[NAGDU] Tooth Paste

Sat Mar 5 17:47:13 UTC 2022

Hi Marj,

This is another "keeper" for my guide dog tips and tricks folder! Thank you for sharing!

Best,
Sarah and Lakota

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Marj Schneider via NAGDU
Sent: Saturday, March 5, 2022 10:53 AM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Marj Schneider <marjschneider at bellsouth.net>
Subject: [NAGDU] Tooth Paste

Greetings Al and Everyone,

To add a few of the finer points to my earlier email about making your own baking soda tooth paste, I use a half-cup size container, and I don't fill it entirely, because I'm dipping out a small amount for the bottom teeth and then another small amount for the top teeth and that means a bit of my dog's saliva gets mixed with the paste. After a few weeks, it's not all that fresh and tends to get watery. At that point I start over with a fresh batch. The baking soda is abrasive, so you want to brush gently, but it will break down tartar and prevent more from forming. Frequent brushing of our own teeth with baking soda isn't a good idea, but it's safe for dogs.

I use a quarter teaspoon of coconut oil to make the consistency smoother and more like a paste, and though the amount is small it may also be somewhat antibacterial. Coconut oil is solid when temps are at all cool, so you want to be sure you get it mixed in. If you don't otherwise use it, just buy a smaller quantity and store it somewhere cool and dark, even in the fridge if you have room. It will keep for a long time without going rancid.

As for the cube of beef or chicken broth you might use, this comes in cans or boxes and if you don't use it for cooking, make it into ice cubes that will be ready to be melted and used in your paste.

Beyond the cube of meat broth, you will be adding only a small amount of water, but if you add too much and your paste is too thin, just add more baking soda. The recipe is a very forgiving one, and you'll learn through experimentation what consistency of paste you and your dog prefer.

Don't forget to keep it refrigerated between teeth brushings.

    1. Re: tooth paste (Al Sten-Clanton)

Re: [NAGDU] tooth paste.eml
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] tooth paste
From: Al Sten-Clanton <albert.e.sten_clanton at verizon.net>
Date: 3/2/2022, 3:36 PM
To: Marj Schneider via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> Greetings!

Marj, how did you decide on a 4-ounce container instead of something larger?  Was it a matter of how long it would be usable for your dog or something else?

What is it about baking soda and coconut oil that makes them good toothpast ingredients?  Or, where should I go for that kind of information?

Presently, I buy what I think is a tartar-control toothpast from chewy.com.  I buy a couple of tubes when I order the food, partly for simplicity and partly to get rid of the shipping cost.  The toothpaste is expensive, though, so I'm very interested in what you say.

Best!

Al

On 3/1/22 08:42, Marj Schneider via NAGDU wrote:
block quote
Hello All,

I wanted to add my thoughts to this topic because I was using a home-made baking soda tooth paste with Fennel for five years, until she died a year ago.

I chose to make my own after my vet recommended I bring Fennel in for a cleaning in 2016 and I thought, considering the cost of the procedure, that maybe I could improve the condition of her teeth if I were more conscientious about brushing her teeth every day and we could avoid the deep cleaning at the vet.

Considering the cost of dog tooth paste and the ingredients of most, I decided, after researching options, to try making my own instead. I used a 4-ounce plastic container with a lid and made a paste of the baking soda with an ice cube size amount of meat stock for flavor. In Fennel's case I was using beef stock. I added a small amount of coconut oil, less than a quarter teaspoon and just enough water to keep it a thick paste that would stay on the brush.

I kept the container in the fridge and would get it out in the evening as part of our bedtime routines. I brushed her teeth at the same time I did mine.
That way I never forgot, and she came to expect it, following me into the bathroom.

It was a lot easier to scoop the paste out of the container than squeezing a tube, and with that gentle brushing every day, her teeth got incredibly clean and her breath stayed fresh. I don't know if the enzymes in commercial pastes would do a better job, but this easy alternative cost virtually nothing and was extremely effective. The vet always complemented Fennel on the condition of her teeth.

I plan on following this same routine with my next match.

block quote end

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