(A conversation with The Canine Coach on
keeping your dog’s
teeth clean.)
We recently had the privilege of sitting down to talk about
dental hygiene for dogs with one of Minneapolis’ top
certified dog trainers and dog behavior specialists, Maureen
Haggerty, otherwise known as “The Canine Coach”.
Q. What do you recommend people do when it comes to doggie
dental hygiene?
A. Brushing your dog’s teeth is a noble act, but through
my personal experience I discovered that I got the same if
not better results from letting them chew on raw bones. Raw
knuckle bones (the joints) in particular are great because
they are soft and still have some tendons and muscle meat attached.
They look kind of round like the shape of your fist. These
bones clean your dog’s teeth in addition to providing
them with a nice oral workout – not to mention a healthy
dose of natural calcium.
Q. Does it matter if the bones are raw or cooked?
A. It does matter. Raw knuckle bones are what I recommend versus
cooked or sterilized bones. Cooked bones are more likely to
splinter from the effect that high cooking temperatures have
on them. And cooked bones, especially the white sterilized
bones from the pet stores, will also be deprived of beneficial
nutrients which raw knuckle bones are chock full of. A further
benefit of raw bones versus the white sterilized bones from
the store, are that they are much more yummy to your dog. This
translates into more chewing time from your dog, which will
both keep him occupied and better clean his teeth.
Q. Why the knuckle bone as opposed to other types of bones?
A. Raw knuckle bones are soft and allow dogs of all sizes to
scrape their teeth into the bone, nicely cleaning food and
tartar from their teeth. The meat tissue typically still left
on the bones allow for a separate type of chewing, which is
natural and necessary for your dog. This is the nibbling and
pulling you see your dog do with his front teeth. They will
use their front teeth to pull the tissue off the bones which
is a great way to clean these teeth – natural flossing,
if you will.
Being that this is a conversation about teeth cleaning, I am
going to focus on the raw knuckle bone in particular as the
best type for the topic at hand. This is not to say dogs should
never chew on anything else or any other type of bone. Satisfying
the need to chew is very important whether or not it contributes
to keeping the teeth clean. So let me just say that while other
bones may make fine chew toys, I don’t feel they serve
the teeth cleaning purpose. One in particular that I don’t
recommend for teeth cleaning (besides cooked or sterilized
bones) is the femur bone, which ironically is the stereotypical “dog
bone” shaped bone. While your dogs will enjoy raw femur
bones, I find that they don’t do as good of a job at
cleaning the teeth because generally dogs cannot scrape into
the femur as easily as they can with the knuckle bone. I also
find that the enjoyment doesn’t last as long as it does
with a knuckle bone. Many dogs spend most of their time licking
out all of the marrow from the femur bones, which may be tasty
but has nothing to do with teeth cleaning. Once the marrow
is gone, most dogs seem to lose interest. Unlike raw knuckle
bones, femur bones are usually very clean, with no meat tissue
on them, and they are not very edible because you have to be
careful for narrow walled femur bones, which might split upon
chewing creating sharp edges. In addition, the marrow in femur
bones is very rich and high in fat. Not that this is bad for
your dog, but some dogs may react with diarrhea caused by the
marrow, though most dogs do just fine with it.
Q. Where do you find raw knuckle bones?
A. The best place to find raw knuckle or femur bones is from
your local butcher of the meat counter at your local supermarket.
Ask them if they will cut them to the appropriate size for
your dog.
Q. What about small dogs. Is there a more appropriate size
bone for small breeds?
A. Ask your butcher if she will cut the bones down if they
seem too large for your dog. Not that your small dog can't
handle the big bones, but you wouldn't want them to consume
too much at once (although most dogs are likely to self-regulate).
Also, you will have more bone left to put back in your frig
or freezer. Femur bones are often cut into small pieces at
your grocery store's meat section. But I do prefer the knuckle
bones, and you can get those cut down if you want. Also, make
sure the bone size is large enough. Femur bones need to be
longer than your dog's mouth is wide. Too short of a femur
bone has been known to get lodged in the dogs mouth between
their teeth.
Q. How do raw bones compare in price to other chew items that
are marketed as being good for cleaning teeth?
A. Ah, yes, another advantage of real, fresh bones. Grocers
and butchers charge around $1.00 per pound for bones. A one-pound
bone is a good size for a large breed dog. That same bone,
processed, "barbequed smoked", and packaged at the
pet store may cost $5.00 and up. Nylabone also makes edible
bones in flavors like carrot and peanut butter, I think these
run about $3 - $4 a piece, and they are consumed rather quickly.
Q. Is this alternative to teeth brushing a philosophy followed
by Holistic Vets, Conventional Vets or both, generally speaking?
A. I actually have not discussed this with any vets. I do get
comments with each visit how clean and healthy my dogs' teeth
and gums look. They say I do I good job brushing, and I just
tell them it is the bones they chew on.
Q. How often do you recommend my dog chew on raw bones...and
for how long should each “chew session” last?
A. I let my dogs and any guest dogs chew on them as long as
they want. The first chewing session on a fresh bone typically
lasts 30 - 60 minutes. But I have had some guest dogs chew
on them for hours straight, being very delighted in this new
treat. Chewing is also nice exercise for your dog. I find them
very content and relaxed while chewing and a little sleepy
afterwards.
Q. How should the bones be stored when not in use?
A. When I bring home new bones, they are stored in my freezer
until they are given to the dog. I usually thaw them out or
run warm water over them before giving to my dogs. After your
dog is done chewing on the bone, if he leaves any meat on the
bone, I would put it back in the freezer or refrigerator. If
after the first chewing, the bone is pretty well cleaned up,
I let them stay out. Although do not let the bones stay outside
in the warm months if you do not want flies all over them.
Q. Is this bone chewing thing a stinky and messy past time?
A. Well, not so stinky when they are fresh, but definitely
messy. You will want to keep your dog on a doggy blanket or
towel that can be easily washed, keep them outside, or contained
to their crate, which can be easily washed out. Once the bone
has been chewed down well, they are actually quite clean and
I let my own dogs chew on them throughout the house.
Keep in mind that many holistic veterinarians still advocate
regular brushing and annual dental care (teeth cleaning, polishing
and full dental exam) even for dogs that eat raw bones. This
is especially important for dogs with very poor dental health
and for breeds with unique oral structure such as greyhounds,
poodles, or collies. Also, dogs with poor health or tooth quality
can have tooth fractures when chewing on raw bones.
Proper tooth and gum health can prevent bad breath, periodontal
disease, discomfort and pain associated with inflamed or infected
gums, as well as more serious conditions such as kidney disease,
liver disease, heart conditions and joint problems. Plaque
and tartar can build on the teeth, offsetting the balance of
good bacteria in the mouth, which leaves way for infection
and disease to spread. Whether you brush her teeth daily, or
let your dog chew on raw knuckle bones daily, what’s
important is removing that plaque and tartar regularly. This
and a healthy dog food diet full of naturally-occurring nutrients
will keep the immune system up and the good bacteria plentiful – which
in turn will make your canine’s canines shine.
For more information on teeth cleaning or general canine training
needs contact Maureen Haggerty at 612.202.4732 or email her
at maureen@thek9coach.com
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