Brushing Your Dog's Teeth

Your dog’s teeth should be brushed once a day, to prevent tartar and plaque. Not only does this reduce the odor of your pet’s breath, but it lowers the risk of heart disease as well!

 

Supplies:

• Use a pet toothbrush or a children’s toothbrush with soft bristles.

• Never use human toothpaste, baking soda, or salt. These products can be toxic to dogs if swallowed.

• If you do not have access to pet toothpaste, use water.

• There are different flavors of pet toothpaste. Give your dog a small sample so they can taste it ahead of time. This also will let you know if your dog loves or hates the taste of that flavor.

 

How to brush your dog’s teeth:

• Get the toothbrush wet, then put a small amount of pet toothpaste on the toothbrush.

• Lift the lip to view your dog’s gums and teeth.

• Brush each tooth with gentle circular motions to clean the teeth and gums.

• Clean the outside (cheek-facing) surfaces of the teeth only, as most pets will not allow you to brush the inside surface of the teeth.

• Do not stick your fingers in between the teeth, especially the molars, so your fingers aren’t pinched when the dog moves the lower jaw.

• Be sure to reach the canines and the molars in the back. These teeth tend to build up tartar the fastest.

• Reward your dog with play, petting, and love during and after teeth brushing!

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Baby Teeth

Teeth care is of great importance and the baby teeth need to be removed at around 6 months of age if they have not fallen out on their own for the adult teeth to come in properly. A good time to do this is when your puppy will be spayed/neutered, and the teeth can be taken care of while your puppy is asleep during the spay/neuter procedure.

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