Coming home after a lovely outing with a smile on your face, then you see your pooch approaching, nothing is better than that.
Leaning down to give your dog the greeting he deserves, but as soon as your dog’s breath hits your nostrils, the smile vanishes, replaced by repulsion from the smell.
‘how often should I brush my dog’s teeth’ is not in the top list of questions of pet parents,
but there are times when consequences make us remember we need to give more attention for our dog’s oral care.
Dogs bad breath is not pleasant, but the smell is not the main concern when it comes to the oral health of your dog.
Table of Contents
Why Should I Brush My Dog’s Teeth
A fresh breath would be amazing, but brushing your dog’s teeth is much more important for his overall health than a freshening breath and pearl white teeth. at the age of three, many dogs show signals of having gum infections.
The gum infection occurs at the gum line. the bacterial particles attack the tissues of the gum line and may reach the bloodstream from the gap created between the teeth and the gum line.
These infections may lead to the loss of the tooth and that’s not the hard part of it, a series of chronic diseases and infections may target the heart, kidneys or the liver.
Brushing your dog’s teeth everyday will reduce the chances of getting any of these problems.
Preparing for The Brushing: Getting The Right Gadget
If you choose to brush your dog’s teeth at home, you need to get the right tools to get the best results. What you will need to brush your dog’ s teeth:
A toothbrush: You need to get a toothbrush that is designed for dogs. Human toothbrushes are not suitable for dogs, they are hard on the dog’s teeth.
even the soft bristles are going to be a bit rough for dogs you can use a child toothbrush if necessary.
dog brushes have soft bristles and designed for allowing you to reach hard areas.
Choose a brush that is suitable for your dog’s size, and try to void using finger brushes as your dog may, accidentally, bite your finger.
Dog toothpaste: just like the brushes, use a toothpaste that is made for dogs. Don’t use human toothpaste as ours contains fluoride and other toxic materials that will harm our dogs.
Unlike us, dogs will swallow the paste, so we need to get the toxic-free toothpaste to ensure our pet’s safety.
How to Brush Your Dogs Teeth: Steps
Step 1# Make your dog get used to your hands touching his mouth. Before starting your dog should feel comfortable with you touching his face and mouth. Muzzle his mouth and give him time to make the touching more familiar to him.
Step 2# Let your dog taste the toothpaste before starting. Squeeze a little amount of on the tip of your finger and let the dog lick it. This is an indicator to whether the dog will like this toothpaste or not.
Step 3# Move your fingertips along the teeth and gum line, after lifting the lips slightly. This makes the dog recognize the motion first without the brush.
Step 4# Let the dog figure the brush out. Give him time to inspect the toothbrush before putting it into his mouth.
Step 5# Brush the most reachable teeth first. Rub the brush back and forth slowly and see how the dog will act to the movement.
If the dog revolt you need to sooth him with a calm voice and encouraging tone. Use the help of a family member or a friend to pet him with you.
Step 6# Gradually, start to rub the outside of the dog’s teeth. Increase the number of teeth you are washing one by one until you finish the upper and lower teeth.
Step 7# Brush the internal parts.
It is harder than the external as you have to grab the muzzle and lift the lips, then put a light inward press to make the dog open his mouth.
Step 8# Praise your dog after finishing and reward him.
What If My Dog Doesn’t Want Me to Brush His Teeth
Some dogs won’t let you clean their teeth, then you will have to consider going to a veterinarian to do the job.
there are some ways you can use to minimize the plaque from building up on the dog’s teeth.
Chew toys: Give your dog a rubber or nylon chew toy, it will help in eliminating soft plaque.
Dry food: get some dry food into your dog’s diet. it will also help in rubbing off plaque and tartar.
These two ways are great at reducing the build-up, but professional cleaning is a must in the long run.
Conclusion
Brushing your dog’s teeth is essential for his dental care maintenance.
Daily brushing, chew toys and dry food are your dog’s companions for life from now on. make sure he is familiar with the process and get the right tools to give your dog his Hollywood smile.
