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Dog teeth cleaning should be something which is done regularly as a part of your pet care routine. If possible, your dog’s teeth should be brushed daily, or least every other day. Dogs are just as susceptible as we are to tooth disease, so it is important to make sure that our dog’s teeth are kept clean and free of tartar.

Dental Health and Hygiene in Dogs

Diseases of the mouth, teeth, and gums can be very painful for your pooch and because they aren’t able to tell us when they have a toothache, as pet owners we must be diligent in keeping up with our dog’s dental care. If left untreated, a tooth infection may develop into serious complication for your dog and affect vital organs such as their heart, liver, or kidneys.

Your dog’s diet definitely has a direct effect on their dental health. Choosing foods and treats that are fortified and designed to keep their teeth and gums healthy are an easy way to implement dental hygiene into your dog’s life. Although professional cleaning by a veterinarian is an option, this should only be considered in extreme cases as unnecessarily having your dog anesthetized is not only expensive, but it also puts undue stress on your pet.

Getting Your Pet Used to Dog Teeth Cleaning

With some patience, you can train your dog to accept tooth brushing. Adult dogs and puppies can both be trained by starting with your finger and some peanut butter.

As your pet licks your finger and the peanut butter, begin rubbing the teeth and gums while offering plenty of praise. After a day or so of this, or as soon as your dog begins accepting this new process, use a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger and do the same thing as above. Rub the gauze around the teeth and gums using a circular motion as you would with the toothbrush. Once they are used to this, it’s time to introduce them to the real thing.

Never use toothpaste intended for humans on your dog as ingredients such as baking soda will upset their stomach. Also, dog toothpaste is specially formulated for their teeth and will have an appealing smell and taste to help make the process a bit easier. Start out by letting your dog lick a dollop of toothpaste off of the brush first, then use more to finally start brushing.

Lift the sides of your dog’s gums so you can access their upper teeth, aptly called the canines, and hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle for the best results. This allows you to clean the gum line as well as the teeth to keep the gums equally as healthy. Brushing two to three teeth at a time, brush in a circular motion anywhere from eight to ten times or so in order to get each area clean. A dog’s upper back teeth tend to be the most susceptible to decay and periodontal disease, so if anything, focus your efforts there first.

Dog teeth cleaning should always be a happy, positive event. However, you will want to remain upbeat, but also low-key to keep your dog on the same wavelength and from becoming overly excited. Usually no more than one minute or so is long enough before your dog loses interest, but after practicing for a bit, you’ll find that that’s all it takes to keep your dog’s teeth clean, keeping them happy and healthy.

Dog teeth cleaning is imperative to overall dog health, and canine teeth cleaning can be effected in several ways. So keep your dog’s teeth clean by brushing your dog’s teeth, with healthy food, and by adding a canine teeth cleaning agent to your dog’s drinking water. All can play a part in keeping your dog’s teeth healthy.

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Ideally, dog teeth cleaning should be a routine part of your pet’s regular care and their teeth should be brushed on a daily basis, or at least every other day or so. Because dog teeth are just as susceptible to disease and decay as are human teeth, it’s extremely important keep tartar and plaque at bay to protect your dog’s precious health.

Dental Health and Your Dog

Dogs can get many of the same tooth, gum and mouth diseases as we can – and since your dog can’t tell you if they have a toothache, pet owners have to make sure to take care of their dog’s teeth. Left alone, a tooth infection can lead to more serious problems with their vital organs.

The diet your dog eats makes a big difference to the health of their teeth. Fortified dog food and treats which are designed to maintain dental health are one good way to protect your pets’ health. You can have your dogs’ teeth professionally cleaned by your vet, but this is not needed except in extreme cases; your dog has to be anesthetized and can be expensive and risky for your pet.

Cleaning Your Dog’s Teeth

With patience and perseverance, you can get your dog to become comfortable with tooth brushing. You adult dog or puppy can learn to have their teeth brushed by using your finger and a canine favorite; peanut butter!

Your pet will lick your finger (and the peanut butter). You can start rubbing their teeth and gums while praising your dog. After a few days you r dog will become accustomed to this and you can start trying it with a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. Rub the teeth and gums with your finger just as you would with a toothbrush. When your dog gets used to this procedure, you can start using a real toothbrush.

Never use toothpaste intended for humans on your dog as ingredients such as baking soda will upset their stomach. Also, dog toothpaste is specially formulated for their teeth and will have an appealing smell and taste to help make the process a bit easier. Start out by letting your dog lick a dollop of toothpaste off of the brush first, then use more to finally start brushing.

Lift the sides of your dog’s gums so you can access their upper teeth, aptly called the canines, and hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle for the best results. This allows you to clean the gum line as well as the teeth to keep the gums equally as healthy. Brushing two to three teeth at a time, brush in a circular motion anywhere from eight to ten times or so in order to get each area clean. A dog’s upper back teeth tend to be the most susceptible to decay and periodontal disease, so if anything, focus your efforts there first.

Dog teeth cleaning should always be a happy, positive event. However, you will want to remain upbeat, but also low-key to keep your dog on the same wavelength and from becoming overly excited. Usually no more than one minute or so is long enough before your dog loses interest, but after practicing for a bit, you’ll find that that’s all it takes to keep your dog’s teeth clean, keeping them happy and healthy.

Canine teeth cleaning is important to overall dog health, and dog teeth cleaning can be effected in a number of ways. You can keep your dog’s teeth clean by brushing your dog’s teeth, by a healthy diet, and by adding a dog teeth cleaning agent to your dog’s drinking water. There is no excuse for dirty or unhealthy teeth.

This course covers selected training methods that are used in “Secrets to Dog Training” and it is yours free with absolutely no obligation whatsoever…

YES! I want to claim my free instant access to the Secrets to Dog Training 6 Day Dog Behavior and Training course ($27 value).

Your Name:
Your email Address:
(This is a private and fully protected mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time).

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It is very common for any dog over the age of three to have some form of dental disease such as tartar or gingivitis. In fact, statistics state 85%. This is why dental disease is one of the most common canine afflictions. The most common symptoms include:

Halitosis or Bad Breath

Bleeding of the Gums

Blood on chew toys after a dog chews

As the progression of gingivitis and dental disease progress and become more severe, other symptoms will surface. These include:

Unwillingness to Eat

Drooling

Difficulty in chewing or picking up hard foods

Pain when mouth is opened

Enlargement of the lymph nodes under the jaw

Swelling under the eyes

Severe dental disease can affect other vital organs of the body as the bacteria can spread to the heart, kidneys and brain.

The Vet Visit – Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of dental disease is based on physical examination. By opening a dogs mouth and examining its teeth, it is easy to tell whether or not calculus and gingivitis are present. While calculus and gingivitis above the gum are easy to diagnose, tartar accumulation and infection below the gum line cannot be diagnosed with a physical examination. They are usually diagnosed with x-rays of the jaw. Normally this is done during treatment because it requires general anesthesia.

The best way to treat gingivitis and tartar accumulation is with a professional veterinary cleaning. This procedure is usually an outpatient procedure that is done in the veterinary office. It requires general anesthesia.

While a dog is under anesthesia, the teeth are cleaned and polished in the same manner that a human dentist cleans and polishes peoples teeth. The teeth are cleaned both above and below the gum line.

If a dog has severe infection or abscesses on or around any of its teeth, the veterinarian will perform x-rays to determine if the tooth can or cannot be saved. This is done while the dog is sedated. If teeth must be pulled, don’t worry, most dogs do very well after teeth have been removed. Often times they are still able to eat solid food.

In some cases, owners may wish to not have teeth pulled. In this case, it is wise to see a board certified veterinary dentist. Root canals and other procedures may be done which might salvage a broken or infected tooth.

Preventing Dog Dental Disease

The best way to prevent tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with daily brushing. Use special toothpaste made only for dogs along with a soft toothbrush when brushing your dogs teeth. Do not use human toothpaste as it was not meant to be swallowed and foams too much. The video below contains a detailed description of how to brush your dogs teeth.

Heather Fox is an experience veterinarian who loves to share her knowledge about Dog Illness Diagnosis. She has an online classroom at Clivir.com where you can find more of her articles about Dog Ringworm Symptoms.

This course covers selected training methods that are used in “Secrets to Dog Training” and it is yours free with absolutely no obligation whatsoever…

YES! I want to claim my free instant access to the Secrets to Dog Training 6 Day Dog Behavior and Training course ($27 value).

Your Name:
Your email Address:
(This is a private and fully protected mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time).

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Dental disease is one of the most common ailments among dogs. Astonishingly, 85% of dogs over the age of three will have some form of dental disease via tartar or gingivitis. The most common symptoms owners report include:

Bad Smelling Breath or Halitosis

Bleeding gums

Blood on chew toys after a dog chews

As gingivitis and dental disease become more severe, other symptoms may appear. These include:

Denying to Eat

Drooling from the Mouth

Difficulty picking up food or chewing hard food

Pain when the mouth is opened

Enlargement of the lymph nodes under the jaw

Swelling under the eyes

With advanced dental disease; it is possible for bacteria from the mouth to spread to other organs and cause infections. Organs which may be affected include the heart, kidneys, and brain.

The Vet Visit – Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of dental disease is based on physical examination. By opening a dogs mouth and examining its teeth, it is easy to tell whether or not calculus and gingivitis are present. While calculus and gingivitis above the gum are easy to diagnose, tartar accumulation and infection below the gum line cannot be diagnosed with a physical examination. They are usually diagnosed with x-rays of the jaw. Normally this is done during treatment because it requires general anesthesia.

To treat tartar buildup and gingivitis, your dog will need a professional veterinary cleaning. Performed as an outpatient procedure, it is simple and easy, but does require general anesthetic.

While a dog is under anesthesia, the teeth are cleaned and polished in the same manner that a human dentist cleans and polishes peoples teeth. The teeth are cleaned both above and below the gum line.

If severe dental disease and gingivitis are present, x-rays of the teeth and jaws should be taken while the dog is under anesthesia to have its teeth cleaned. This allows assessment of the health of the jawbone and root of the tooth and helps in preparing a treatment plan. In some cases, where there is an abscess or severe infection under or around the tooth root, a tooth may need to be pulled. X-rays of the jaw allow the veterinarian to decide which teeth may or may not need to be pulled. Most dogs do very well after having teeth pulled. A great many of them can even continue to eat dry food after losing a large number of teeth.

In some cases, owners may wish to not have teeth pulled. In this case, it is wise to see a board certified veterinary dentist. Root canals and other procedures may be done which might salvage a broken or infected tooth.

Preventing Canine Dental Disease

The best way to prevent tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with daily brushing. Use special toothpaste made only for dogs along with a soft toothbrush when brushing your dogs teeth. Do not use human toothpaste as it was not meant to be swallowed and foams too much. The video below contains a detailed description of how to brush your dogs teeth.

Heather Fox is an experience veterinarian who loves to write and share about her experience and knowledge about her job. She started an online classroom at Clivir.com where she provide more information about Symptoms of Dog Dental Disease and Dog Demodectic Mange Symptoms.

This course covers selected training methods that are used in “Secrets to Dog Training” and it is yours free with absolutely no obligation whatsoever…

YES! I want to claim my free instant access to the Secrets to Dog Training 6 Day Dog Behavior and Training course ($27 value).

Your Name:
Your email Address:
(This is a private and fully protected mailing list. You can unsubscribe at any time).

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