Teeth Cleaning For Dogs Health
Not many dog owners ever give any thoughts to cleaning their dogs’ teeth, but the fact is that a dog with bad teeth is more at risk of illness. Just like humans, dogs need to have good oral hygiene to prevent a lot of other health problems that are results of bad teeth, the most common being dog’s breath.
Just as in humans, bacteria can multiply in your dog’s mouth. If his teeth are not brushed regularly the bacteria eventually cause a hard, calcified build up that literally needs to be scraped off with a powered tool. If left untreated, your dog’s teeth will rot and the bacteria will spread into your dog’s blood system and get carried to other parts of the body and damage cause damage and shorten your dog’s life.
To prevent the spread of the bacteria, make sure when you take your dog to have his regular veterinarian check up to include a dental checkup. Don’t be surprised if your dog has to go in for a scaling which involves scraping away the calcified tarter build up from the teeth – especially if his dental care has been ignored for some time. Don’t worry, though, this procedure is quite harmless. However, your dog will have to be anesthetized during the procedure so he might be groggy, with some sore teeth, for a day or two after wards.
By cleaning your dog’s teeth on a regular basis, you can keep these scaling procedures to a minimum. This may be easier said than done, especially if you have never cleaned your dog’s teeth before.
Taking care of your dog’s teeth is not that much different from cleaning your own teeth, although patience and perseverance will pay off. There are two types of toothbrushes available for dogs – one is a rubber tube that fits over your finger and has rubber bristles on the end, and the other is a toothbrush that looks very similar to a human toothbrush but angled a bit differently. You may have to experiment with each type of toothbrush on your dog to see which one works best for you.
Just like brushing your own teeth, you need toothpaste. But don’t use people toothpaste on you dog. There are special toothpaste formulated. The doggy toothpaste has enticing flavors – to dogs – like poultry and beef. More important than the flavor, the toothpastes contain enzymes to fight the bacteria that build up in a typical dog’s mouth.
When cleaning your dog’s teeth, you need to make sure to get each and every tooth – especially the ones way in the back of the mouth – as well as around the gums. Your dog probably isn’t going to like brushing at first but after awhile he will get used the routine. To keep your dog’s teeth clean, you need to be persistent and brush his teeth every day. Keeping your dog’s teeth clean will help keep your dog healthy and make those doggy breath a thing of the pass.