Disclaimer: This is our personal routine. This is not advice and we suggest you check with your vet before making changes to your dog’s diet or dental routine.

After a long and difficult month moving house we are…still a mess over here! But we wanted to share something that we think is super important—Doggy oral health. Dachshunds and Chihuahuas are notorious for having bad teeth, but we are doing everything we can to keep Cedric and Edith’s teeth healthy. Here is how their recent dental exams went, how we started brushing their teeth, and our current routine. Before that here are some top recipes that you might have missed:

Brushing your dog’s teeth is hard, but important.

Teeth brushing is one of the more difficult and unpleasant tasks that comes with being a dog owner. Dogs don’t like it, it’s messy, and often smelly, especially if not done regularly. Because it’s such a chore, most pup parents tend to ignore it and hope for the best. Some vets even claim (like one we’ve seen) that kibble cleans teeth. How they got vets to believe this is anyone’s guess. If it were true, people could simply eat crackers and clean their teeth, too. We all know that this doesn’t work, but for our pets, we often suspend disbelief.

According to the AVMA, approximately 80% of dogs have periodontal disease by age three. That means that your dog probably has inflamed gums, teeth and bone loss in their mouths. Bacteria are everywhere and the ones that live in your dogs mouth turn left over food into acid that causes damage. Over time the protective exterior on teeth, called enamel can break down and get eaten away by the acid and bacteria. So too can the bone that holds the teeth.

Real food doesn’t mean you don’t have to brush

Unfortunately, just like for people, we have to brush our teeth no matter what foods we eat. Even a whole food diet doesn’t eliminate the risk of periodontal disease in dogs — especially in small breeds. From funky genetics, to their tiny mouths holding too many teeth and being extremely hard to brush, small dogs are at a disadvantage. All dogs have the same number of teeth, so in smaller dogs they get even more crowded. On top of that, many toy breeds retain their baby teeth (aka deciduous teeth) instead of shedding them like they are supposed to. These baby teeth rot more easily and often infect neighboring teeth. Unaligned bites, or malocclusions, are the norm in small dogs.

On top of that, smaller breeds tend to live longer than larger dogs, so over time, their likelihood of developing severe periodontal disease is far higher due to the accumulation of damage.

We started the process too late

We started brushing Cedric and Edith’s teeth regularly a bit later than we should have. Cedric was around two, and Edith around one year old when they started getting regular brushing. Even though that’s still considered young, it’s already enough time for tartar to accumulate. Plus, not regularly looking in their mouths leaves time for issues to go unnoticed and get worse (like Edith’s retained baby teeth). If we could do it again, we would start brushing on day one. It took time for the dogs to get used to the routine and maybe even more so for us to become proficient at doggy tooth brushing. That’s a skill that isn’t taught or talked about enough!

Now Cedric and Edith get their teeth brushed daily, and we rarely skip. With time and practice, Cedric has become very cooperative. He allows us to brush his teeth thoroughly and even to floss the gap in his front teeth where food gets stuck. We’ve also become good at opening his mouth and getting in all the nooks and crannies. Edith is much less cooperative. Brushing her teeth is still an extreme sport despite our training efforts. We have worked out a combination of wiping and brushing that works best for her. Though she makes it difficult to be thorough, we stay consistent and adapt our methods to best suit her. It has to be done!

We realized we have to do more than clean

Both dogs recently had their first dental cleanings (under anesthesia), and while tartar was minimal, they still had to have extractions. Edith had baby teeth that never fell out and needed removal. She also had two front lower teeth that were crowded together, difficult to keep clean, and had become wiggly. Radiographs revealed Cedric had hidden bone loss on one tooth that appeared in perfect condition from the outside.

It was disheartening to to see the dogs have to go through painful extractions. So now we are doubling down on their oral care routine by incorporating a new element: remineralization. Remineralization is a major focus in human dental care, but dog toothpastes tend to focus primarily on controlling plaque and tartar. While that’s great, clean teeth can still wear down over time. Dogs can’t have fluoride (the most common remineralizing ingredient in human toothpaste), so what other options are there?

What is nano-hydroxyapatite?

You may have heard of nano-hydroxyapatite by now, as it’s become a popular alternative to fluoride. More and more human toothpastes are using it, and the body of research supporting its use in human oral care continues to grow. Fortunately, it’s generally considered safe for dogs. However, the research on its use in dogs is still very limited.

Hydroxyapatite is the main substance in teeth and bones. It’s a mix of calcium, phosphate and a hydroxyl group, which gives it the name. “Nano” just means that it’s ground into extremely fine particles (Nanoparticles are measured in nanometers, which are 1/1,000,000 of a millimeter!).

Our current routine

There aren’t many toothpastes available for dogs that include nano-hydroxyapatite, and the ones we did find don’t have everything we want in them. So, we started making our own doggy toothpaste with ingredients to both control bacterial build up and hopefully help remineralize to keep their teeth strong.

This is what our nightly routine looks like:

1. We brush Cedric and Edith’s teeth with our homemade toothpaste and children’s toothbrushes.

2. We use unflavored floss on Cedric’s gap and a cloth to wipe Edith’s front teeth.

3. We do a final brush with bee propolis extract (a dog safe one!) for it’s anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

4. We wash their toothbrushes with soap and warm water and leave them out to dry.

5. We also provide them collagen chew sticks a couple times a week, for extra mechanical stimulation.

Here’s the toothpaste recipe we use:

Again, this is not advice and we suggest you check with your vet before attempting to use any new ingredients on your dog. Always take proper precautions before working with nano particles as they can irritate lungs and cause harm if inhaled.

That’s it for this week.

All the best,

Joelle and R.A.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. Consult your vet before changing your dog’s dental routine or introducing new ingredients. Because nano-hydroxyapatite is a very fine powder, always take precautions to avoid creating airborne dust or inhaling it. Research on the use of nano-hydroxyapatite in dog oral care is still very limite…

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With more content comes more surface area for comments and feedback. Some are genuinely helpful, like those of you who asked for product subscriptions. Another customer who recommended us to her friends and family suggested organic options. (A lot of our raw ingredients are actually organic but we don’t list them as such because of the compliance issues…

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Happy Valentines Day! We hope you enjoyed some QT with your cuties. Today we are going to cover some myths commonly held about chicken. There are some pet influencers that even bash on chicken. But we love chicken. It’s cheap, easy, and dogs love it.

In America people often default to chicken breast — because that’s what we’ve been told is “healthiest.” …

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Many people are afraid of feeding homemade food because they’ve been told over and over by the veterinary profession that homemade is dangerous. The story goes a couple of different ways. Sometimes it’s about pancreatitis from eating too much fat. Other times it’s about unbalanced food missing nutrients. The best one we…

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This is a simple recipe for beef loving pups that might be sensitive to eggs and chicken. We still use eggshell for calcium which has minimal chicken protein. If your pup is still allergic, use a calcium supplment as directed. This recipe 100% balanced to AAFCO standards with commonly found ingredients. Makes about 1650 calories.

• 1 pound (454 g) 90% lea…

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We are back to work, and if you’ve been following on Instagram, Cedric & Edith’s kitchen is undergoing some minor renovations. It’s almost done so stay tuned for the final look.

This week we have a new daily feeding recipe for you! It’s a delicious, one-pot chicken pie. Scroll to the end for that.

We’re also g…

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Balanced | ~1500 calories | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min

Tender chicken with peas, carrots, and creamy yogurt. A delicious pot pie that your pup will love, and you’ll love to make! Balanced so you can feed it every day.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil (30g)

• 1 lb (454g) ground chicken

• 2 oz (60 g) chicken liver, minced

• 1 cup frozen peas and car…

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Happy New Year! We hope that you are having a great start to your new year. After the holiday rush (and the entire hectic 2025) we were totally drained and have taken a much needed break. Time to get back to work!

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We hope you all had a great holiday break with your friends and family. If you were able to make something nice for your furry friends, extra brownie points! Regular readers know that it doesn’t take much to give your pups a nutritious treat. A piece of steak, some berries, or a boiled egg all make great additions to any canine d…

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Our cookbook is HERE! Thank you to everyone who preordered and supported this mission. More and more dogs are eating real food everyday and it’s the early adopters (smart people) like you making it the new norm and improving dogs’ lives around the word.

As you flip through the book, you might see that oysters are a common ingredient in our recipes. Today we tell you why they are one of our favorite foods. As fresh oysters are highly perishable and can be hard to find, we often use oyster powder instead. We think it’s such a great pantry staple for dogs that we want to help make it more widely available. Today we’ll briefly discuss where to find oysters in all forms, the benefits and risks of feeding oysters, and share our journey to making the best oyster powder in the world.

Where do I get oysters for my dog?

Fresh oysters - Grocery stores, fisheries

Canned oysters in water (plain) - Walmart, Amazon

Frozen oysters - Asian supermarkets

Freeze-dried whole oysters - Specialty pet stores

Oyster powder - Precious Creatures (us!), natural supplement stores

See conversion chart on page 27 of The Dog’s Table for how to easily convert wet to dry oysters.

Oysters, a nutrient powerhouse

For millennia, oysters have been coveted by people. As far back as ancient Rome, patrons were served oysters as a show of wealth and status. There are records of oysters being shipped long distances and kept alive in special tanks over 2000 years ago. Shellfish was associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and hence oysters were labeled as an aphrodisiac.

In the 1700’s, Casanova, the legendary lover, bragged about eating 50 oysters for breakfast to sustain his libido. He even wrote about an “oyster game” he used to seduce women. Thereafter, the myth of oysters improving sex drive became a mainstay of popular culture.

Modern science has blunted many of these claims, but there is a substantial foundation. Oysters are loaded with nutrients, especially minerals. In just 100 g of oysters (3.5 oz), there is about 500% of the human RDA of zinc! They are the greatest source of zinc on the planet. In addition to zinc, oysters have very high levels of copper and B12, both far greater than 100% of the RDA in 100 g. There is also a healthy dose of selenium, iron and smaller but meaningful amounts of vitamin D, manganese, phosphorous, riboflavin, vitamin E and more. Oysters are also very high in protein, while being low in calories.

There are some caveats, however. Because oysters are filter feeders, they can accumulate toxins from their environment, so it is important to source high quality product raised in clean waters. In the United States most oyster fisheries are very well managed, especially in the Pacific Northwest where the water is very cold. In Asia, outside of Japan, the quality control can be more suspect.

Oyster powder is a convenient nutrient bomb

Because oysters are mostly water, when they are dehydrated the nutrients become super concentrated. This means that a little bit of pure oyster powder goes a very long way. For example, a person can get their RDA of zinc by consuming just 2 - 5 g (0.07 - 0.18 oz) of oyster powder. Furthermore, the form of zinc and nutrients in oysters are more bioavailable compared to inorganic forms like zinc oxide.

Oyster powder, especially high quality oyster powder, is very dry, so it keeps much longer than fresh oysters. For example, fresh oysters can go rancid within hours at room temperature and can harbor nasty pathogens like vibrio. Pathogens need water to be active. Making oyster powder very dry from a process like freeze drying, eliminates most microbial activity. (Some molds, however, are very very resilient, which is part of the reason things eventually expire.) Using oyster powder instead of fresh oysters provides both safety and flexibility because you don’t have to worry about spoilage or pathogens.

Note: Though oyster powder is shelf stable, for optimal freshness we recommend storing oyster powder tightly sealed in the refrigerator or freezer after opening.

But fake oyster powder is everywhere

As we mentioned in our previous post on homemade food, we take quality very seriously and run third-party tests to audit vendors. Finding a reliable source of oyster powder turned into an epic journey. We searched far and wide for high-quality suppliers. We tested widely available oyster powder in the US. We went upstream and found their suppliers and many more from around the world including producers in China, South Korea, Japan and the United States.

Much of the oyster powder sold in America today comes from China because it’s cheap. But here’s the thing, it’s not made from just oysters. Manufacturers typically spray an oyster flavored liquid on a carrier, usually maltodextrin or dextrin. It’s then air dried at high temperature. The result is a product that smells and looks like roasted oyster powder, but is often less than 20% oyster and is degraded by high heat.

One brand we tested claimed to use third-party testing and have cGMP facilities, but their product turned out to be very disappointing. Based on the test results we estimate that the product was less than 5% oyster!

The world’s highest quality oyster powder

We grew so frustrated with unreliable and dishonest vendors that we made the decision to make oyster powder ourselves. It just so happens that we live about 100 miles from the largest oyster fishery in North America. We were able to drive straight to the farms and talk with the farmers face to face. The companies that we buy oysters from are recognized as some of the best in the world because the waters of the Pacific Northwest are clean, cold and well managed. These oysters are produced for people and are eaten raw, everyday across America.

The oysters are delivered weekly. We gently blanche and then freeze-dry them at low temperatures to retain critical nutrients. The result is a powder packed with protein, essential minerals, and vitamins. We actually sample each batch ourselves for quality control (though please note it is a pet product, not for human consumption).

Why are your products ‘not for human consumption’?

You may wonder why our products are labeled ‘not for human consumption’, because that sounds pretty bad. The reason is that making and selling human food requires different licenses that we don’t have. However, the quality and food safety practices we use are the same (or better) than anything available on the market.

Converting fresh and powdered oysters for your convenience

There is nearly one pound of fresh oysters in each jar of our oyster powder. It’s expensive to produce, super premium, but because it’s so pure, a little goes a long way. One jar can last a while.

Of course you don’t need to buy our product to make any of the recipes on this site or in our book. We are offering this product simply for your convenience and peace of mind.

For any recipe that calls for oyster powder you can simply substitute fresh, frozen, or plain canned oysters (no salt, in water). For every gram of oyster powder use about 10 g oysters (conversion chart on page 27 of The Dog’s Table).

Check out our oyster powder!

If you read this far and are interested to try our oyster powder, you can find it here along with the sea kelp and eggshell. The sea kelp is sourced from Canada and the eggshell sourced from the USA! All of our raw materials are premium human food grade quality. The trio is the perfect compliment to any dog chef’s kitchen. We hope your pup loves them as much as Cedric and Edith.

That’s all for this week.

All the best,

Joelle and R.A.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are so grateful that you are with us on this journey. It’s been quite a ride so far, and we have even more cool stuff planned for y’all. Stay tuned!

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• 1 sugar pie pumpkin (or other small, edible pumpkin)

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