my toy poodle is 11 and my vet said he should eat a good dry food because of his teeth. he won't eat treat. he only eats wet food. my problem is he has been getting this teeth cleaned twice and i can't afford it anymore, so vet suggested getting him to eat dry food. he seems to like wellness for small breeds, but he'll only eat a few kibbles.
Feeding dry food will not keep his teeth clean. Raw bones are the best thing to keep his teeth clean. But if you want him to eat dry food, add some water or some chicken broth.
Why don't you try soaking his kibble a bit, to get him used to it - he may just not like the dry food as much as his normal wet food (which after all is usually 75% water, if you check the label). Once he's managed the switch, don't soak it as much, although you might still add a little warm water, to bring out the flavour. And you can also add a bit of tinned food to the dry, for the same reason. At this age, dental wear, and the need for treatment increases, so if you can introduce a bit of food, other than tinned, into his diet, it will do him good.
Your vet definitely has the right idea, however your poodles teeth may be so bad it actually hurts him to eat hard foods. Get a bottle of Nolvadent from your vet or from a dog catalogue.
http://www.kvpet.com sells it probably cheaper than your vet . Spray his teeth, upper lower and way in the back at least every other day. This will help prevent infection and also help keep the tartar from forming. Take a piece of gauze and some doggy toothpaste and rub the back teeth with it every day , preferably after every meal, to help keep his teeth as clean as you can.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com Until you've done this a while, add some warm unsalted chicken or beef broth on the kibble to help him eat it. You may eventually be able to cut out the broth entirely.
Why not give him a good bone or you can buy those dried pigs ears etc and they are good.
i guess you could start putting a bit of water with the dry food and gradually lessen it until it is dry. personally i would opt for a good bone once a week or fortnight. even when you think they are finished with the bone they frequently keep chewing and the dried up bit for weeks certainly much cheaper than the vet. i get beef shin bones which are usually cut in half length-ways and they love the marrow in them.
Your vet has bought into the hype by dog food manufacturers. Due to the shape of dogs teeth dry kibble is no better than wet or canned. At the very best kibble can only clean the tip of the teeth. Gum disease starts at the gum line, not the tip of the teeth.
To save on the vet bills brush your dogs teeth. Ideally, once a day but twice a week will work if you do a thorough job each time. You can use products such as Petzlife (my dogs hate the taste, others like it) or PlaqClnz to keep tartar from forming. With PlaqClnz (available on ebay) get the spray or gel. You don't need to irrigate with water. Giving Greenies and Bully Sticks several times each week helps keep the teeth clean. Raw chicken wings will do a great job at cleaning the teeth of a toy poodle.
pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
It doesn't take much to save for dental care. Buy what you need not what you want. Put the extra aside for vet bills. This is the time you return the love your dog has given through the years.
You could try soaking it in some water/milk to soften it and as he gets to eating more add less water/milk and if he stops eating it add the water again to soften it a bit, with the teeth brushing thing could you buy the stuff to continue doing it for him?? it would probably work out cheaper in the long run.
Just leave it down for him and he will nibble on it when he is hungry.He should still get his wet food, though, at his age. Give him Denta Stix, dried chicken/lamb breasts, and brush his teeth daily. See if he will chew on baby carrots or apple slices.
Mix Dry food with the wet food you normally give him. Little by little, take away the amount of wet food you put in the dish.
Mix Dry food with the wet food you normally give him. Little by little, take away the amount of wet food you put in the dish.
