# Dental sticks



## dog4god (Jan 15, 2013)

How good are dental sticks for dogs teeth, do they work as I can not see me brushing my dogs teeth.


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## GermanShepardOwner (Aug 20, 2012)

Dental Sticks in my opinion are a waste of money, they are very high in sugar and do not do alot to teeth as they are fairly soft aswell. You are better off buying some bones for the dog to chew or some other harder chews, there are alot on the market which are better than dental sticks. Also it is good to get your dog used to having its teeth brushed, as bones and chews wont keep them in perfect condition without the occasional brush.


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## StuW (Jul 23, 2012)

My dogs have them but I'm making my own chews for them! Pig skin and tripe sticks etc


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## Twiggy (Jun 24, 2010)

Useless and a waste of money.

I brush my dogs teeth but there are other products that you simply sprinkle on their food such as 'Plaque Off'.


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## Nicki85 (Oct 6, 2010)

Have to agree... mine used to have them years ago when they first came out I swear they would stick to the teeth :-/ No idea how they were supposed to work! 

Talking to my vet about teeth he said that raw bones/ chews are good for the back teeth but not much will touch the front canines and little teeth (technical term!). He recommends brushing for the fronts which I don't do at the moment but thinking about it.


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## mollypip (Aug 17, 2011)

They are not only useless but full of rubbish and actually dangerous. I gave them to my dogs some years back and the very next day my Lab was vomiting a liquid watery substance (not proper vomit) and had an obvious stomach ache. She was fine after that scare but Im certain some of that dental chew lodged in her intestines for a period of time (they take ages to digest).


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## demetris20 (Jun 27, 2012)

I usually think of them as eating haribos instead of brushing my teeth!


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

There was a threaad sometime ago about the rubbish that is in dentastix, I tried them only th once way before this and bought one packet only and with mine it seemed to give them an upset stomach.

There are other things that you can use where you dont have to brush Like plaque off and logic. Although mostly something hard to chew seems to do the trick now with mine.

Logic Oral Hygiene Gel Pet Toothpaste 70g - £6.52

For animals | SwedenCare


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

My older dog won't eat hard things like stagbar etc. 

Is there anything thinner and bit softer that might work like fish skins or same size and thickness as those wafer thin dental chews (broad but thin) but healthier? 

I got pizzle sticks to try but she not interested, thinking they might tempt her as they smell meaty.. luckily JJ likes them. I've not tried tripe sticks.. what is tripe anyway? .. and do they clean teeth?


p. s the middle dog in your pic (sleddoghotel) is gorgeous! reminds me of one I used to walk many years ago called Sian. was going down road with her and had crossed behind a young mother with child, the kid turned round and saw us and heard him say to his mum 'Don't look now mummy but there's a wolf behind us!"


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

IncaThePup said:


> My older dog won't eat hard things like stagbar etc.
> 
> Is there anything thinner and bit softer that might work like fish skins or same size and thickness as those wafer thin dental chews (broad but thin) but healthier?
> 
> I got pizzle sticks to try but she not interested, thinking they might tempt her as they smell meaty.. luckily JJ likes them. I've not tried tripe sticks.. what is tripe anyway? .. and do they clean teeth?


Nothing will clean teeth like raw meaty bones - they're really the best things for the job.

If you don't fancy them though, rawhide chews are good at cleaning teeth, if you're happy to feed them - I know some people aren't. As are the Antos toothbrushes/crocs, cows ears, paddywack, pizzle etc.

Dried fish skins are good for teeth though, but they're extremely crunchy rather than chewy.

Tripe is stomach lining (usually a cows), and yes, dried tripe sticks are good for teeth cleaning - as are big fleshy chunks of raw tripe.


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

They are not worth the money cuz they dont work like they make u think they do.

Your better off buying rawhide chews and bones for your dog. Nylabones are also very good for cleaning teeth. 

DuraChew® Bone - Bacon | Product Finder | My Pet Is | Medium Dog - up to 35 lbs | Nylabone®


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## mollypip (Aug 17, 2011)

LouLatch said:


> They are not worth the money cuz they dont work like they make u think they do.
> 
> Your better off buying rawhide chews and bones for your dog. Nylabones are also very good for cleaning teeth.
> 
> DuraChew® Bone - Bacon | Product Finder | My Pet Is | Medium Dog - up to 35 lbs | Nylabone®


Rawhide is actually very good at cleaning teeth - but rawhide does carry its own risks - the main one being choking and intestinal obstruction. There are many cases where dogs have died from rawhide and when I was younger our family dog almost choked to death on a rawhide stick - (she softened the whole chew and then thought she could swallow it) luckily we managed to pull it out of her throat So they should be given with caution.


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## IncaThePup (May 30, 2011)

I'm sure I ordered some paddywack to try with the [email protected] order it got delayed cos of weather. 

I thought bones were bad they splinter. I heard many dogs choking and injuries to throat etc. I thought someone told me smoked bones bad when I asked about ones at supermarket. .. but alot of people seem to risk it and feed their dogs the bones and raw meat diet? 

One of JJ's sisters had to be rushed to vets a week after they had taken her home as she choked on a bone and it damaged her throat trying to cough it back up. She was only 9 weeks old.


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

mollypip said:


> Rawhide is actually very good at cleaning teeth - but rawhide does carry its own risks - the main one being choking and intestinal obstruction. There are many cases where dogs have died from rawhide and when I was younger our family dog almost choked to death on a rawhide stick - (she softened the whole chew and then thought she could swallow it) luckily we managed to pull it out of her throat So they should be given with caution.


I have had to pull rawhide and pigs ears out of my dogs throat before because she had tryed to swallow it and it was too big. Cuz shes starved!  Dogs should be supervised when they have any type of chews or are eating or playing with toys just incace, everything comes with a risk unfortunatly.


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## demetris20 (Jun 27, 2012)

just a word of caution that paddywack from petsathome comes from china,india and god knows where else - i wouldnt feed it personally

have a look at the country of origin of the dried chews....

zooplus has a selection as well as other uk based companies i.e burns has venison ears, paddywack, sinews etc from venisonforpets, cant think of other right now but will edit as soon as i do


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## SixStar (Dec 8, 2009)

IncaThePup said:


> I'm sure I ordered some paddywack to try with the [email protected] order it got delayed cos of weather.
> 
> I thought bones were bad they splinter. I heard many dogs choking and injuries to throat etc. I thought someone told me smoked bones bad when I asked about ones at supermarket. .. but alot of people seem to risk it and feed their dogs the bones and raw meat diet?
> 
> One of JJ's sisters had to be rushed to vets a week after they had taken her home as she choked on a bone and it damaged her throat trying to cough it back up. She was only 9 weeks old.


Smoked, roast and cooked bones are extremely dangerous and should NEVER be fed.

Raw bones are relatively soft and pliable, and perfectly safe to feed and pose no more of a choking risk than any other chew.

My dogs eat raw bones everyday, and so have all my dogs over the past forty years, and I've never had any problems.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

Rawhide is often bleached, horrible to give that to a dog.

Try raw chicken wings a few times a week.


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## LouLatch (Jul 2, 2012)

cinammontoast said:


> Rawhide is often bleached, horrible to give that to a dog.
> 
> Try raw chicken wings a few times a week.


I thaught it was only the white rawhide that was bleached?


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## dexter (Nov 29, 2008)

i only feed mine fish4dogs treats now and the occasional gravy bone


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## toryb (Jul 11, 2011)

I feed mine~

F4D's fish skins (whoppers are the best for mine)
Antos chews from pets at home
pigs ears
padywack
jerky
dried tripe

I found some liver treats localy that someone makes and so they get those too and sometimes a gravy bone...they love them!
:thumbup1:


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## Purplelady66 (Oct 10, 2016)

Oh.no just read all comments. .we have a new rescue dog I got dental stick as thought it was somethings that took a long time for them to chew.. it didnt last long ..and now worried he may get upset tummy


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

I asked our vet about them and he said they are a waste of money and wouldn't recommend them.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Purplelady66 said:


> Oh.no just read all comments. .we have a new rescue dog I got dental stick as thought it was somethings that took a long time for them to chew.. it didnt last long ..and now worried he may get upset tummy


I used to give them to Reena as she's not really a chewer ( lazy ! ) and she loved them.Unfortunately Tango found them hard to digest so I stopped getting them. Now they have a Fish4Dogs Sea Wrap, sweet potato in fish skin, and they are a real treat for both of them, last about 10 minuted.


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## peaps10 (Oct 24, 2016)

I was advised by my vet that Dentastick are very high in calories and to best try to avoid them. I used to give 1 to my lab every night before bed time, I've now switched the Dentastick for carrots and he loves it. He's 5 and a half years old and he has gorgeous teeth. If your wanting to keep your dogs teeth clean I can recommed Plaque Off - which you add to the dogs food, I believe the carrots also help to keep his teeth clean. He also gets raw bones a few times a week which are great for his teeth and he loves them!


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## steveshanks (Feb 19, 2015)

Would dried duck necks help?


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