Dogs Bones, Dog Food Treats, Pet Bones, Pet Rawhide
Posted by: admin / Category: Dogs, puppiesIs dog dental hygiene as important as human dental hygiene?
Let’s start with you. What happens if you don’t brush your teeth? Plaque starts to build around the gum line and in between the grooves of your teeth and a funky smell begins to follow your words out of your mouth.
Brush at least twice a day with dentist-recommended toothpaste and we come close to eliminating most of the common human dental problems.
So, why don’t our dogs get the same consideration? We complain that they are the family member with the un-kissable breath but often do nothing to help them combat the problem.
Common Symptoms of Dog Teeth Care Problems
Common symptoms of dog dental hygiene problems are often similar to humans…
- Bad Breath
- Blood in the saliva
- Broken teeth
- Drooling
- Loss of appetite
- Swollen, bleeding gums
- Yellow-Brown tartar at the gum line
If your dog is experiencing any one of these, even a minor one like bad breath, it is likely that dog teeth care could be improved. See a description of common dog dental problems further down the page.
Dog Dental Hygiene Preventive Care
As with all health and wellness related
issues, good dog teeth care begins with
solid preventive care:
up and teeth cleaning.
with your vet prior to beginning. If your dog has unhealthy gums or broken teeth, brushing may be painful and you should use gentler options.
“Daily brushing? My dog won’t let me hold her face still for 3 seconds to clean out her eyes, let alone for the amount of time it would take to brush her teeth!”
This was my reaction the first time I heard this advice. After much trial and error, this technique seems to be the most effective:
a time of day when she
is the least excited
Now for the actual steps:
- At first, only briefly hold and look into your dog’s mouth – but do it often.
2. Once comfortable with allowing you to look, start to massage the gums a little. Move in gentle circles around the outside of the gums and teeth. Do this quickly at first,
and spend a little more time with each attempt.
3. Now it’s time to introduce a brush. Use the same technique, and add a dab of dog toothpaste.
4. BE PATIENT – it takes some dogs over a month to get used to it. How long would it take YOU to get used to someone grabbing your face and putting something into your mouth?
Ultimately you want your dog to get excited when the tooth brush comes out. Believe it or not, this can eventually be fun for them! So remember:
- Be gentle!
- Go at your dog’s own pace.
- Reward your dogs with a treat, trip outside, game of fetch or whatever they like most.
Tags: Dog Food Treats, Dogs Bones, Pet Bones, Pet Rawhide


