[nagdu] dental care and raw feeding

[Natalie]

Hi Robert,
I use a thimble finger brush for his teeth and I believe, poultry-flavored 
doggie toothpaste.  I also do give him ostrich bones on which his chewing is 
timed and supervised.  He's such a champ.  I also feed Beneful Healthy 
Radiance with real salmon, from Purina.  I've heard that Pet Food Direct is 
a good resource for finding out what's up with dog food.  Be careful of 
ingredients, especially the meal ones.  I've heard that sometimes 
genetically modified ingredients are used in dog foods.  Rule of thumb for 
me?  If I can't pronounce or have never heard of an ingredient in dog food, 
it's probably not too cool on my dog.
Best,
Nat and Liam Joshua

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Hooper" <hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
To: "NFB-NAGDU" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 11:25 AM
Subject: [nagdu] dental care and raw feeding


> Hello All:
>
> I am writing regarding the subject line of this message, curiously enough. 
> I was told at TSE about the importance of brushing my dog's teeth. I am 
> writing to "test the waters", if you will. I was wondering what products 
> everyone uses, what health concerns of which I should be aware,, etc. For 
> example, is there an evil ingredient the seductive pet market is trying to 
> make me use? Is there a definite proven method that works better than 
> others? At TSE, we were given dental wipes and instructed to use them 
> daily. While I have determined through research that these are fine, I 
> have also determined that actual toothbrushes are more effective. I have 
> also found that giving dogs raw bones is supposed to be the most healthy 
> way of teeth cleaning. Any suggestions on that front? I don't doubt that 
> raw bones are healthy, but as far as methodology goes...it just seems as 
> though it would complicate life (one of the reasons I have not looked 
> further into raw feeding as well). Any opinions
> regarding dental care and/or raw feeding would be appreciated. For the 
> record, I have ordered a DentaClean finger toothbrush and C.E.T vanilla 
> mint toothpaste, as C.E.T seemed to be the most highly regarded brand. 
> Also whilst at TSE, I was advised to get a neutral-flavored (or at least 
> non-meat flavored) toothpaste, as the dog's trying to get at it would 
> hinder the actual teeth brushing process. However, many online sources 
> don't mention that aspect and actually recommend beef or poultry flavored 
> toothpaste. So, any guidance, opinions, anecdotes, or experience regarding 
> that would be also appreciated.
> Another note about raw feeding: on my vet visit at OSU, I was discouraged 
> from looking into raw feeding. The reasons given were that dogs are 
> naturally omnivores and an all meat diet wouldn't necessarily be the best 
> option. I was also assured that the name brand dog foods undergo stringent 
> testing to ensure their quality and nutritional value. Currently, Bailey 
> is on the food he was on at TSE, which is Eukanuba Adult Maintenance. 
> Needless to say, any opinions, comments, facts, etc. regarding what my 
> veterinarian said and/or the food on which Bailey is currently dieting 
> would also be welcome.
> Sincerely,
> Robert Hooper
> Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu<mailto:Hooper.90 at buckeyemail.osu.edu>
> The Ohio State University
> 0653 Buckeye-Cuyahoga CT
> 653 Cuyahoga Court
> Columbus, Ohio 43210
> (740) 856-8195
>
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