Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth: Preventative Dental Care

When it comes to the overall health of your dog, it is important you stay on top of their dental health care. According to shocking statistics released recently, 3 out of every 4 pets over the age of 3 suffer from dental disorders. Unfortunately for dogs, many illnesses that start in the mouth are known to lead to other severe and serious problems throughout their body, impacting the kidney, liver and the heart. Preventive care is key, and this means brushing your dog’s teeth regularly.

Here’s some important information you should know about dog dental care.

Why brushing is important:

Some may argue that brushing a dog’s teeth is all about giving him/her fresh breath, but that is not always the case. It is a essential part when it comes to oral care, preventing some serious illnesses such as gum and periodontal diseases. When you feed your dog, food particles may collect in between the teeth and along gum lines, which over time turns into a big problem. If you don’t remove the particles they may eventually lead to swelling of the gums because of bacteria growth. To avoid all this, brushing their teeth as preventative measure is key.

When to do it and what you need:

It is recommended that you brush your dog’s teeth every day. However, if you are a busy person and your schedule can’t allow that, then aim to do it several times a week when you are free. Brachycephalic breeds and other smaller dogs may require frequent brushing compared to others. This is because their teeth are crowded together, allowing more plague to collect and increase chances of suffering from periodontal diseases.

You will need to have a few things for effective brushing. Firstly, you will need to have a brush or a clean gauze and of course the paste. When purchasing the paste, only go to reputable stores where you can find a variety of flavors, which you can experiment with your dog to determine their favorite one.

How to brush:

When starting to brush your dog’s teeth, one thing you should remember is to take it slow. Don’t get your dog overwhelmed —  introduce brushing in small steps. Also, accustom your dog to have their mouth and muzzle handled.

Step1: Put one hand gently underneath the chin of your dog, as his head rest in your hand. Place your other hand over the top of his muzzle and lift the lips to expose the teeth.

Step 2: Release the hand underneath the chin and hold a brush with toothpaste to rub a few teeth. Focus more on the gums and other surface. After a few seconds of brushing, release the muzzle.

Step 3: Repeat this a few times a day, preferably 3 times for effective brushing. Start with around 3 seconds then increase to five and so on as you proceed. When the dog gets used to it try opening their mouth to cover the inside surface.

Do you have any habits to create good dog dental care?