r/cavaliers • u/Leather-Passenger483 • 1d ago

Advice Teeth!

Hey all. I know this doesn’t come as a surprise, but our girl doesn’t have the best teeth. She got her first dental this year at the age of five and had 10 teeth pulled. We were shocked. She had been showing signs that she was sore chewing on the one side so we brought her in and I’m glad that we did. That was in July. Her bad breath cleared up and she seemed much more comfortable.

I’m starting to notice she’s getting a little irritated around the teeth again and her breath is god-awful. She is extremely sensitive to food and barely will even take human food at times. Does anybody have anything reliable they use to take care of the teeth and gums? How often are you brushing? She is so against us touching her face now and is slightly a terror (out of fear) 😵‍💫

Context: we tried Greenies but of course they make her puke.
Pic of teeth in comments

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u/zebraprincesswarrior 1d ago
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This is my distinguished, toothless tri.
He turns 10 on Friday (!!!) and had a full dental extraction 2.5 years ago. His breath was so bad, and only after the procedure did we realize how uncomfortable he had been 😔 we brushed and gave him daily chews, but failed to do annual cleanings. It’s a big regret of mine.

Now he navigates life with a tongue that hangs out, and occasionally gets dry and cracked in the winter. It’s tough for him to lap up water, but we’ve figured out the bowls that make it easiest and cleanest for him.

The good: he loves to play (even with the toys I thought he’d never grip again!) and still eats hard kibble 😂 he’s spunky as ever, is obsessed with food, and can get in peoples faces/give kisses without being told he’s stinky 🩷

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u/Leather-Passenger483 1d ago

What a sweetie! Yes, I feel so bad when people cringe at her breath!

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u/sequinhappe 1d ago

Wait so my dog had 22 teeth pulled last week and seems to have stopped drinking water. What do you mean? How can I support my pup? What kind of bowl would you recommend?

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u/zebraprincesswarrior 10h ago

Oh no!! Be sure to talk to your vet about that. My pup doesn’t have the same fine motor skills with his tongue as he used to.

Now, the best bowls are deep and not super wide. Deep enough for him to stick his tongue in and lap up water. If they’re too shallow, it splashes everywhere.

I’d also recommend a waterproof mat under the water bowl. Ours is silicone and has raised edges so water doesn’t spill over.

The vet also recommended one of those vertical water things, like what hamsters drink out of 😂 I don’t think he has the precision to use that, though.