Which food?

[PoppyandLucie]

Hi, I have 2 mini schnauzers age 4 & 3. Both are needing dental work. I have been feeding them Pooch and Mutt. The vet said that maybe it's too rich for them and also maybe the kibble is a bit big for them. I really do not want to go completely to wet food. What do you feed your dogs? I would ideally like something that is grain, cereal and gluten free. Small kibble and also benefits their teeth. thank you!

[mikegoodson1]

I use McAdams 'free range chicken' for small breed dogs: https://mcadamspetfoods.com/shop/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We started both of ours on Arden Grange as that is what the breeder fed them and so when we brought them home, we kept them on that but we transitioned them both off and onto the McAdams around 6 months old.

They both love it and we don't have any problems of them not wanting to eat their food.

[Dawnspell]

Have a look at allaboutdogfood.co.uk/

Do you brush their teeth ? I've found that makes the biggest difference rather than diet.

[zeta1454]

Re the vet's comments about the food being "too rich" - was this in relation to the dental problems? If food is too 'rich' this usually leads to tummy upsets or maybe a reluctance to eat but I am not sure how it would affect the teeth. Also the bigger the kibble the better I would have thought if you are hoping the chewing action is going to help clean the teeth. Giving a dog raw bones for them to gnaw on or deer antlers or Anco roots to chew may help but, as Alison says above, really the only effective way to keep your dogs teeth clean is to brush them or use tooth wipes for dogs on a daily basis. If it was possible to keep teeth clean by eating certain food we would all be ditching our toothbrushes and toothpaste for 'dental' biscuits

Having said that, certain foods may contribute to dental issues and others may help dental health as with people. Foods that contain sugar (which include fruits and certain vegetables such as sweet potato) may not be helpful and protein rich food such as meat especially with ground bone are high in phosphorus and calcium which are beneficial for dental health. If you feed kibble, these are the nutrients you would want to see added to the food and maybe kelp / seaweed which is supposed to help reduce plaque forming on the teeth.

Unless you have a clear reason why the food you are using is causing dental issues for your dogs though, I would not necessarily change the food but start regularly cleaning their teeth using dog dental products.

We have had seven miniature schnauzers over the years as well as a different breed of dog and, in our experience, the schnauzers do seem prone to tartar build up much more than our other breed although all are on the same food so there may also be a genetic factor involved too.

[PoppyandLucie]

The problem is that the older ones molars have started to wear down, and the younger one has really bad breath. I admit to not brushing them, one vet once told me it wouldn’t make much difference as they are on dry food, which was obviously wrong! So I’m going to get them both sorted with the scale removal and then change food. Also, I think the older one may be slightly constipated, so maybe it’s all a bit too much. I’m going to go to the pet shop tomorrow and see what they suggest, a friend also told me about Macadams so I’ll look out for that. Thank you all.

[zeta1454]

The problem is that the older ones molars have started to wear down, and the younger one has really bad breath. I admit to not brushing them, one vet once told me it wouldn’t make much difference as they are on dry food, which was obviously wrong! So I’m going to get them both sorted with the scale removal and then change food. Also, I think the older one may be slightly constipated, so maybe it’s all a bit too much. I’m going to go to the pet shop tomorrow and see what they suggest, a friend also told me about Macadams so I’ll look out for that. Thank you all.

If your 4 year old's molars are wearing down it sounds as though there may be hereditary poor teeth in her family as that should not really be happening at such a young age. Certainly teeth cleaning alone would not really help with that.. I would try to either find food high in calcium, magnesium and phosphorus to boost these minerals which help to build strong teeth. You could maybe offer some tinned salmon with the bones in to your dogs as a regular treat or mixed with their food rather than adding supplements. I would also try a daily probiotic which should increase the beneficial bacteria to fight the bacteria that maybe contributing to the bad breath and the constipation.

Here are a few links which may be helpful to you:

http://www.lintbells.com/yucare-tooth-polish" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.myitchydog.co.uk/blog/natur ... -dogs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing ... ner-teeth/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.lintbells.com/yudigest-dog" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Oscar 12345]

Unfortunately schnauzers appear not have good teeth/gums which means that you do need to keep on top of the cleaning regime. Otto is fed a wet food so I am a little paranoid about the teeth cleaning and ensure it is done every night before bed. I do my best and make sure he does have some hard biscuits and also access to safe chews. Poor Oscar my previous schnauzer had a lot removed and I felt so guilty because I hadn't done my best at cleaning them. Never too late to start.