My Jack Russell Terrier, Sam, inspired me to write this article on teeth cleaning for dogs because he is the world’s worst patient when it came to anything remotely to do with the vet’s. For a time, he suffered from terrible “dog breath”, which we put down to the fact that…well, ummm… he’s a dog!
But that was only part of it. Not only did his breath smell awful, but he had a few other symptoms, some of which we’re kicking ourselves for not noticing earlier.
Teeth Care For Dogs
This brings me on to the most important aspect of dog dental health – regular teeth examinations.
You see, there are certain tell-tale signs that there is some kind of dental problem that requires your attention.
There’s the one I’ve mentioned already, bad breath, for example. This is such a common problem anyway and may not even be a sign that anything more serious is wrong that it’s easily overlooked. However, I would strongly encourage you to pay attention if your dog has consistently bad breath for no identifiable reason. If your dog’s breath gets a lot worse than normal then that could also be a sign that an underlying dental problem is developing and needs your attention.
Other signs that there’s something wrong include broken teeth, lumps under the eye, loss of appetite, nasal discharge and red or swollen gums.
Sam didn’t exhibit any of these other symptoms apart from the loss of appetite, which was very noticeable because he was a bit of a glutton. I mean, he’d eat anything and everything on offer. He would eat pasta (without any sauce on it – just plain old spaghetti), carrots were a favourite of his, too – I think he enjoyed the crunch. On one occasion, while everyone was out, he broke into the kitchen cupboard and ate my sister’s birthday cake, candles and all!
So when he turned his nose up at his usual bowl of food, we should really have suspected that he was suffering from a medical problem of some kind. Unfortunately, we just put it down to the old lady next door feeding him treats in between his mealtimes. Well, you live and learn.
So keep an eye out for symptoms like those I’ve just mentioned and bear in mind that they can be caused by bad teeth.
How to Care for Dogs Teeth
So how should we be caring for our dogs’ teeth?
In addition to a regular examinations, I think that keeping your dog’s teeth clean is the most important thing you can do to maintain his health.
And if you’re in any doubt that the effort involved in looking after your dog’s dental health is worth it, bear in mind that if your dog’s teeth are in poor condition they can have serious knock on implications for the health of your dog in general.
For example, if a dog has bad teeth, eating can become painful, which results in a loss of appetite and mal-nourishment. There is also the potential for serious infections of the mouth to occur which, if left untreated, can damage the immune system and even travel in the bloodstream to the heart, where serious complications can arise.
Professional Teeth Cleaning For Dogs
If your dog has teeth that are in very poor condition, it is well worth taking him to the vet’s in order to get a proper going over. You see, a regular routine of brushing can help to keep plaque at bay, but it won’t do anything to fix teeth that are already in poor condition.
When your dog goes to the vet’s for teeth cleaning, the vet will most likely give him a general anaesthetic. You see, for vets it is essential to use anaesthesia for dogs teeth cleaning because, for some reason, our canine companions don’t like to co-operate with members of the veterinary profession. This is an issue in general, but is all the more important when dealing with the sharp rows of gnashers that can put a veterinary surgeon’s livelihood at risk.
As a result of the need to put your dog under sedation during the procedure, it is a rather expensive business that can take up to an hour to complete.
Low Cost Teeth Cleaning for Dogs
So, if you don’t like the sound of an expensive trip to the vet’s for a dog with bad teeth, it’s important that you embark upon a regimen of regular oral hygiene for your dog.
At home, teeth cleaning for dogs without anaesthesia is obviously the way to go. Not least because most of us are not qualified vets who could safely administer the correct dose to knock our pet out for the required amount of time.
Before I go into the procedure for cleaning your dog’s teeth, it’s worth considering the tools you’ll need for the job.
Teeth Cleaning Products for Dogs
Before you start, gather together the following tools:
You’ll need a damp washcloth, some dog toothpaste (DO NOT USE HUMAN TOOTHPASTE because this contains fluoride which is toxic to dogs) and a finger toothbrush (or gauze wrapped around your finger).
I cannot stress highly enough that you must not use human toothpaste on your dog. Your dog isn’t able to swill his mouth out and spit the toothpaste residues down the plug hole, so everything pretty much ends up in his stomach. Bad news if that means a lot of fluoride which can poison him.
A word about your choice of brush. Although it is possible to use a human toothbrush on him, I would highly recommend using a purpose-designed finger toothbrush for dogs. The extra cost is hardly worth bothering about and it means that the brush is perfectly suited to the ergonomics of your dog’s mouth. Brushing your dog’s teeth is hard enough so you should take every little bit of help that’s on offer and using a human toothbrush is false economy in my opinion.
Plaque Remover for Dogs Teeth
Don’t use a plaque remover! These can damage your dog’s gums and are best left for use by vets. I would never forgive myself if I damaged my dog’s teeth by using an inappropriate tool on him and I suggest you avoid these specialist tools, too.
Teeth Brushing For Dogs
So you’ve got all your equipment laid out and ready to go. Your dog is nice and relaxed, preferably tired after a long walk which will make him more amenable to the idea of a spot of dental hygiene. Now it’s time to get the job done.
Before we begin, let’s consider what we need to do to get your dog used to having his teeth cleaned.
Some dogs might be reluctant to have their owner touch their mouth, especially if they are already in discomfort due to bad teeth. So, the best way to get them used to the idea is by gently lifting their lips (a bit of soothing talk is a good idea at this point) and then taking the wet washcloth and rubbing it gently on the dog’s gums and teeth. This will get you dog used to being handled in this way. If he looks impatient or annoyed, just back off, give him a treat and then try again the next day, gradually increasing the time each day until he’s happy with being touched in this way.
This is easier to accomplish with a young dog so it’s best to start with a puppy so that you both get into good habits.
Once your dog is used to the gum and teeth massages using the wet washcloth, you can get going with teeth brushing properly.
First, put some toothpaste on the brush and let your dog lick it off. This will get him accustomed to the taste and texture of the paste. Chances are that he’ll like the taste because you’ll be using a special doggy toothpaste that tastes of yummy meaty flavours.
Lift up the lips and gently rub the brush against the teeth and gums. Don’t push it, just do it until your dog complains. Then give him a treat, even if he’s been a big baby about the whole thing, and leave it until tomorrow before trying again.
The next day, repeat the process, whilst trying to gradually increase the time spent brushing until you feel you’ve been able to give the teeth and gums a thorough clean.
How Often Should I Brush My Dog’s Teeth?
This depends on how difficult it is to get your dog to co-operate and how commited you are to your pet’s oral hygiene. Ideally you should brush them every day, but I think most experts would agree that once or twice a week is acceptable.
Teeth Whitening for Dogs
This is only my opinion, and many people would disagree, but I don’t like to do anything unnecessary to my dogs. I wouldn’t dock his tail and I wouldn’t whiten his teeth using anything other than natural treatments either.
These are cosmetic treatments and I would not put my dog through something that is of no benefit to him just for the sake of making him look nicer to humans.
You might want to whiten your dog’s teeth, but I wouldn’t do it. I’m not being judgmental here, if you want to do it then fine. It’s just not for me, that’s all.
Best Treats for Dogs Teeth
Now, some dogs make such a fuss over getting their teeth cleaned (often with violence and aggression thrown in) that their poor owners are at a loss as to what to do. Under these circumstances there are three choices:
- Give up on the dental hygiene altogether. This is not an option for a responsible dog owner.
- Pay a lot of money to have the vet do it at regular intervals. Quite apart from being an expensive option, this introduces unnecessary risk for your dog, who is subjected to general anaesthetic at frequent intervals.
- Use doggy chews and treats that also clean the dog’s teeth. This is by far the best option if you’ve tried without success to get your dog to co-operate with your teeth cleaning efforts.
So what’s available that will clean you dog’s teeth without actually using a toothbrush?
Well there are a number of dental toys on the market that you can use with your dog. Some of these even allow toothpaste to be squeezed into them so they actually do a half decent job. Examples of these are Busy Buddy, Kong Toys and Nylabone products which are all designed to clean a dog’s teeth while he plays.
Some premium dog foods like Hill’s or Iams dog food contain an abrasive which help dislodge plaque.
Tartar control biscuits are also available as are chews, such as the ones available from Greenies. Enzyme-treated rawhide chews and products such as Pedigree’s Dentabone can also make a useful contribution to a dog’s dental hygiene regimen.
Large bones can be beneficial with a big marrow bone or the knuckle bone from a cow being a popular choice for helping canine teeth. You’ll come across some vets who recommend freezing bones when they’re raw or boiling them to make them safer. Other vets advise against them because they harbour bacteria and can splinter causing injury or blockage. Another risk is that they can break a dog’s teeth.
Whether you give your dog a bone or not is down to you; a personal judgement based on your knowledge of your dog’s behaviour and preferences. My own opinion is that the occasional bone is probably good for your dog’s teeth – after all, wild dogs must spend a fair amount of time chomping on bones of animals they’ve killed for food so it seems entirely natural to me.
Conclusion
Whatever option you choose for keeping your dog’s teeth nice and clean, make sure you start young and keep it part of a regular routine. Make use of all the available options, including chews and special biscuits etc and test what suits your dog best in terms of toothpaste flavours and whether they prefer a finger toothbrush or simply a piece of gauze wrapped around your own finger. Regular check-ups at the vets will help to ensure that everything’s on track and can resolve most problems that can arise.
So take care of your dog’s teeth and you’ll help keep him happy and healthy well into old-age.
