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Dog dental chew sticks recommendations

Basenji Health Issues & Questions

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  • Probiotic recommendation

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    CrazySenjiC
    I use the one from Natures Farmacy (yes it's spelled like that!). It last me a long time even with daily use. It comes in a powder and even my picky dog likes it. I pick it up at dog shows but you can also order online.
  • Basenji dental

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    DebraDownSouthD
    @tanza: LOL …. so hmm... great weather = higher Vet costs... makes perfect sense to me!!! LOL great weather equals more want to live there. More want to live there, drives real estate costs up. Increased real estate costs drives other expenses up. LOL, it does make some sense. But then, wth is up with NYC which has icky weather? Oh wait, massive overcrowding, never mind.
  • Dental issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    nodakerdebN
    Periodontal disease is a tough one to get on top of once it takes hold (in both humans and dogs) because the bacteria gets down in the pockets and it is very difficult to keep clean. People have better luck because they have the ability to floss daily, but that is very difficult with a dog – and believe me, I've tried. :D Periodontal disease is not the same as an auto-immune disease that dogs can get (lest I be accused of getting them confused). I believe the reason our furry companions, and especially the dry-mouth (non-slobbering types) often get it is because of a couple things in addition to not being able to floss. 1. They don't slobber so their mouths really don't get a good natural rinse, and 2. they are fed an unnatural diet. In the wild they would be crunching up bones which acts like a natural toothbrush/floss, and they wouldn't be eating cereal grains which are carbs on steroids turning to sugar once it hits the saliva. There are kibbles out there that do not contain grains which may help by keeping the sugars at bay in the mouth. Evo is one, Instinct is another. Feeding raw is a great alternative. I am also a big fan of the PetzLife product and think it works wonders to keep plaque at bay on the teeth, but not sure how well it works with the plague and bacteria already under the gumline. My rat terrier does not have periodontal disease. I feed him Evo and brush his teeth daily (with a three-sided toothbrush) with Petzlife and he has the teeth of a two year old which isn't bad considering he's almost 11. If his gut could handle it I'd feed him raw, but that has not bode well with him unfortunately. FWIW, in a past life I worked as a chairside assistant for a dentist so I do know a bit about teeth and periodontal disease. I came away from that experience realizing that if I were on a deserted island I'd rather have an endless supply of dental floss vs. a toothbrush. I would be more likely to keep my teeth with the first rather that the latter. Now if we could just figure out how to floss a dog's teeth. :)
  • Recommended Vaccinations?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    Kris_ChristineK
    renaultf1, I wish the state would also accept titers for rabies, but maybe in the future they will. There is an in-house titer kit available from Synbiotics in San Diego called "TiterChek" that vets can do at their office to check for adequate antibody levels on a pass/fail basis – it won't give you a specific antibody count the way a titer sent to a lab will, but it will let you know if your animal has enough to protect them. We have those done whenever we need to board our dogs rather than having boosters. Kris
  • Yawning and tongue sticking!

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    L
    I haven't noticed Zaire having her tounge stuck. I do, however notice that when Zaire licks me (even right after drinking water) her tounge seems drier than Charlie's.
  • Chewing himself

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    DukeD
    Hi Ripley - Glad you're back and very happy that Ripley is getting better. She may have gotten an alergic reaction - seemingly. Off this topic and out of curiosity, how is Ripley doing with the crate training issue in a previous post. http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=215 I hope you'll let us know if any advice worked for you. :)