Teeth Brushing
Did you know that an adult dog has 42 teeth in its mouth? Yes, even the little Chihuahua down the street or sitting in your lap.
Did you also know that, just like us, dogs can suffer from periodontal disease? In fact, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) states that by 2 years of age, approximately 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease.
Anatomical issues, such as tooth crowding, diabetes, kidney disease, and even your dog's diet can all be contributing factors in your dog developing periodontal disease. What is periodontal disease? Periodontal disease is the inflammation of the gums and other tissues surrounding the teeth. This inflammation is caused by plague build up on the teeth and bacteria getting between the teeth and gums. Bad breath is not the only sign that your dog may have periodontal disease. The dog may paw at their face due to pain. When eating, they may only chew on one side of their mouth or may drop pieces of their food. They may also refuse to eat their food altogether, as well as any treats offered that are crunchy, such as biscuits. Just like in humans, periodontal disease causes teeth to decay. Inflamed gums and decaying or broken teeth causes pain. Although dogs still retain the instinct to hide pain, illness, or anything else deemed as weakness, once that pain reaches a certain point, they won't be able to hide it any more.
So, how can we, as loving, dedicated caregivers of the most dedicated Canine Best Friends, reduce the risk of them getting periodontal disease while at the same time helping to keep their teeth looking bright white and healthy? Well, the same way we take care of our own teeth. We can brush our dogs' teeth! That's right! With a proper toothbrush and the right toothpaste designed specifically for pets, we can help our Canine Best Friends take proper care of all 42 of their pearly white teeth. There are even dog toys made now that will help in keeping your dog's teeth clean.
Examples of Two Types of Pet Friendly Toothbrushes and a Teeth Cleaning Dog Toy
As with all things regarding the care of our Canine Best Friends, keeping their teeth clean and healthy starts at home. The earlier you start the better, however, just because you may have an adult dog, you can start now. The first step is to get your dog accustomed to it's face being touch and handled and its lips being moved out of the way and the mouth opened so the teeth can be examined. Your veterinarian, as well as your groomer, will thank you for this bit of training with your dog. Once your dog is good with your touching their face, moving its lips, and opening the mouth, we move on to introducing the tooth brushing tool. Whether you selected a specific pet designed toothbrush or one that slips over your fingertip, show it to Sweet Pumpkin Lily and let them sniff it and lick it. Then, gently open their mouth and rub it on their teeth. Pumpkin may resist this at first, and that's okay! Encourage and reassure Sweet Pumpkin Lily with praising them by telling them what a good dog they are for letting you do this. You can even give Sweet Pumpkin Lily a little treat during the training and when the training session is done. Once your dog has become comfortable with this new step you can add a small amount of the Approved for Pets Toothpaste to the brush. Gently apply the toothpaste to the teeth with the toothbrush, praising Sweet Pumpkin Lily the entire time so they know this is a good thing. When you are finished, give more praise and a treat. During the training phase, you will want to repeat this daily. Once your dog has fully accepted their teeth being brushed, you can reduce brushing their teeth from once to three times a week.
Here at Pooch Pawlor, we will take care of one of those toothbrushings for you. We use C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste by Virbac every time your bring Sweet Pumpkin Lily in for bath.