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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on July 20, 2009 at 8:41am

Go to petsmart get one of those slip on tooth brush that can be worn by your index finger,squirt some chicken flavor toothpaste and have fun :)

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Permalink Reply by Karen Dadisman on July 20, 2009 at 2:47pm

My dogs like the vanilla flavor also. They push each other out of the way to get at the toothbrush!! Crazy creatures.

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Permalink Reply by Alice on July 21, 2009 at 11:06pm

He likes the tooth paste. His is mint. It's the brush hat's the problem. I'll have to try the finger brushes. He doesn't like fingers in his mouth either but that's easier to force in than a tooth brush.

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Permalink Reply by Sunni A. on July 22, 2009 at 12:50am

I doubt it's a cavity at such a young age... and your cardi hasn't been sucking down cola and celebrating with halloween and easter candy for years like humans usually do. Have you touched the spot directly with your finger to see if he chatters or flinches?

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Permalink Reply by Alice on July 22, 2009 at 10:46pm

Ha ha! No, he doesn't do any of those things. We don't even feed him people food.

I had my doubts about it being a cavity too but I don't think I've seen a dog with a cavity before. I tried to scrape it with my finger nail but it's in a crevice so between that and him squirming I don't know that I actually touched it. I've watched him chewing though and he does not avoid that side. He chews on both sides pretty equally. Maybe I'll have to try to do a good brushing and see if it goes away.

Does anyone have any suggestions for treats to clean the teeth? He used to get rawhides from the vet's office that are meant for just that but I've heard so many bad stories about rawhides that we decided to eliminate them. He had a Dental Nylabone (the blue one) but he destroyed it too fast and ate the pieces. Now he has a Dental Dinosaur but I don't know how well it actually cleans.

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Permalink Reply by Corgibyassociation on July 23, 2009 at 10:50am

I found the same thing on Freya's teeth not that long ago. it was on her lower right side--on the molar (i guess it would be call that) and it's in the bloody crevice too! I brush her teeth and I try to concentrate on that side but I haven't paid much attention since then--so I don't know if it is still there. She doesn't get people food much--the occasional carrot/green beans/pb/yogurt/chicken but that's it. She chews but not as often as I like as bully sticks are expensive but they both chew sticks and whatever they find in the yard anyway--so they are ok on that front.

I don't know, ever since she was a baby, I've always stuck my fingers in her mouth. When we walk and she picks up something and starts to chew it--I immediately stick my finger and try to hook it out. I know one day, I'll be very grossed out by my findings (in fact I have! It was some kind of bone from small creature that was dug up from the earth--possibly a mouse? bleh.) So thanks to that, she's been ok with my fingers in her mouth. She has no choice.

She uses the beef flavored toothpaste and I use both the brush and the finger slip. She loves the toothpaste too. When I introduced it to her, I just put it on my finger and let her have a taste and systematically worked on one tooth and eventually worked my way up to the whole set. Maybe you should try and reintroduce him to it again?

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Permalink Reply by Alice on July 23, 2009 at 11:05pm

We have put our fingers in Finn's mouth since he was a baby to and he will tolerate it but still moves his head around and his tongue tries to ward off the evil fingers. I have a better chance keeping my fingers in his mouth than a tooth brush though so I think the finger brushes would be better for him.

I haven't tried bully sticks. What are they made of? Are they digestible or can they cause problems like rawhides?

I reached in Finnigan's mouth once to grab what he had picked up on a walk and was disgusted to find myself holding some sort of meet and bone. It may have been a chicken wing or other cooked meet but it was gross none the less. :)

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