Methods to Keep your Dog’s Teeth Clean

Disclaimer: this post is brought to you by Chewy.com and contains affiliate links.

As you may or may not know, this month is National Pet Dental Health Month. And if you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, then you might also know a few months ago I jumped back on the “teeth brushing” bandwagon and started trying to maintain my pearly whites a bit better.

Clean Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund

While I still continue to use the Tropiclean Gel on my teeth each night before bed, I’ve also added some new tools to my dental regime.

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

My friends over at Chewy.com sent me this Nylabone DuraChew Dental Dino Toy and my mom picked me up a Pet Dental Scraper (thanks to a recommendation from my Facebook friend, Alex).

Clean Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund

Now incase you may have forgotten, before I even started on my teeth cleaning regime, my teeth looked like this. And even after getting into the habit of brushing regularly I was still left with some plaque on my teeth.

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

So to aid in keeping my teeth clean I decided to break open my new Nylabone.

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

Now I’ve always been a lover of Nylabones, and this Dino chew is no different. The little bumps are super fun to chew on, and as a bonus mom says they help to clean my teeth and freshen my breath!

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

You can fetch your own Nylabone Dino Dental Chew from Chewy.com – and it’s on SALE now for just $3.99!

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

So on top of using my new Nylabone, I also started using this Pet Dental Scraper to scrape the plaque off my teeth. Now I must admit upon first inspection it looked pretty scary.

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

But my mom waited until I was extra sleepy on the couch one evening to test it out.

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

Each night my mom has been working on my teeth in little bits to scrape off the plaque while I’m tired, and you know what, it’s not so bad.

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

And while I still have a ways to go to remove all the plaque, even after just one time, my teeth look a whole lot better!

How to Maintain your Dog's Teeth // Ammo the Dachshund // Pet Dental Health Month

If you want to use a Pet Dental Scraper on your pet, here’s what I’d recommend:

  • Only try on dogs that are relatively calm and not fazed by being “examined”
  • Start with just playing around with your dog’s lips and teeth without the tool to get them used to having their mouth examined
  • Use the dental scraper when your dog is in a relaxed state
  • Use one hand to hold your dog’s mouth steady incase they pull away quickly
  • Apply the dental scraper in small doses to your dog’s teeth and don’t overdo it. Gradually increase the time you use it as your dog gets comfortable with it

What sort of things do you do to keep your pet’s teeth clean? Ammo the Dachshund

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Chewy.com, but all opinions are my own. Be advised that the best way to get a full dental cleaning for your pet is to contact a licensed veterinarian – and these are just my own personal experiences with pet dental cleaning, and I am in no way an expert. Use the pet dental scraper on your pet at your own risk.

10 Tough Toys for Dogs

ammo the dachshunds 12 days of christmas

If you didn’t know already, I’m the kind of dog that can destroy the average toy in mere minutes. No make that seconds! Stuffed toys are totally my jam, and I love pulling off eyes, ripping tails, and putting a pile of cotton all over the floor. So needless to say I don’t get those kinds of toys very often. You can even check out a post I did last year about all the toys that have made it into my “toy graveyard” – as even sometimes the tough ones eventually do.

Toy Graveyard // Ammo the Dachshund

Now being that I’m such a tough chewer – I’ve learned over the years which toys seem to hold up much better to my tough chewing ways.

So here’s my list of 10 Tough Toys for all the tough dogs out there! (contains some affiliate links)

1. Benebone

What I did for Christmas // Ammo the Dachshund

This tough chew toy is one of my all-time favorites. It comes in two different sizes with flavors of bacon, chicken, and peanut butter. If your dog loves to chew they’ll love the Benebone. Note that is does wear down over time, and will eventually need replacing.

2. Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Raspberry

Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Raspberry // Tough Toys for Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Planet Dog makes lots of great toys that are strong enough for tough chewers like me, but one of my favorites is this Raspberry. It’s the perfect size for me and it’s especially good when my mom fills it up with a little peanut butter. This size lasts quite a long time, and eventually some of mine have needed replacing (if only because I chew on them so often).

3. Ruffhides Refillable Chew Toy

What I did for Christmas // Ammo the Dachshund

I got one of these for Christmas this year and it’s essentially a rubber wrap that goes around a dog chew (they sell them with rawhide or himalayan dog chews inside) to make it last longer. I’ve also found some tough all-natural bones at my local pet store that seem to fit nicely into my Ruffhides wrap.

4. Nylabone

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu - nylabone

Nylabone makes a variety of chew toys for powerful chewers, and I’ve tried many throughout the years. They always hold up well and are something I never get tired of chewing on.

5. Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Snoop

Friday Fetch: Orbee-Tuff Snoop / Interactive Dog Toy // Ammo the Dachshund

The Snoop is an awesome treat-dispensing toy for dogs that is made with toughness by Planet Dog. I spend hours playing with this toy at the shop, and to make it even harder to get the cookies out my mom stuffs a Planet Dog ball in the opening (just like above).

6. Antler Chew

Antler Chew Toy // Tough Toys for Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

Antler Chews hold up really well to tough chewers like me. While I tend to loose interest in these a little quicker than some of the other toys, they definitely last a long long time.

7. Chase ‘n Chomp

Chase n' Chomp // Tough Toys for Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

When the Chase n’ Chomp arrived in a past Barkbox, my mom wasn’t sure it would hold up to my sharp, shark-like teeth. And although it no longer squeaks it’s still hanging around my house, and remains one of my favorite balls to play fetch with (probably because it’s extra squishy).

8. Pickle Pocket

Pickle Pocket - Treat Dispenser for Dogs - Review // Ammo the Dachshund

The Pickle Pocket is a tough rubber toy that that has slits in it to hold treats. This is great if you don’t feel like breaking out the messy peanut butter and I could spend hours just trying to get a few treats out.

9. ZogoFlex

ZogoFlex // Tough Toys for Dogs // Ammo the Dachshund

The Zogoflex is another toy that’s made of tough rubber that your dog won’t be able to chew through. Granted it’s not my top pick for a toy (I think I’d grab a Benebone or Nylabone over one of these given the choice), but mine has certainly held up over the years and is one of those toys that will be around forever.

10. KONG

ammo the dachshund with kong

It wouldn’t be a tough toy list without mentioning Kong. These rubber toys are built to last and also have a handy hole for stuffing with treats. Although, full disclaimer, I did break one once!

kong toy

What sort of toys has your dog destroyed over the years? Any tough toys I should add to the list? Ammo the Dachshund

Happy Birthday Ammo the Dachshund!

Today is my Birthday! I’m officially 5!

Birthday Week: Ammo the Dachshund turns 5!

Even though I’m five I don’t feel a day over 2! I’m looking forward to many more years of adventures and I wanted to thank all of you for joining me for Birthday Week as well as all of my journeys! I enjoy making all of you smile and I appreciate you leaving me comments on my blog and facebook page. I’m lucky to have friends like you!

Birthday Week: Ammo the Dachshund turns 5!

And now I bet you are all wondering what exactly I got for my Birthday! So lets take a look inside my gift box!

Birthday Week: Ammo the Dachshund turns 5!

Oh lucky day, I got a Benebone (which I can’t wait to start chewing to see how well it will hold up to my choppers), and Nylabone Dental Chew, and a yummy goody from Pet Valu! I feel like the luckiest boy in the world!

So thanks again for celebrating with me this week. I hope you had as much fun as I did! Ammo the Dachshund

Birthday Week: Ammo’s Birthday Wishlist

We can all admit that one of the greatest things about having a Birthday is the presents! So I’ve rounded up a few of my current Birthday Wish List items to share with you!

Birthday Week: Ammo's Birthday Wish List // Ammo the Dachshund

 

 

  1. Fresh Dog Dry Shampoo from Olive
  2. Barkbox Monthly Subscription
  3. Nylabone Dog Chew
  4. Igloo Dog Bed from Mungo & Maud
  5. Turquoise Flexi Lead from Chewy.com (which I only plan to use when I go to the lake and want to go swimming & mom and dad don’t. Otherwise I believe using standard leashes are a much safer option!)

Ammo the Dachshund

 

My Trip to PetValu

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Last weekend I took my very first trip to PetValu. Have you ever been to a PetValu? If not, you are in for a treat.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Upon entering I could immediately tell that this place was just a little bit different from the big box pet stores like Petsmart and Petco.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

This store was filled with fun items that I hadn’t seen at the pet stores I usually frequent.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

I was immediately drawn to the display of Jonathan Adler merchandise – I loved his fun colorful patterns.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Mom was so close to bringing home this new leash for me (probably for the packaging alone) but Dad thought it was a bit too colorful for a boy (I can rock pink better than any girl!).

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

I had a blast wandering around the store sniffing out all the goodies. Many of their products were healthy and all natural, and they had a much wider selection of the “good for you” treats than most of the pet shops I’ve been in.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Oh and they had cats, lots and lots of cats! Mom heard they were rescue cats that are up for adoption, and I had fun playing “find the kitty” all over the store.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Can you find the Kitty?

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu

Not only did PetValu have cats scattered all over the shop, but they also had a shop bunny that was dog friendly. I REALLY wanted to see how friendly he was, but Mom wouldn’t let me get too close, probably because of my bunny killing record in the backyard.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu - nylabone

My trip to Petvalu had me coming home with two fun products. A Nylabone Durachew (which I love) and a bag of Get Naked Antioxidant Dental Chew Treats.

Ammo the Dachshund visits PetValu - Get Naked Dog Treats

I had a great time at PetValu, and I’m sure I will be visiting again real soon.

Most of the PetValu stores are located in Canada and along the East Coast of the US, but you can click here to find one nearest to you. Ammo the Dachshund

 

I was not paid or perked to write about PetValu, I just thought everyone would enjoy taking a trip inside the pet store with me!