Many dog owners overlook the importance of cleaning their dog’s teeth when it comes to keeping a dog healthy. Just like human beings, dogs’ teeth can also get food and bacteria build up, leading to plaque, gum infections and irritations such as periodontal diseases.
The most common sign of a poor oral hygiene for your dog is bad breathe. Do not expect your dog to have a minty breathe, but a very foul smell that you cannot stand is a point of concern. Periodontal diseases are known to cause serious health issues to human beings, and the same case applies even to our canine friends.
Untreated dental diseases can lead to tooth loss, painful abscesses and affect the general health of your dog. On long term, untreated dental infections can lead to heart diseases and permanent jaw damage.
Most veterinarians’ advice people to make sure they brush their dogs’ teeth daily for good oral health. However, this is a habit most people find hard to routinely follow in order to keep their dogs teeth clean. So how else can you keep your dog’s teeth clean?
Offer Your Dog Chewy Food
The choice of food you offer for your dog is the most determinant of whether you dog is prone to have dental issues or not.
Good quality teeth will help to keep your dog’s teeth healthier and offer body nourishment which means your dog will develop stronger teeth.
When buying food for your dog, go for whole foods, made from meats, fruits and vegetables, rather than foods made with by-products.
By-product made foods are more likely to stick to your dog’s teeth causing plaque build-up.
Dogs are good feeders and they enjoy when their owners offer them snacks throughout the day. However, many snacks are made with foods that are terrible for your dog’s oral and dental health.
Feed your dog snacks that are made from vegetables and fruits such as apple slices, carrots or pumpkin and avoid snacks that have high levels of fats, cereal grains and sugar.
Although the healthy food will not make the already established plaque to fade away, these chewy vegetables and fruits will scrape off food from the dog’s teeth.
Dried meat treats are also good chewy foods that will promote chewing action for your dog. These chewy food, especially those made from meat contain enzymes that help to promote good dental and oral health for your dog.
Chewing these dried meat treats, in addition, will help to clean the dog’s teeth by scraping off plaque. Some of the best dried meat treats include dried tendons, oesophagus, chicken strips and beef ears and snouts.
These treats are dog’s favourites even to those that are hesitant to eat healthy vegetables and fruit snacks.
However, remember it is important to feed your dog the right amount of food based on its size and age.
Use Chew Toys to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth
There are different types of chew toys available in the market that you can buy for your dog. These toys are available in different shapes, sizes, colours and made from different materials.
The process of chewing benefits the dog to maintain a good oral and dental health, the gnawing scrapes off plaque from your dog’s teeth.
Unlike chew bones that contain calories, chew toys are made from nylon or rubber and do not interfere with your dog’s dietary needs.
Chew toys can be offered to the dog after every meal for the dog to chew on it for a while.
One of the best chew toys available in pet stores to help your dog have a good dental health is Fine-Pets Toothbrush Teeth Cleaning Chew Toy.
This simple chew toy has two sides of spikes that brush against the dog’s teeth and gums as it chews on it.
The spikes are made in different sizes and angles to help grind off any residue or plaque that may have accumulated on your dog’s teeth. The chew toy is suitable for all dog sizes, from small puppies to older dogs.
Fine-Pet chew toy is made of natural rubber that is non-toxic and very eco-friendly. It is fun, safe and very comfortable for your dog to chew on it as its teeth is cleaned. It is also made of strong, super thick high quality and durable rubber.
The rubber is covered with rigid bristles that scrape off tartar at the top, while the bottom of the chew toy has a holding base.
The holding base allows you dog to hold the chew toy steadily on the ground using its paw to allow it chew on the toy easily.
In addition, the Fine-Pet chew toy is infused with fresh peppermint scent to keep your dog’s breath fresh after chewing, The bristles are also designed in a way that you can easily insert toothpaste for proper dental cleaning while chewing.
Say goodbye to bad breath, gingivitis, tartar, plaque and heart diseases by getting the Fine-Pet Toothbrush Teeth Cleaning Chew Toy for your dog today.
Dental Hygiene With Dog Toothpaste
Brushing your dog’s teeth is one of the best ways to help your dog not to develop dental illnesses such as gingivitis and periodontal diseases.
To brush your dog’s teeth, you need to get a tooth brush designed for dog’s use and dog toothpaste.
Dog’s toothpastes are made of delicious flavors such as peanut butter, vanilla and chicken flavor. It is also made of ingredients that help to scrub off stains and remove plaque and tartar.
Some dog toothpastes also have enzymes to help improve your dog’s breathe by reducing bacteria and lessening plaque build-up.
Brushing your dog’s teeth can be hard, however, consistent brushing will help your dog to learn and get used to the process of teeth brushing.
In the pursuit to keep our canine friends clean, some people have used toothpaste for humans. However, this is very dangerous and toxic for your dog.
Human toothpaste contains ingredients and artificial sweeteners that are harmful for dogs and may cause liver damage and blood sugar drops. Always remember, never use human toothpaste to clean your dog’s teeth.
To improve your dog’s oral and dental hygiene and keep him safe, consider using the Virbac manufactured toothpaste, the CET Enzymatic Toothpaste. CET Toothpaste is specifically formulated for safe use for your dog and can also be used for cats.
It contains dual enzyme that hinder development of plaque and tartar. It also contains a vanilla mint flavor that makes it easier to brush your pets’ teeth. In addition, the CET Toothpaste has no foaming agent and is safe for your dog to swallow.
CET toothpaste provides a natural antibacterial action that ensures there is no plaque formation on your dog’s teeth. It also helps to eliminate bad breath.
How to Check Your Dog’s Teeth?
If you brush your dog’s teeth, then it is most likely you also check its mouth for any health concerns.
However, if you never brush your dog’s teeth, it is possible to have your pet living with dental diseases that are causing pain and discomforts.
Checking your dog’s teeth will help you to identify dental diseases before they become serious health issues.
It is very easy to do a simple dental examination of your dog from home. This can be done within two minutes and should be done at least once a month. Checking your dog’s teeth can be done in simple steps highlighted below;
1. Examine Your Dog’s Face
Before opening your dog’s mouth, examine your dog’s face for any uncommon swelling.
2. Make sure your dog is at ease
Make sure your dog is relaxed and comfortable with you examining its mouth. Do not stick your fingers in the dog’s mouth without knowing what you are doing.
Remember, the dog can accidentally close their teeth on your finger if you touch a hurting tooth or gum.
3. Smell your dog’s breath
Smell your dog’s exhale. If you smell a strong and uncommon odour, then you may need to seek further help from a veterinarian.
4. Examine Your Dog’s Mouth
Carefully pull the lips back to expose the front teeth and gum of the dog. Remember to also check both sides of the mouth and the back of the gums. Look out for signs such as;
- Loose teeth
- Bleeding gums
- Receding gums
- Discoloured teeth evident as yellow tartar around the gum line
- Accumulated plaque and tartar
- Pain when you touch the gums
5. Seek Veterinarian’s Help
If you note signs of dental diseases, then take your dog to see a veterinarian for a comprehensive dental check-up.
If the signs mentioned above are left untreated, they may cause spread of bacteria from gums to other parts of the body. Dental problems are very painful, even to dogs and should not be left untreated.
Just like human beings, dental cleaning is also important for your dog. Dental diseases can cause excruciating pain to your pet and cause other health related issues.
To ensure your dog is healthy, brush its teeth using dog recommended toothbrush and toothpaste, or give it a chew toy or bone after every meal to help scrape off plaque and tartar.