on top of my head, heres what I can think of.

Long lasting chews that will take few chewing sessions to get through:
Antlers
yak chew
goat horn
cow hoof
Hollow pressed bones

Moderate chews that will help clean teeth and can be finished in one sitting:
Raw meaty bones ( no weight bearing bones, those are too hard)
Long & thick bully sticks
extra large cow ears
Pig ears
Paddywhacks

 

My dogs love Whimzee XL Toothbrush bones
Frozen Marrow Bones
Earth Animal No Rawhide Chews

 

I've heard good things about Greenies, but we use cow cheek rolls pretty freely here. They usually last awhile.

 

I used to give Greenies and the dogs love them, but nothing cleans their teeth better than real bones or Benebones (or similar). No antlers though. Eevee chipped the enamel off of one of her teeth on an antler. Thankfully it was just the enamel and didn't do any immediate damage. Ingesting small bits of Benebones or Nylabones really isn't that big of a deal. The real tragedy is when you step on a half chewed Benebone in the dark. Legos have nothing on those... Regular washing of her food bowl will also help keep the film of yuck from building up in her bowl which contributes to gingivitis.

 

My Ed broke a canine on an antler. Had to have it taken down to the pulp cavity and sewn up over it. So no specials for him.

 

If you decide to give antlers a try, i found this guy who separates what he sells into different categories (hard, medium, soft) based on the thickness of the outer compact bone of the antler: Michigan Antler Art - Antler Dog Chews

I used to give the soft/medium to my dog when he was younger and even though we had no issues, i stopped buying after reading too many stories of broken teeth. The soft/medium are probably ok unless your dog really chews aggressively.

 

If you decide to give antlers a try, i found this guy who separates what he sells into different categories (hard, medium, soft) based on the thickness of the outer compact bone of the antler: Michigan Antler Art - Antler Dog Chews

This has been my go to source for years. The owners name is Terry I would suggest calling him on the phone to place your order, this way you can explain any concerns you have and he can guide your choice and he will provide what's best for you. If I may make a few suggestions. For an adult Golden I would order at least a large or bigger size antler. Some people express concerns about tooth damage from antlers. My suggestion, somewhat contrary to what he says on his page, is to order softer core antlers. I think his concern is that your dog will go through them fast and you'll be disappointed, that may be true but they will be safer if your dog chomps down hard. I have not had luck with split antlers. Splits would be fine for my Golden because he enjoys gnawing around the ends and gnawing it shorter. My golden/lab likes to chomp down hard into the exposed soft core of the splits and manages to splinter the antler and the pieces could be harmful, with whole antlers he doesn't chomp and wears them shorter from the ends. I usually call him and order a 5 pound box that he makes up as I want; whole, soft core, XL large/jumbo. For my two dogs that can last 6/9 months depending on how ambitious they are. I always take them away when they get too small and give these pieces to friends with smaller dogs.

 

The only dental I've ever done is frozen raw marrow bones once a week or once every other week and my dogs have never needed a teeth cleaning.

They get other chews like bully sticks and occasionally an elk antler but the antlers are only for scaling if they need something really hard to scale the teeth. But this might be a could times a year.

I also feed as much if not more raw them kibble and raw food will also never allow plaque and tartar to build up due to the natural enzymes like the raw bones.

 

Does anyone have any experience with OraVet products? In my Google-foo efforts, it seems like I'm narrowing down to Greenies, VetIQ, and OraVet...with a disposition towards OraVet.

I'm likely to go towards Benebones, with one of the above as a late-night "snack".

 

I am curious about what works for others! I just went through a dental surgery with my English springer Roxy, so we aren't going near anything that might break or chip teeth. So no antlers for us.

I went to the VOHC site and compared different products. There have been some serious reactions to Greenies that have me concerned, it doesnt sound like these treats are supposed to be digested.

So here's what we're currently doing in my household
Sophie (our cavalier King charles spaniel who is 10 and really needs some teeth help) gets a Dentastix and Plaque Off added on top of her food -- after about 3 weeks of this I already see great progress! She takes her time chewing the Dentastix so this works really well for her. I really think the Plaque Off has helped! She had a lot of plaque and tartar build up and is due for a dental, but I'd like to avoid that if possible because of her age.

Roxy -my 7 year old English springer (she just went through tooth surgery and we are trying to implement a dental plan) gets a Dentalife chew instead. She chewed the dentastix too fast so we're trying Dentalife instead... but she chews it pretty fast as well.

I am considering Whimzees though for Roxy.

Cleo, our Golden puppy, is only 5 months old so she gets a large dog treat instead.

 

I am curious about what works for others! I just went through a dental surgery with my English springer Roxy, so we aren't going near anything that might break or chip teeth. So no antlers for us.

I went to the VOHC site and compared different products. There have been some serious reactions to Greenies that have me concerned, it doesnt sound like these treats are supposed to be digested.

So here's what we're currently doing in my household
Sophie (our cavalier King charles spaniel who is 10 and really needs some teeth help) gets a Dentastix and Plaque Off added on top of her food -- after about 3 weeks of this I already see great progress! She takes her time chewing the Dentastix so this works really well for her. I really think the Plaque Off has helped! She had a lot of plaque and tartar build up and is due for a dental, but I'd like to avoid that if possible because of her age.

Roxy -my 7 year old English springer (she just went through tooth surgery and we are trying to implement a dental plan) gets a Dentalife chew instead. She chewed the dentastix too fast so we're trying Dentalife instead... but she chews it pretty fast as well.

I am considering Whimzees though for Roxy.

Cleo, our Golden puppy, is only 5 months old so she gets a large dog treat instead.

A cooked bone is dried and made brittle during the cooking process. A raw bone is much softer and almost chalky in comparison. A raw bone should never crack or splinter, which is why people feed raw chicken bones and it's OK. I have fed frozen raw bones for over 15 years and my dogs never had a cracked or chipped tooth and they also do not round the teeth down over time like other hard bones can be known to do.

Antlers I do not give often and only let them chew on one for about 5 min every 3 to 6 months if I feel they need a little scaling. The only things I give my dog to chew on is Raw marrow bones, Bully Sticks, a pig ear maybe once a month or so, and an antler once in a blue moon. I also give my dog a knotted rope bone after each meal for about 3-5 minutes. Chewing on the ends floss the teeth and then I put it up. This way it's not always down and so when I pull it out it's exciting and they will chew on it when you want them to. This makes the rope bone very functional.

 

Oh, also I got some dental toys. There are only 2 that really seem to work. I stick treats in the grooves and then I also put peanut butter on the grooves. It's an alternative to a kong and the way the treats get wedged in there they really have to work at it and then they all take a nap after. But neither toy gets at the back teeth the way I want it to.

 

Just some food for thought, the VOHC has a list of approved products for dog dental health. If it's on the VOHC list then it must reduce plaque by I believe at least 20 percent. So that's a great place to start.

After Roxy's tooth surgery I spent a ton of time looking at dental products and I still haven't found a dental chew that I think will work for her since she chews them so fast, but I have options.

My top choices are:
Dentastix -doesnt work for Roxy she eats it too fast
Dentalife- she chews it fast but not as fast as the Dentastix
CET Veggiedent - havent tried yet
Whimzees -havent tried yet.

 

I had a vet recommend the Milkbone chews. Dogs really like them but the goldens don't really chew them in the intended way. I give them Benebones or Hartz Dental chew toys.

 

Our Golden's have cracked teeth that had to be pulled by using Nyla bones or antlers. Raw beef bones are ok, but hard to find and expensive. Our favorites now are bully sticks. Our dogs love them, they do not leave stains or oil where they eat them. They do not smell or upset the dogs. And since we started using them the dogs teeth have been shiny white....most pet stores on line or in town have them....

 

You feed Eukanuba Large Breed Puppy right? The large breed adult formula has sodium hexametaphosphate which is clinically proven to dissolve plaque and tartar from teeth. The ingredient is used in many dental treats, chews, and water additives.

 

Thanks! That's good to know, as we're considering when to transition Kona off of puppy-oriented kibble and onto adult. As an "added bonus", she can eat more of the adult kibble (less nutrient dense, assumption is because of puppy nutrition needs combined with smaller stomachs).

 

It sounds like even after they reformulated Greenies that there still have been some issues... I'm not 100% positive but some of the Amazon reviews alone make me want to steer clear. I think they're probably relatively safe now, but we're just not willing to take a chance.

I think for Roxy that CET Veggiedent treats might wind up being the winner just based on how they feel. The Dentalife chews take her a bit longer than the Dentastix and she actually chews them, but she doesnt spend half the time on the chew that our other dog Sophie does. I think choosing the right dental chew depends on your dog. If it's devoured in less than a minute then obviously it's not doing much to help your dog's teeth. And big pieces getting devoured quickly can cause blockages!

Plaque Off is a food additive- you add a scoop on top of food every meal- and so far I've actually seen some results! I'm interested in checking out a water additive, but there is only one water additive listed on the VOHC website and I've had some difficulty finding it. I also considered dog foods formulated to help break down plaque and tartar, but we just got all the dogs switched to Wellness and finally Sophie is no longer having skin issues, so I'd hate to change again.

 

It sounds like even after they reformulated Greenies that there still have been some issues... I'm not 100% positive but some of the Amazon reviews alone make me want to steer clear. I think they're probably relatively safe now, but we're just not willing to take a chance.

I use Amazon reviews as a starting point, but I take all of them with a significant grain-of-salt. If you remember, not too long ago there was a news story about people receiving seeds (and, as it turns out, other inexpensive products) via mail/fedex/ups/etc. This was being done as part of a scam to enable fake reviews to be posted. There's an entire industry built on how to game Amazon and other online retailers/review-sites.

 

@SoCalEngr we recently started paying for a subscription service called “the real dog box”. We signed up for monthly chew boxes, so we get bag of “soft chew” a “medium chew” and a bag of “hard chew” each month. Each chew is air dried raw, so totally safe for dogs to eat and specifically chosen for dental health. Last month we got chicken feet, 3 duck heads, and two huge turkey wings. This month we got steer pizzle, 3 duck wings and 3 beef backstrap. We started to notice plaque on Denver’s molars which is which is why we decided to try this company out. Our friends also are subscribers and love it. I looked in Denver’s mouth last night and his teeth look amazing. I’m very pleased and the dogs LOVE the chews.

 

I just ordered a yak chew and a beef trachea...
Molly is intrigued with the new treats

 

I give my dog Benebones. They are for heavy chewers but they are not super hard like nylabones and antlers. I've had a number of my patients come into my hospital with broken carnassials and antlers were usually the culprit. I wouldn't recommend cooked bones as there is risk of splintering leading to intestinal puncture. Beware, if you step on a Benebone, it's like stepping on a cactus!

 

Not as big of a fan of additives to food or water as compared to natural ways to maintain or remove plaque and tartar. It's just something else in their systems and that just starts to add up in my opinion. When you look at it there are topical and oral flea treatments, Heartworm preventatives, stuff for urine scorching lawns, oral care additives and over vaccinating. The reason I do titers.

 

Not as big of a fan of additives to food or water as compared to natural ways to maintain or remove plaque and tartar. It's just something else in their systems and that just starts to add up in my opinion.

Agreed. This is why, after much Google-foo and some careful consideration, we decided to go with Benebones and Greenies, and not go the OraVet route (though it sounded helpful).

The reason I do titers.

Also a "big yep". We're now making a habit of asking for titers before any vaccination or similar treatment.

 

So, the Benebones (new style, one each in bacon and chicken) and Greenies showed up today. Kona picked the bacon Benebone (so, the chicken is "on reserve" and we'll swap them out each week), laid down, and went into a zen state of chewing.

Later, I opened up the Greenies. Oh. My. God. The smell. I know they're not made for me, but... I then gave one to Kona. She seemed rather unsure what to do with it, but almost looked like she was considering swallowing it whole. Given that most everything else she eats is fairly small (i.e., kibbles, small treats for training, etc.), I decided that how she was approaching the Greenie was a bit sketch.

So...

Benebones it is, and I'll chalk the Greenies up to "interesting, but not for me".

Thanks to all for their input and help in this mildly interesting foray into "how to take care of a GR's teeth".

 

Molly just going crazy over a beef trachea. She does actually eat them and loves them

 

Molly just going crazy over a beef trachea. She does actually eat them and loves them

How long do you let her chew in a session (i.e., do you monitor her "chew time")?

 

I tried Greenies, however they upset his stomach and cause him to vomit. I give him frozen marrow bones

 

Yes I gave my dog dental styx by pedigree for 7 yrs. 1 in am and 1 after dinner his teeth never needed cleaning and were clean white his entire life. I will repeat this with my next golden. plus he loved them.

 

For ones that are long lasting, knuckle bones, hooves, and antlers.
For ones that last longer than many dental chews, bully sticks, pig ears, yak chews, and the like.
For dental chews, Whimzees are great!

 

im one of those people dead set against bones and antler type chews. I’ve had too much damage done to my dog’s teeth in the past. I swear by C.E.T. Chews. My vet was amazed at how they cleaned up my old dog’s teeth when we were getting ready for a dental cleaning. (She was 13 and I was nervous about anesthesia) I gave her one a week for a month and when I took her back, he said we didn’t need to do the cleaning. They had done THAT good of a job. I use them exclusively now. The veggie type and the regular type. I DO take them away when they get to be a few inches long and throw them out to avoid choking hazard. I never leave them unattended with any chewie after I had a dog almost suffocate with one in its throat.

 

I am totally with you on this. Fractured tooth in the time of covid and then a vet that took forever to get us in wound up becoming an abscessed tooth with bone loss for my Roxy (English Springer). It was just too much for me to risk anything that MAY fracture teeth. We have been doing denta life for her and I'm going to give CET a try bc the denta life treats get eaten too fast. Sophie (cavalier) is 10 and we do dentastix for her but might also see how she is with CET. Cleo (5 month golden) gets a "cookie" so she's not left out. We found the "cookies" on vacation and all the dogs are obsessed. Best dog treats we've ever got in terms of interest. They're Stella & Chewy dinner patties for anyone interested.