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Dog dental chew sticks recommendations

Basenji Health Issues & Questions

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  • Dry dog food

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    Chealsie508C
    Oakley was on the Iams intestinal sensitivity formula because I tried taste of the wild ( of all kinds) and he was still having stool issues, combined with a puppy bout of giardia…he did well on it but I didn't feel good about the ingredients. From there I tried nature variety and he wasn't a fan. He has been sensative stool wise with many of the high quality foods so now we use Fromms and he is terrific. He loves all the varieties ( I mix two kinds at a time..one of their grain free versions with a grain version in order to get a reduced grain diet; stool issues if none or too much!) His weight is steady and his coat has never looked shinier, smoother of softer. Lastly, he loves the taste and I don't have to coax him to eat. I agree with not free feeding OR feeding from the same bowl. Since yours have issues (whether it's weight or sensitivity) knowing when they ate and controlling how much will allow you to better navigate around the health issues and possibly identify the cause of some as well!
  • How dogs drink

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    bewlerB
    Also - does anyone else's Basenji drink in threes? When Cody drinks he goes "lap, lap, lap, pause, Lap, lap, lap". For some reason this just cracks me up. Maybe because he's so consistent. Or maybe I need to get our more! LOL!
  • 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. :)
  • Chewing Questions

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    KiroGurlK
    I got worried giving kiro so many bones, so i would take lots of old shoe laces and tie them in her crate on the side.ONe big sting with tons of THICK knots and let her pull it off and that kept her busy. You just have to make sure they wont swallow it. (she didnt) and make the knots big and thick. she loved the challenge of getting them off the side of her crate. it helps if your worried about to many bones…..
  • Question about dog in heat

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    nomrbddgsN
    EWWWWWWWW:eek: Anal glands-EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW:eek: As I've said in other posts-when Sugar gets leaky or starts scooting or excessive licking-out come the veggies and pumpkin!:D
  • Chewing himself

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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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. :)