I've had this old lady for about three years now. She's an 11 year old, 39 lb herding breed-ish mutt that inhales everything.
She MAY bite something in half, if it's too big to gulp down in one go. I can not give her traditional dental chews (like greenies) because she simply does not chew them. I even tried the largest size they make, and had to hold onto it the entire time to make sure she didn't choke on it (she just bit off large chunks and swallowed those).
I was told (by several vets) not to give her antlers, as she will likely fracture another tooth (back molar broke when she was a pup, apparently). She doesn't chew nylabones or similar non-edible toys. She's had cow and pork femurs/knuckles/hooves in the past but loses interest quickly and will not revisit chews (yes, I've tried cycling them in/out to keep them novel). She LOVES loves rawhides, but I am very leery, due to health concerns, of giving them to my dogs.
One vet recommended switching her food to Science Diet...uhm , no thank you. Another suggested a brand called C.E.T oral hygiene treats, but those seem to have a high incidence of dogs choking on them- not something I want to risk with a convicted inhaler-of-all-foodstuffs.
Her last full cleaning was about 1.5 years ago. Her teeth are bad, already, and I honestly can not afford a cleaning anytime soon. I attempt to brush her teeth (she likes to chomp the brush), tartar control stuff is added to her water everyday, and she is on a quality hard kibble. I'm at a bit of a loss, here. I've never met a dog that didn't like to chew!!
TL;DR: Old dog with bad teeth won't chew the regular dental treats. Help?
edit: Here is a pic of ye olde grumpy ass.
She MAY bite something in half, if it's too big to gulp down in one go. I can not give her traditional dental chews (like greenies) because she simply does not chew them. I even tried the largest size they make, and had to hold onto it the entire time to make sure she didn't choke on it (she just bit off large chunks and swallowed those).
I was told (by several vets) not to give her antlers, as she will likely fracture another tooth (back molar broke when she was a pup, apparently). She doesn't chew nylabones or similar non-edible toys. She's had cow and pork femurs/knuckles/hooves in the past but loses interest quickly and will not revisit chews (yes, I've tried cycling them in/out to keep them novel). She LOVES loves rawhides, but I am very leery, due to health concerns, of giving them to my dogs.
One vet recommended switching her food to Science Diet...uhm , no thank you. Another suggested a brand called C.E.T oral hygiene treats, but those seem to have a high incidence of dogs choking on them- not something I want to risk with a convicted inhaler-of-all-foodstuffs.
Her last full cleaning was about 1.5 years ago. Her teeth are bad, already, and I honestly can not afford a cleaning anytime soon. I attempt to brush her teeth (she likes to chomp the brush), tartar control stuff is added to her water everyday, and she is on a quality hard kibble. I'm at a bit of a loss, here. I've never met a dog that didn't like to chew!!
TL;DR: Old dog with bad teeth won't chew the regular dental treats. Help?
edit: Here is a pic of ye olde grumpy ass.