Debra, i have been using the finger thing since she was a tiny pup and i keep my finger moving whilst she chews. Strangely she doesn't seem to chew hard and has never hurt me.
She didn't tolerate a brush very well and this works for us.
I just order a few…. of course they have to ship from UK as they are not available in the US... and while I usually use a brush, I have in the past used finger tip types and like them better. Never been bitten....
Dan - various vets have different ideas. My vet too recommends daily brushing but I've never brushed more than three times a week - often less, and my dogs mostly have had good teeth. Mine all chew on Nylabones which seem to help and eat a lot of raw vegetables including stalks of cabbage cauliflower etc.
Yes, diet is a factor.
Debra, i have been using the finger thing since she was a tiny pup and i keep my finger moving whilst she chews. Strangely she doesn't seem to chew hard and has never hurt me.
She didn't tolerate a brush very well and this works for us.
What ever works for you and the B and you're keeping the teeth clean then that's great.
Re diet and teeth, we nearly always soak Malaika's kibble having been told to do so by the breeder, i believe the Dog's trust also advocates this. I do occassionaly feed it unsoaked but give half the ammount as it swells quite a bit. She eats quite a wide variety of foods including raw meat and veg.
I am always unsure about bones, again we have been told never to give her bones. I have tried her on Chicken wings but have stopped these as i wasn't happy that she cried out as she swallowed the last bit. I know weight bearing bones are a no no as these can cause fractures in the teeth.
Re diet and teeth, we nearly always soak Malaika's kibble having been told to do so by the breeder, i believe the Dog's trust also advocates this. I do occassionaly feed it unsoaked but give half the ammount as it swells quite a bit. She eats quite a wide variety of foods including raw meat and veg.
I am always unsure about bones, again we have been told never to give her bones. I have tried her on Chicken wings but have stopped these as i wasn't happy that she cried out as she swallowed the last bit. I know weight bearing bones are a no no as these can cause fractures in the teeth.
I avoid giving the bones as well. Looks like like you're feeding well mixing it up. I stopped giving Buddy any dry some time ago.
I have used the humanbabies silicone finger-toothbrush. It is very comfortable and soft and you can feel the dog's mouth by your finger. I did not use it to by my own baby, but it fits better to my dog 
http://www.bambinipronto.com.au/Product-silicone-finger-toothbrush-974.aspx
Mine are rarely given bones and I'm sceptical about chicken wings as if they're from free range chicken they can splinter. Chickens reared in crates or enclosed spaces are sold for meat at a very early age when the bones are still relatively soft. These should be ok. Mine only have artificial or sterilized bones. They love Nylabones which do seem to be good for the teeth.
I avoid giving the bones as well. Looks like like you're feeding well mixing it up. I stopped giving Buddy any dry some time ago.
Thanks, seems the more you know the harder it is to feed 
Mine are rarely given bones and I'm sceptical about chicken wings as if they're from free range chicken they can splinter. Chickens reared in crates or enclosed spaces are sold for meat at a very early age when the bones are still relatively soft. These should be ok. Mine only have artificial or sterilized bones. They love Nylabones which do seem to be good for the teeth.
Your explanation about chicken wings explains a lot to me. When i decided not to feed them to her i scraped the meat of them and broke several bones, i was shocked at how needle sharp they were.
What do you think about soaking kibble ?
I personally don't do any soaking but I do ensure that mine have a good drink after their meals - I do this by using juices from their meat mixed with water and any vegetable juice available and with a drop of milk to colour it. (They each have about 6 ozs). In that way I ensure that they do have some liquid as they seldom drink unless they have a temperature. I always feel that unsoaked biscuit is better for them to crunch.
I personally don't do any soaking but I do ensure that mine have a good drink after their meals - I do this by using juices from their meat mixed with water and any vegetable juice available and with a drop of milk to colour it. (They each have about 6 ozs). In that way I ensure that they do have some liquid as they seldom drink unless they have a temperature. I always feel that unsoaked biscuit is better for them to crunch.
LOL… my girls drink all the time (of course they run and play hard... so therefore are ready to drink) and have wonderful intact of water... I have often wondered if a Basenjis lack of water intake has anything to do with health concerns later in life.... I have found that my Basenjis that from an early age have a good water intake do better later in life and found that it really does... Not that the old "you can lead a Horse to Water" doesn't hold true.. but I have found that better health for both liver and kidneys with those that have had good water intake habits early in life, has paid off later in life... this is just my opinion.....
Mine are rarely given bones and I'm sceptical about chicken wings as if they're from free range chicken they can splinter. Chickens reared in crates or enclosed spaces are sold for meat at a very early age when the bones are still relatively soft. These should be ok. Mine only have artificial or sterilized bones. They love Nylabones which do seem to be good for the teeth.
As someone who feeds raw, and sees fine powder poo, trust me dogs digest the raw just fine. In fact I don't give sterilized bones as so hard they can crack their teeth and I have had some very aggressive chewers. Take a flashlight and check your dog's teeth occasionally and remove hard bones if you start seeing crack lines.
Dogs eat and process far harder bones than chicken… pork neck and others... Do what you feel comfortable with, but please be aware there are now masses of raw meaty bone feeders and the dogs are healthy and fine.
I personally don't do any soaking but I do ensure that mine have a good drink after their meals - I do this by using juices from their meat mixed with water and any vegetable juice available and with a drop of milk to colour it. (They each have about 6 ozs). In that way I ensure that they do have some liquid as they seldom drink unless they have a temperature. I always feel that unsoaked biscuit is better for them to crunch.
Thanks, i have already used your tip of giving her vegetable water, she loves it and it certainly encourages her to drink.
Normaly even after a good run she doesn't tend to drink a lot, i think we don't get enough hot weather
Pat's point about Basenji's water intake and health makes me think it's certainly worth encouraging them to drink, it can certainly do no harm.
Sorry we have gone slightly off topic here but in a way it all ties in.
Yes, I agree, might seem to be off topic, however water is important to good teeth/gum health, IMO…..
Pat I respect what you say but I haven't had too many health problems even though mine drink very little and certainly not kidney or liver issues but then as I say I do supplement their feed with liquid.
It must make life much simpler when they do drink so much?! Mine have plenty of exercise too but even in hot (for us) weather they don't take up much water voluntarily.
Do you think the driniing (plenty or little) could be a genetic issue?
Yes slightly off topic but drinking does affect teeth too.
Debra - it's not because of the hardness of chicken legs but because they can splinter. I must admit that I do watch mine with sterilized bones and take them away if they start to break up. I feed raw without bones but know that Basenjis can thrive on raw meaty bones.
Ordered plaqueoff product from Amazon. We keep everyone posted about the progress.
LOL… my girls drink all the time (of course they run and play hard... so therefore are ready to drink) and have wonderful intact of water... I have often wondered if a Basenjis lack of water intake has anything to do with health concerns later in life.... I have found that my Basenjis that from an early age have a good water intake do better later in life and found that it really does... Not that the old "you can lead a Horse to Water" doesn't hold true.. but I have found that better health for both liver and kidneys with those that have had good water intake habits early in life, has paid off later in life... this is just my opinion.....
My girls drink all the time too - when they are through eating they usually get a drink, when they play hard they stop and drink, and when they go out to pee, they usually drink when they come back in (to replace what just went out?) I've heard that Basenjis don't drink often enough, but that has not been the case with mine.
My vet is recommending a no-anesthesia cleaning for Ziggy's teeth (says he has grade 3 tartar). He's never had his teeth cleaned, that I know of, and I've never brushed his teeth. The vet has said that teeth can get infected and cause all kinds of terrible illnesses–is this really true?
The vet has said that teeth can get infected and cause all kinds of terrible illnesses–is this really true?
Yes! Infections from bad teeth can have a huge impact on overall health. You can improve the tartar situation by providing bones to chew, and/or by scaling his teeth yourself. I do this all the time with my guy.
My vet is recommending a no-anesthesia cleaning for Ziggy's teeth (says he has grade 3 tartar). He's never had his teeth cleaned, that I know of, and I've never brushed his teeth. The vet has said that teeth can get infected and cause all kinds of terrible illnesses–is this really true?
Yes, dogs like people can get very sick because that bacteria starts traveling through the system. Keep the dogs teeth clean! I brush Buddy's teeth daily with a soft tooth brush and water. He's almost 3 and his teeth are white.
