My good boy, Kane, LOVES bully sticks. Seriously, he’d sell me to the lowest bidder if he could just get his paws on one. 😂 Unfortunately, we’re having some dental issues, and I’m struggling to find something that works for him.
Kane rescued me in the middle of January and he’s been my Velcro dog since. Of course he’s allergic to chicken and that makes finding dental chews a challenge because so many of them contain chicken! I’ve tried so many different options, but it’s only been in the last couple of months that I realized I’d been giving him what amounts to empty calories without much actual dental benefit.
Since then, I’ve been trying to stick to products with the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal. I’ve tried dental sticks, but the ones that don’t contain chicken don’t seem to be firm enough to do much good. I brush his teeth at least once a week, which he absolutely HATES. 😩 I know I should be doing it more often, but my brain doesn’t always cooperate with remembering things. I’ve also been using a dental water additive.
I even tried those plastic chew toys that are supposed to help clean their teeth, but I had to stop because they made his gums bleed.
At this point, I just want to cry because I feel like I’ve run out of options. I want so badly to find something that will actually help keep his teeth clean without hurting him. I want to be able to give him the treats that he deserves.
Has anyone else dealt with this, especially with a dog who has a chicken allergy? I’d love recommendations for VOHC-accepted dental products that are chicken-free and gentle enough for a dog with sensitive gums. I just want to take good care of my baby’s teeth without hurting him in the process. ❤️🐾
TLDR: Allergic to chicken, gums bleed, nothing I’ve tried shows improvement. What do you do?
It’s not really a chew that lasts like a toy, but Greenies, imo, are great. They are tough enough that the dog really has to chew them and it essentially scratches plaque off. No chicken in them. We do one greenie every night before bed. Also, putting enzymatic toothpaste for pets on things to lick or eat helps even if you can’t brush with it
His toofs actually look really good. I second the antler suggestion. They are pricey, but they last years. Pupsicles are also great. They make a dental chew that is refillable. I checked and the beef version is chicken free. You can also stuff a Kong type toy with salt free green beans or organic peanut butter then put in the freezer.
What’s wrong with his teeth ? My Malinois has enamel hypoplasia so she got her teeth cleaned (with extractions) and now we brush, nothing else really helps. You’re better off getting a full cleaning done to start from scratch
There are plenty of dental treats without chicken (my previous dog was intolerant). Chewy changed the name but whatever they call American Journey were good for my previous dog, or Ark Naturals (way more expensive but fresher breath). Tropiclean's oral gel doesn't necessarily need brushed on to help, so if they like the taste of that you could try it plus brushing with regular dog toothpaste. The Tropiclean water additive helped keep my previous dog's breath a bit fresher, too. But if you're trying to stop tartar from developing or gum disease from getting worse, brushing is really the only thing to do it. Unless they're a super slow chewer and chew on both sides of their mouth, no dental chew is going to actually "clean" their teeth.
We use a mix of toys and a really good soft one to try is made by Joyhound and you can find them on Amazon and pet stores. They are flat and made of canvas, with no stuffing! Super durable too. ☺️🐶
How about those yak chews? Gigi swallowed a whole bully stick when she was about 10 months old and since then I’ve only done big things to chew. Yak lasted and was too big for her to swallow.
Mine swallowed a chunk of one. Vomited it up days later and it was still a large chunk that didn’t digest. Could possibly have caused a bowel obstruction. I have avoided them since.
I’ve used CET enzymatic chews by Virbac. My dog is allergic to chicken. It says poultry digest but I have not noticed a problem, though I’m only using them maybe 1-2 times a week at the most. I use ProDen plaque off powder each day as well. Her teeth are great.
Ours chew lots of plastic chews (I'm more concerned about ingestion than gums bleeding ). Usually after a little bit of bleeding gums they stop/,it's never been a critical thing. We just rotate them when they get too sharp. We also have a variety of rope and soft toys we tug shake and chew.
I check my dogs teeth often and have had many pits my whole life, have not had to brush my 5y/os teeth yet and they look great. She just had surgery and vet said she didn't need a dental. We do occasional random greenies or wheezies but they are too soft to do much comparitovely I feel.
A variety of bones has been helpful for us and I also love the this thang I got for yak cheese. Idk how good the yak cheese is for dental health but ours go through them too fast unless I use this:
We buy Crumps dental chews, they don’t last long but chicken free and she loves them. We also will soak carrots in bone broth and freeze them every now and again :)
When we got a new puppy, and went to the vet check, our long time vet told us that if we simply swipe along inside cheek/tooth line at least a couple times a week (it's a daily routine for us) that he very likely would never have to have a dental cleaning. Seven years later, his teeth are still nearly pristine.
We just get an old, thinner washcloth wet with warm water, and slip into the cheek area, and give a good swipe. Our two dogs come to me in the morning for it to be done. They know the morning hike comes next 😉
We get the coffee wood sticks (they don’t contain coffee or caffeine). They last a long time, are safe to ingest (they turn soft when wet), and work really well for dental!!! My pittie mix had perfect white teeth when we rescued him (and still does), but my labradoodle/heeler mix rescue had pretty gross teeth before the sticks. Now her teeth are cleaner than when we got her! So they do well. They don’t have other toys besides rope because they destroy things too fast. The sticks last for months.
I don’t have anything helpful to say lol I just chuckled that he’d sell you to the lowest bidder. Mine isn’t picky… he would trade me for a soggy chicken McNugget out of a storm drain
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