Dental Care for Dogs

To maintain a good level of oral hygiene throughout life, it’s easiest to start young.

Getting your puppy used to having its mouth handled and its teeth brushed will not only help him/her keep their nice white smile, but also help us to examine them later in life. It is important that you use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed specifically for dogs/puppies. Pet toothbrushes are ultra-soft and shaped to fit your pets’ mouth and teeth, whilst pet toothpastes have flavours that appeal to pets and need not be rinsed out, unlike human toothpastes.

To clean your puppy’s teeth, start by gently stroking the outside of your puppy’s cheek with your finger and slowly lift the lip giving praise at each step. Next, repeat as above but use a small amount of toothpaste to get your pup used to the flavour and texture. Now gently introduce the brush and with a small amount of toothpaste, gently brush the front teeth for about 30 seconds.

If all is going well repeat the above inserting the brush into the mouth for a slightly longer time.Gradually increase the time taken at each session until you are spending at least one minute on each side of the mouth once daily.

Interestingly, we have discovered that many dogs will happily accept a battery operated toothbrush so reducing the amount of pressure applied to the teeth and gums.

Chews and chew toys can certainly form part of a dental care routine and are fun into the bargain but another method worthy of mention is special “DENTAL DIETS”.Dental diets are made of regular dog or cat food ingredients but the kibble (trade jargon for biscuits) are made bigger than normal so the recipient has to chew them rather than swallow them whole and the biscuit texture is made of tiny fibres that brush against the tooth surface.
Dental Diets could well come to play an important part in the future of pet health care and will be something to watch out for.

Severe tartar on a dog's teeth