Bones For Teeth

One of the things I have been doing in the last year or so is trying to make sure I don't have to give any of my hounds dentals. I lost one little greyhound during a dental procedure, so I try really hard to avoid needing to do things with them that require anesthesia. My vet has been helping me in this area too and suggested I stop by my butcher and pick up some leg bones (beef) and then to keep the fat content down, I bake them until most of the fat has melted off the bone. I then cool them and make them a special treat. The vet suggested about half an hour a day then take them away. The problem is that most dogs have a favorite side of the mouth to chew on, if you look - you will see the teeth on one side of their mouths are nicer than on the other side (at least that was the case here). So the idea is to let them chew on a good bone until they get tired of chewing with their favorite side, and switch to chew with the other side. So I keep an eye on them while chewing and once they switch I let them have some time on the second side, then remove the bones.Removing the bones instead of just letting them have them all of the time seems to create more interest in chewing them. I keep them in bag in the fridge when they don't have them. I usually buy new bones every other week and start over. Along with brushing them, the bones have helped them chip off the deposits on their teeth and they are really looking good.