

Also Christine, Dr. Dodds, who is a greyhound expert, added these other comments to your post:

Greyhounds have inflamed gums and bad tartar build-up so their teeth often bleed when cleaning. We use the gel form of HealthyMouth www.heatlthymouth .com which is an all-natural with 11 VOHC accepted seals.

 

[ChristineDG]

Thank you for the

Hi Christine-

Greyhounds seem to be genetically predisposed to periodontal dis-ease so the oral hygiene is extra important.

Greyhounds under general veterinary care in the UK during 2016: demography and common disorders - Canine Medicine and Genetics

Background The greyhound is a sighthound known for its speed and agility. Greyhounds were selectively bred as functional racing animals but increasingly are kept as pets in the UK, often after their racing careers are over. The VetCompass™ Programme collates de-identified clinical data from...

cgejournal.biomedcentral.com

1. How about holding a chicken or turkey neck while they use it to safely and effectively "brush and floss"?

There are also many other recommendations on the forum and in the member area webinars about dental care. If you can't find them @aruna can point you to them. For example:

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe from Dr. Katie

Sue asked for the coconut oil toothpaste that Dr. Katie mentioned. Here it is: Homemade Toothpaste ▪ 2 tsp of coconut oil ▪ 1/2 cup baking soda ▪ 1/2 tsp cinnamon ▪ 1/2 tsp probiotics ➢ Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth and then apply to the dog’s tooth brush You can also...

www.holisticactions.com

I also recommend incorporating Neem Bark powder and CoQ-10 in with their tooth brushing regimen as these both support immunity and oral health. You can use them both topically as well as in their food (doses will vary based on the product used).

There are also conventional treats that work well like:

https://www.petcarerx.com/oravet-dental-hygiene-chews-for-dogs/35573?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5PGFBhC2ARIsAIFIMNdr7rsvHRljKIIIP-MocxWLh-xVlsm-PGTC2Dhv3t9VKhBHiyV2CrwaAtM-EALw_wcB#54555

2. Yes, continuing with the water in their food (is it fresh or raw food?) is a great idea.

Yes greyhounds are prone to bad teeth unfortunately. I feed them mostly raw, with a little bit of orijen original dry food. I will try the neem bark powder and coq10. I do make a home made toothpaste already

 

[ChristineDG]

Thanks Dr. Sara!

Also Christine, Dr. Dodds, who is a greyhound expert, added these other comments to your post:

I found the website for the gel, but how do I purchase it? Is it only available to vets?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Dog

Healthy Mouth | Dog, Cat, Horse

www.healthymouth.com

Their products appear to be generally available from this page.

 

[GinnyW]

I have had nice results from using BioBrilliant, from InClover. It's a food-based powder one sprinkles on the food. It has kept my big dog's teeth clean after a complete dental some years back. I put my money on feeding complicated pieces like rib cages of smaller ungulates, chicken or duck frames, neck bones, shoulder blades - never beef ribs or single bones that bear weight. We do not brush - doesn't mean you shouldn't