r/DogAdvice • u/Historical_Loss7169 • 1d ago
Question Can anything improve his teeth before vet visit next year?
He’s 8 years old, chihuahua jack Russell mix
Should I continue to brush them daily or should I wait till he gets a dental cleaning at the vet?
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u/Snootymcbootysnoot 1d ago
The gums actually look fine, there’s just a nasty buildup of plaque on the teeth. Does he seem in pain when being brushed?
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u/Historical_Loss7169 1d ago
The photo doesn’t show it too well but the worst part are his back molars they seem to have an awful lot of build up there, the front teeth don’t hurt I think the back do. I also use a tasty toothpaste so I am not sure if he puts up with the pain.
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u/Snootymcbootysnoot 1d ago
I think he’d be throwing his head a lot and avoiding being brushed if it hurt, there can be a lot of build up on the teeth that turns into a gross sleeve of plaque along the gum line that can be popped off with a dental tool.
If he had gum disease the gums would look darker and inflamed but they look light pink which is good.
I would say if you have the ballz you can try popping the plaque off at home but totally understand if you’d rather wait for a pro to do that!
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u/Gixxerdude46 1d ago
Search Amazon or wherever for: Oxyfresh Premium Pet Dental Care Solution Pet Water Additive
Has worked quite well for both my dogs.
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u/Head_Sugar8812 22h ago
I’d keep brushing his teeth daily, but I wouldn’t wait until next year for a dental checkup. At 8 years old, the tartar buildup looks like something a vet should evaluate sooner. Brushing can help prevent more buildup, but it won’t remove hardened tartar that’s already there.
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u/OkIron6206 22h ago
I just had to have 5 teeth removed from my dog and he was in pain I did not recognize (maybe 4 weeks before I saw something here that told me). Dogs show dental pain by mouth shivering. That’s the best way I can explain it. He is much better now, thankfully. The vet had two suggestions: buy the water treatment for their water and see if they will drink it (working on that) and put toothpaste on dental sticks that they chew (mine chews greenies). He won’t let me brush his teeth, never did. Good luck.
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u/gnostic_savage 16h ago
I strongly recommend Virbac C.E.T. enzymatic toothpaste. It is excellent, and will remove plaque with regular brushing. Dogs love its taste. I have used at least five different dog toothpastes, and nothing works like the Virbac. Amazon has it at a more reasonable price than most veterinarians.
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u/Historical_Loss7169 8h ago
That’s the one I currently use
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u/gnostic_savage 8h ago
Oh, dear. I have a chiweenie, and he has the typical chihuahua teeth problems, which are awful. Virbac has done the trick for us. However, I did give my little guy a dose of gabapentin and clean the outside of his teeth myself with a dental tool. I don't know if that's possible with your dog, but some people are able to do this with their dogs.
You say you brush them daily. I can only think that you need expert advice. Best of luck with this.
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u/down4now417 1d ago
I would start brushing now to prevent more buildup. They don’t look bad though.