Should I get my Dog's teeth cleaned?

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Chicken necks are not a bad idea, Smurf - I do want to advise a little caution on chicken - sometimes my dogs do not deal well with the cartilage, and puke it back up later (the bone is fine). And I agree with you on the packaged food... one of the biggest scams of our current day. I also agree with Hef that most people lack the nutritional education to figure out what it is their dog needs (let alone THEMSELVES). Good on you both for figuring out what it takes to keep your buddy healthy.

Something I'd like to add: if a dog is not used to raw, it takes a while for the body to adjust - even in a young dog, I'm told you can look forward to two weeks of the runs (mine didn't have this problem). I'm not sure I'd advocate doing this with an old dog whose teeth are in rough shape - you could *try* a large bone or so, since he'd have to work to get the meat off and likely wouldn't manage to ingest much of the bone itself, especially if his teeth are not feeling great.

Third, I am all for raw diets. However, too many people that feed them do not feed them correctly and feed diets that consist solely of necks and wings because these are cheap cuts. There has to be meaty pieces in there: breasts, thighs, etc., or you run the risk of blockages from the bones. The necks and wings are simply not meaty enough. Please, if you are going to feed raw, make sure to feed plenty of *meaty* cuts, too. I have seen way too many blockages come through the clinic from people who think they are feeding a great raw diet and since they are only feeding necks and wings, their animals block up. Done properly, a raw diet is a great way to keep teeth clean and animals healthy and regular. I'm not saying never feed necks or wings, just make sure to make those the smallest part of the diet. Just make sure to research raw diets well before throwing some chicken parts to your dogs.

Off my soapbox now

Seconded. I'm a raw feeder - yes it costs more to get pork, organ meat, beef and some of the bigger cuts, but it is NECESSARY in order to ensure the dog's health. Big, raw bones with marrow are also needed - they need the marrow in their diets.

My older dog is not geriatric at 7 years old - but her teeth are beautiful. A dogsitter got confused seeing some of the age in her face (hair from cornering a cat grew back in white) and tried to guess her age at three because her teeth are so pretty. It is work to keep dogs on a raw diet... but it is worth it.