Tips for Caring for Your Dog's Teeth

I have two Chihuahuas, they are now each 8 years old. Luckily, neither one has lost any teeth and neither one of them has bad breath. I attribute this to some preventative care. I've never had their teeth professionally cleaned. It's very expensive and involves putting the dogs under anesthesia. I've alternated between tooth paste kits, dental care essentials. A kit that comes with a nubby finger cot, tartar control tooth paste and a doggy toothbrush with a small head. I have picked up one set at a garage sale and the other I purchased from Drsfostersandsmith.com online for $7.99. Drsfosterandsmith offer baking soda toothpaste, triple tooth brushes and anentire dental system. so you can access all sides of the dogs teeth or regular toothbrushes.

My one dog is quite co operative , the smaller guy is not. With the smaller guy I just sort of feed him the tooth paste on the brush and let him chew on the pasted brush. There are also a variety of biscuits and chews that help maintain healthy teeth and gums. Never use human tooth paste on your pet's teeth. Had we gotten our dogs as puppies I would have trained them to accept concentrated attention to their teeth.

There are liquid solutions like Pet Kiss Breath Freshener that can be added to your pet's water at one tablespoon per quart of water. You can include this as part of a total dental health plan. I offer my dogs coarse biscuits will be enough to care for their teeth.

If your veterinarian recommends a dental cleaning, then your pet is probably suffering from some discomfort. Since Dogs and cats have the same nerve supply to their teeth as you and I they can loose teeth or have pain. If your dog or cat rejects his/her kibble or stops eating for a period of time it's important to have his teeth checked when he goes in for a vet check.

Oravet is a product that acts as a barrier sealant that can be applied to your pets teeth immediately following a dental cleaning . You can check that out at oravet.com or speak to your Vet about it if your dog has a tendency to have problems with its teeth. Certain breeds are particularly susceptible to loss of teeth like the Chinese Crested. You will often see them with their tongues hanging out of their mouth due to tooth loss. More than 80% of dogs have dental issues by the time they're four years old. Periodontal disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem in pets. Plaque, a mixture of bacteria and food debris, builds up on tooth surfaces and works its way under the gum line. Toxins released by the bacteria cause an inflammatory reaction that can lead to destruction of tissue and bone that anchor the teeth in place. If the bacteria enter the blood stream, they can even affect the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Preventing periodontal disease by keeping your pet's teeth and gums healthy is very important. Oral care at home is important in controlling plaque and tartar formation.

You can purchase tooth scalers, dental wipes called clenspads. Clenspads are soaked with dental cleanser and are meant to be used daily. They contain a plaque fighter called chlorexedine.

Greenies have been very popular with my dogs but I heard a lot of bad stories about them causing intestinal blockage so I stopped giving them to my dogs. There is a new version out that is claiming to be highly digestible. They are shaped like little toothbrushes and come in several sizes. They promote tooth health but I haven't been willing to try the new version as yet. I'm waiting to hear whether or not they cause problems as well.

Ripples are obviously rippled chews that come in chicken or spearmint flavor and are intended for daily dental maintenance. They contain chlorophyll rich spinach so they are nutritious as well. I over my dogs raw carrot for nutrition and additional tooth cleaning.

Fresh Breath Tablets that neutralizes odors in the dogs digestive system and help scrub the teeth when chewed. You can also purchase little bone shaped dental mints at Bed, Bath and Beyond and certain pet shops.

Another way to maintain dental health is to offer your dogs play toys designed to clean the tartar from the dogs teeth as they chew. You can get Nylabones with nubs which are raised bits to massage the dogs gums and remove plaque. These come in all sizes and run about $2.99 and up depending on size.

Biscuits like fresh bite biscuits contain parsley seed oil, mint, chlorophyll and charcoal to enhance digestion and breath.

Rawhide can be purchased in mint. Rawhide also acts as a plaque scrubber.

So, investing a bit of time and money can save you in the long run when it comes to protecting your dogs dental well being.