Brushing your dogs teeth
Regular teeth cleaning is standard good dental hygiene. Most vets recommend that it be done at least twice a week to ensure your dog maintains healthy teeth and gums. If you haven't been doing this, it’s never too late to start. The dog should have its own toothbrush and special doggy toothpaste.
You can pick up everything you need at your favourite pet store. Make sure you brush the back teeth in small circles, the same way you would your own, and brush up and down the length of the canine teeth. Dog toothpaste is made to have a pleasing taste.... to dogs that is.
This should help make your dog willing to let you perform this activity. If you are not able to brush your dog’s teeth, the next best thing would be to give him or her teeth cleaning dog biscuits/chew.
Making Sure your dog's teeth are clean is important, Ignoring this can lead to plaque build-up and disease. Its very common for a dog to get dental disease and can cause the dog a lot of pain - similar to what we would experience. To avoid costly vet bills, regularly check and clean your dog's teeth.
Start them young
Its best to start cleaning your dogs teeth when they are young. Do it everyday so that they get use to the routine. If you haven't started them young its not a problem. Just slowly introduce the idea by placing your finger near your dogs mouth. Do this everyday and overtime introduce the toothbrush until they come accustom to it.
Signs your dog has dental or gum disease
Dental disease can appear quite suddenly, or progress overtime and take months. Make sure you look out for these signs:
- A build up on the teeth
- Bleeding or damaged gums
- If the mouth is infected an odour will most likely be present
- Sensitivity in the mouth
- Discolouration to the teeth
- Problems with eating or refusal of food
You may need to contact your vet if your dog has any of these problems .
Treatment for dental disease
If dental disease is present, only carry out treatment that your vet has suggested. Normally sedation is required to properly examine their mouth. In order to look at the teeth or jaw. X-rays may be required to check for any abnormalities.
If tooth decay or gum disease hasn’t affected the teeth too much, they can be repaired and cleaned. In some cases the tooth can't be saved and may need to be removed especially if it has fractured or become loose. If surgery was required, then a course of antibiotics will most likely be needed.
Maintaining The Health of your dogs teeth
A great diet will help maintain teeth and gum health but not every breed of dog is the same, so there's not a perfect diet that suits all dogs, a half decent pet shop will be able to give you some help on choosing the correct food. Also check out our dog nutrition blog post for more tips. Dog Nutrition Guide
There is a lot of choice out there when it comes to choosing the correct food for your dog. Some owners choose wet foods or dry and even a semi wet. Each has its benefits. Not all dog food brands use high quality natural ingredients. Ensure to read the label of ingredients listed before purchasing any brand of dog foods. Dental chews are readily available and can help in the short term.
Give the Dog a Bone
Or maybe not. Giving dogs bones in recent years has become frowned upon due to many dogs becoming seriously ill from ingestion large quantities of bone causing constipation issues or even requiring surgery . Bones can also cause fractures in the teeth that cant be repaired and may lead to further issues down the line. Cooking the bone is not ideal either due he the bone becoming brittle and fracturing more easy causing sharp splinter type fragments. I know for sure I wouldn't like to swallow that.
Thanks for reading check out my other advice blogs for more tips on caring for your dog.
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