How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth

Most dog owners know they should take their dog to the vet for routine health check ups and shots, but did you know that your dog also needs routine dental care? Dental care is very important to the overall health of your dog. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, eighty percent of dogs show signs of oral disease by age three. Many oral diseases and conditions can cause discomfort, pain, tooth decay and tooth loss. Some can lead to infections that affect your dog's organs and even cause death. Simply brushing your dog's teeth can prevent many of these problems. I will share some tips on how to brush your dog's teeth to make it fun and easy for you and your dog.

What You Should Use to Brush Your Dog's Teeth. Make sure you only use dental care products for your dog that are actually meant for dogs. Tooth pastes and gels meant for humans can make your dog sick.

Your veterinary may carry dog dental care supplies. You can also find dog dental care kits with brushes and tooth paste at many local and online pet stores. The tooth pastes usually come in flavors like beef or chicken. Every dog has different taste buds, so you may have to try a couple of different tooth pastes to find one your dog likes. I also recommend comparing prices and reviews before purchasing a dog dental product.

Make Teeth Brushing Enjoyable for Your Dog. Making cleaning sessions enjoyable for your dog will go a long way in getting him to like having his teeth brushed. You can start each session with something your dog likes, such as petting or grooming for a few minutes, before taking any steps toward brushing his teeth. Talking to your dog in an affectionate voice, praising your dog often by telling him what a good dog he is, and keeping an upbeat attitude will also make it a good experience for your dog.

You should also have a special treat for your dog that he will only get at the end of a cleaning session. Give your dog one after every session so he knows a yummy reward comes after cleaning. This is a good time for a plaque or tartar-fighting treat, just make sure it's something your dog loves and will look forward to, making your dog more likely to also look forward to and enjoy having his teeth brushed.

Take it Slowly, One Step at a Time. Don't try to jump right into actually brushing your dog's teeth right away. Taking small steps towards teeth brushing will give your dog time to get used to the whole process, making it much more likely that you will be met with little to no resistance.

Get Your Dog Used to You Handling His Muzzle. Most dogs aren't used to having their muzzles handled a lot and can actually feel threatened or dominated by having their muzzle held. The first step in being able to brush your dogs teeth, is getting him used to you handling his muzzle. You can do this by simply touching and rubbing your dog's muzzle in an affectionate way while also talking to your dog affectionately. You can include words like "brushing time" or something similar that you will use when you will brush your dog's teeth to get him familiar with the beginning of a cleaning session. Work on this first step for several days (or weeks) until your dog is completely comfortable with you handling his muzzle. Give your dog one of the special treats after every session.

Get Your Dog Used to You Putting Something in His Mouth. Once your dog is used to you handling his muzzle, you can move on to getting him used to you putting something in his mouth. Start out by handling your dog's muzzle and talking affectionately to him, then use your finger to start gently rubbing his teeth and gums just in the front of his mouth. If your dog resists, don't force the issue, just wait to try again the next day. Give your dog the special treat even if he resists this step.

Once your dog will let you rub his teeth and gums in the front of his mouth, try to rub more of his teeth and gums each session, moving on to the side and back teeth as your dog allows. These are usually easier to get to if you lift the side of your dog's mouth a bit. Work on these steps for several sessions until your dog is comfortable with you rubbing his teeth and gums with your finger. Remember to give your dog a special treat after each session.

Introducing the Toothpaste. Since tooth paste for dog's is usually meat flavored, most dog's love it. To let your dog get used to the taste, simply put a small amount of toothpaste on your finger and let your him lick it off. If your dog seems to like the tooth paste, then you can move on to the next step. If he didn't like it, you may have to try a different brand or flavor.

Finger Toothbrush. Many dental kits for dogs come with a toothbrush that actually goes on the end of your finger. This should work great once your dog has gotten used to your finger being in his mouth and is often much easier to use than a regular toothbrush for dogs. Before trying to brush your dog's teeth with the finger toothbrush, put some of the toothpaste on it and let your dog lick it off, then give your dog the special treat. This allows your dog to get used to the feel and texture of the toothbrush. Repeat this step for a couple of sessions.

Brushing Your Dog's Teeth. Once your dog seems used to the feel and texture of the finger toothbrush, you can move on to starting to brush his teeth. Only try to brush one or two teeth during the first real brushing session, then give your dog the special treat as a reward for letting you brush his teeth.

For the first several sessions of brushing your dog's teeth, only brush a little bit each time, don't worry about getting the whole mouth at once. Also, brushing the front of the teeth is what's important in a dog's mouth, it's not necessary to get the back of the teeth. Brush more teeth as your dog gets used to it and allows you to. Try to brush your dog's teeth every day or at least every other day to prevent plaque buildup. If you miss a couple of days, don't quit. Brushing your dog's teeth a couple of times a week is a lot better than not at all.

The Final and Most Important Tip. Never force your dog to let you brush his teeth and stop right away if your dog starts pulling away or fighting it. If you aggravate your dog by forcing him to have his teeth brushed, it is very likely that it will never go well from then on and it may even make it impossible for you to ever do it again. Dental care would then require an expensive trip to the vet and possibly even anesthesia in order to do a cleaning.

Related Content:

National Pet Dental Health Month

How to Brush Your Cat's Teeth

Sources:

American Veterinary Dental Society