Expert: Have4Paws - 1/7/2002

Question
Hi,

My beagle Louie, is actually a beagle-basset hound mix.  He is going to be 6 in July.  His problem is his teeth.  First, I never was told to brush Louie's teeth by the vet or other authority, so at one of our check up's a year or so ago, I was told his teeth were pretty bad and they gave me some toothpaste.

I try to brush them regularly, but it really doesn't seem to do any good.  They are bad, but not awful.  The worst part is his breath!  Louie has never enjoyed chew toys or bones (specific to helping clean teeth).  He really just likes walks and to be outside sniffing (he does not hunt and he is an inside dog).

Are there any supplements, snacks or other remedies that might help clear up his  breath and help his teeth in the process?

Hope you can help. Thanks in advance.  Lisa

Answer
Hi, thanks for writing!

Unfortunately there is no product I know of that REALLY makes a difference with breath and teeth, and in all honesty, my experience has been that even when you do brush regularly their teeth still become filled with tartar!

Chew toys and bones and the right dry food can help to prolong the inevitable but around the age your Louie is at it is usually time for a first teeth cleaning procedure. If you had brushed his teeth from when he was a puppy maybe you wouldn't have had to do it until 7, so no big gain there!

I can tell you from first hand experience that nothing I did made a difference and my beagles both had to have their teeth cleaned recently and each a tooth pulled (One of them had his teeth cleaned a couple years ago as well!)They are 8 & 9.

My vet told me once to give my one beagle burnt toast every day and that the charcoal would absorb his gas as well as the odor from his mouth however I would have to have been burning toast all day and he would have gotten fat from all the bread so I junked that idea.

My suggestion...... bite the bullet and make an appt to have Louie's teeth cleaned. It WILL make a signigicant difference.

Good luck!