How to brush your dog’s teeth at home

Often, dogs enter our lives so firmly that they become equivalent members of the family. And care for their health and hygiene is not in last place. We regularly clean and bathe our dog, trim his claws, get vaccinated, and take him to the vet. But often many owners forget about one of the main procedures - brushing your teeth.

Why should a dog brush his teeth

Previously, when animals ate solid food, they did not need to brush their teeth. But in the modern world, when bones and raw meat were replaced by dry food and soft foods from the human table, the problem of dental health is becoming more and more urgent. Dog owners turn to veterinarians with various diseases of the oral cavity - caries, tartar, plaque, gum disease. That is why teeth need to be cleaned on time. Of course, the dog does not need to brush his teeth twice a day, but at least three brushings a week should be.

Regular brushing of the teeth in the dog will help maintain healthy teeth and gums. And this will protect your pet from some diseases of the digestive tract. In addition, brushing your teeth will help rid the dog of bad breath from its mouth.

In addition to regular cleaning, the dog should be taken to the veterinarian at least once a year to remove tartar. Ultrasonic stone removal is a painless procedure that many dogs can easily tolerate. The exception is large breeds of dogs for which you have to do general anesthesia for brushing your teeth.

It is worth accustoming a dog to cleaning from a very young age. Up to three months, while the dog’s teeth are milk, they can only be brushed, without paste. After six months, the dog needs regular brushing and paste. If you do not brush your teeth, this can lead to loosening and even tooth loss. This is especially true for dwarf breeds - chihuahua, toy terrier and others. The owner can determine the presence of problems in the dog's oral cavity by its behavior - the dog is reluctant to take food, lose its appetite, or refuse to eat at all. In advanced cases, a fistula or abscess may occur in the oral cavity, which leads to fever and even death of the animal.

That is why brushing your teeth is a serious procedure that should not be neglected.

How to brush your dog’s teeth

If possible, the dog needs to start brushing its teeth in infancy. However, if your dog is already old enough - this is not a reason to refuse the procedure.

1. First you need to show the pet that the procedure is not dangerous and does not bring any pain. To do this, wrap a piece of cloth on your finger and soak it in chicken or beef broth. This is done so that the dog was "tasty" and he did not feel extraneous taste and smell.
2. Hold the dog between the knees tightly, but not very tightly. With one hand, lift the drums (lips hanging down on the sides), and with the other pass a cloth over the teeth. In this case, you can repeat a specific command, for example - "Clean". Try not to hurt your gums so that your pet is not hurt and uncomfortable.
3. After that, do not forget to praise the dog and treat him with your favorite treat.
4. When the dog gets used to it and is not afraid, you can change a piece of cloth to a special brush and paste. Human hygiene products cannot be used. The anatomical features of the dog’s mouth do not allow the use of a human brush - it does not clean the fangs and can damage the gums. It is also impossible to use pasta for people, because it contains fluorine, which is harmful to dogs. In addition, most of the paste enters the esophagus, because the dog does not know how to rinse the mouth.
5. A special brush and paste can be bought at a veterinary store or pharmacy.The brush can be short and wide, or it can be a special convenient rubber fingertip. The principle of brushing is similar to brushing a person’s teeth. Put a little paste on the brush, lift the bryl and carefully, but carefully clean the fangs of the animal on both sides. After that, you can offer the dog a drink.
6. If you don’t have special tools at hand, you can use a children's toothbrush (with soft bristles, rounded edges and a floating head) and folk recipes. Tomato paste or strawberry juice will help get rid of plaque on the animal’s teeth. They contain special acids that destroy plaque and tartar. Just apply a little paste or juice on a cotton pad and gently wipe your pet's fangs.
7. Another homemade dentifrice is aloe juice, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Mix the peroxide and juice in equal proportions. Add baking soda so that a creamy mass is obtained. Put the prepared product on a piece of gauze and rub the dog’s teeth with it.

Brushing your teeth is not so difficult, but some dogs flatly refuse this procedure. What to do in this case?

How to replace toothbrushing

If your pet does not allow him to brush his teeth, and you do not want to subject him to general anesthesia (he is not so safe), then you need to use alternative hygiene products.

Veterinary stores sell special sticks and bones that can withstand the formation of plaque and stone. They are easy enough to gnaw to brush your teeth from all sides. Pets usually gnaw hard sticks with pleasure, because they are made with different tastes - meat, fish, chicken.

There is also a dental spray on sale today. If the dog does not allow you to brush your teeth, then the pet will allow you to spray on them. The spray corrodes the formation of salts and protects the oral cavity from germs.

With age, the tendency to plaque in a dog increases, so pets over the years increasingly need to be cleaned. Do not neglect this procedure if you want your pet to live a long, healthy and happy life!

Video: how and how to brush a dog’s teeth