Providing Canine Dental Care at Home

The first step in maintaining your pet's oral health is learning how to provide your four-legged friend with good canine dental care at home. Providing good dog dental care includes regularly brushing your dog's teeth, but also involves learning how to tell if your dog is suffering from tooth or gum disease and how best to prevent and/or treat these conditions.

Are you interested in learning how to provide canine dental care at home? You can follow this simple guide to pet dental care and put your mind (and your pet) at ease in just a few easy steps:

6 Easy Steps to Providing Canine Dental Care at Home

Educate Yourself. Perhaps one of the most important things that you can do, when it comes to providing your pet with good doggie dental care, is to learn the risks of not doing so. For instance, did you realize that most untreated dogs begin to exhibit signs of tooth decay and periodontal disease before the age of 4 years? Leaving your dog to suffer the effects of poor dental care can not only risk tooth decay and tooth loss, but can also lead to the gum disease gingivitis, as well as serious conditions like heart, liver and kidney disease.

Learn the Warning Signs. There are many warning signs that will help to tell you if your dog is suffering from various dental health problems. Some of these signs can include (but are not limited to) changes in daily routines, increased drooling, bleeding, red or even swollen gums. If you suspect that your dog may be suffering from periodontal disease or any other canine dental problem, consult your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis.

Brush Your Dog's Teeth. Learning to brush your dog's teeth is an essential part of providing canine dental care at home. Whether you use a doggie tooth brush and liver-flavored toothpaste or even a soft cloth with a paste made of baking soda and water, brushing your dog's teeth for a couple of minutes every other day, will significantly reduce plaque build up, prevent bad breath and keep your dog much happier and healthier.

Check for Plaque and Tartar. You should always check for plaque and tartar build up on your dog's teeth. Plaque is the white pastey material that clings to your dog's teeth; loaded with harmful tooth-decaying bacteria, plaque will erode and decay the tooth if left unchecked, so it's important to clean it off regularly. Tartar, meanwhile, is the hard yellowed plaque that cements on the teeth. If your dog is suffering from tartar build up, you will probably have to go to the veterinarian and have your dog's teeth professionally scraped and cleaned.

Don't Believe Every Ad. They say "don't believe what you read" and the same is true with the different advertisements you hear about dog treats, dog kibble and tartar control. While crunchy kibble can help to remove plaque from a dog's teeth, you have to ask yourself if you'd be happy with just using that stick of chewing gum they suggest after meals - as your sole method of dental care? Chances are, you'll understand.

Invest in Chew Toys. Even better than dog biscuits, quality nylon and rubber chew toys can help to exercise the jaws, stimulate the gums and help reduce tartar buildup.

These are just a few of the things you can do to provide your dog with good home dental care. For best results, brush your dog's teeth regularly and work with your veterinarian to put together a good tooth cleaning program for you and your pooch. Tails will soon be wagging!

Sources:

Personal experience as a long-time pet owner and breeder

http://www.dogcustomer.com/symptoms/dog_mouth_tooth_problems.htm - Information on dog dental care