Thinking about bringing a new dog home is an exciting time for any family. You and your family will get excited about looking at websites such as https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/labrador-retriever-breed/f/what-color-labrador-is-the-smartest to decide which dog will suit your lifestyle best. From here, you can then begin planning on how you will make your home the optimal place to keep your new family member happy and healthy. This will range from getting advice about the best foods to feed them, the toys they need, and delegating tasks to each family member to take responsibility for their care.
One of the most important things for dog owners to do is to make sure they are able to keep their dogs healthy. However, with all the best intentions, a dog’s oral hygiene is an area that many owners may overlook.
Why Taking Care of Your Dog’s Teeth is Important
Dogs will use their teeth for more than just simply eating. They use them for playing and exploring their surroundings using taste. That’s why as dog owners, we need to take the time to look after their teeth. In doing so, we help to prevent dental issues such as; plaque build-up, tartar, gum inflammation, or bad breath. Most dog owners know that dogs tend to have less than fresh breath anyway. But dog breath that is particularly bad could be a sign of some serious health issues for your furry friend.
How Can I Tell if My Dog has Issues With His Teeth?
Canine periodontal disease is something that can often go unnoticed by owners. The main reason for this is that the first sign is bad breath. It is common for a dog’s breath to smell; particularly after they eat, but a persistent bad breath in dogs shouldn’t be ignored.
Untreated periodontal disease could cause some potentially serious health issues in our dogs. They will experience issues including tooth loss, painful abscesses and infections that could potentially cause heart disease and permanent jaw damage that can be fatal for a dog. The good news is that a dog owner can help to prevent their dog from experiencing dental issues by keeping their teeth clean.
Brush Their Teeth
You may have thought that with the sheer amount of chewing that dogs do, they wouldn’t need any help keeping their teeth clean. This is not the case.
While the idea of brushing a dog’s teeth may seem a little bit strange, it is incredibly important to do. It prevents further issues from arising. Just like human beings need to, brushing your dog’s teeth is a brilliant way to help to prevent plaque build up that will lead to doggy gum disease.
At first, the act of brushing your dog’s teeth may seem like somewhat of a challenge. Dogs may resist the challenge. You can, eventually, train your dog to have their teeth brushed in the same way you would train them to have their claws clipped. The good news is that you won’t need to go through the tooth brushing process with your dog every day. But the more regularly you do it, the better it is for their health overall.
It’s important to remember that when brushing your dog’s teeth, you should never use toothpaste formulated for humans. The ingredients are toxic to dogs. You can find special dog toothpaste formula that helps keep their teeth and gums clean. These are available in a range of flavours that they enjoy, such as peanut butter, chicken, or beef.
Vets will also recommend which toothbrushes are suitable for dogs. This depends on the size of your animal and their jaws. For small dogs, you can even find toothbrushes that can be worn on the tip of your finger. Bear in mind that doggy tooth brushing may seem a little intrusive to your dog. It may take some trial and error to establish which style of toothbrush is best for your dog. But it will be worth it when you know that they are getting the best care for them.
Find them some Dog Chews and Dental Treats
Dogs chew stuff. It’s part of their natural instinct. While it could cause some issues for your furniture, it does good for your dog’s mouth.
The act of gnawing on stuff helps them scrape the plaque in the same way that brushing would. There are lots of different types of dog chews on the market, made from either dried meat, bones, rubber, or nylon. All of them are designed with ingredients and shapes that both taste good to dogs as well as helping to scrape the plaque from their teeth.
With so much choice on the market, you are all bound to find something your dog enjoys, regardless of what you choose for them.
Take Them For a Professional Cleaning
Lastly, one of the best ways to make sure your dog’s mouths are kept healthy is by taking them for professional teeth cleaning at your vets.
During the cleaning procedure, your vet will use special tools to remove plaque and tartar from the teeth and give them a gentle polish. Following this, they will use a dental probe to search for other potential tooth and gum issues.
Taking your dog to the vets for a professional tooth clean will allow them to check properly for any other potential issues in your dog’s mouth. As well as being able to advise you best how to take care of your pet’s teeth if you are still unsure.
When it comes to getting advice on how to take care of a pet, your vet is the most experienced person you can speak to. They can help in regards to getting advice around locating, treating, and preventing any issues in your dog’s mouth that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
