Keeping your dog healthy is important for the dog’s longevity. Don’t overlook your dog’s oral health.
Many people overlook taking care of their dog’s teeth. Their teeth, and your dog’s oral health in a general sense, like their overall health needs to be taken care of, regularly.
As a member of your family your dog gives you companionship, loyalty and is always happy to see you. In return your dog does asks very little of you.
When dogs lived in the wild their teeth and gums were free from plaque and other problems because of a diet of raw bones, which they chewed on. The chewing motion on the bones would scrape off the plaque. In addition, it also helped to remove any meat stuck in the dog’s teeth. This minimized the risk of bacteria growing around the gums.
Your dog needs your help with his oral health.
Most dogs eat canned dog food which is soft and eats small pieces of the hard food. This type of food will not provide the dog with natural teeth and gum care that obtained from chewing on raw bones. Soft dog food encourages bacteria to grow around the teeth which causes bad breath and other problems.
Your dog is special. Your dog’s oral health should be important to you. Ensure you look after her teeth. For at least a few meals a week give your dog bones to chew. Not only will the bones be good for the teeth, your dog will love the bones as treats.
Make sure you give your dog the right bones.
Speak to your vet who will advise you on the best bones to give your dog. You local pet shop will also provide advice on dog bones.
Giving your dog bones to chew regularly, over time you will see less build-up of plague on the dog’s teeth. The dog’s general oral health will also improve and minimize the occurrence of teeth and gum problems.
Some dogs are so used to eating soft food that giving him bones to chew holds little interest.
If this happens, undertake the dog’s oral care yourself through using a toothbrush and toothpaste.
NOTE. Do not use toothpaste for people to clean your dog’s teeth.
Your vet and the local pet shop will advise on the correct type of toothpaste and toothbrush for your dog. There are special tooth brushes for dogs. They will also demonstrate how to clean the dog’s teeth.
Daily brushing your dog’s teeth is best. If this difficult to do, then brush them at 3 or 4 times a weekly at a minimum.
Steps to brushing your dog’s teeth.
- Brush the teeth well.
- For good circulation in the dog’s gums given them a massage.
- Check you have removed any food bits that are stuck in her teeth.
Ensure you include in the dog’s diet hard, dry food. This will help to support the health of your dog’s teeth and gums.
The hardness of dog biscuits helps to remove plaque.
Dry, hard food does not replace proper teeth cleaning, but it will help with maintaining oral health. As dog biscuits are hard, they can help to remove plaque and minimize the plaque from accumulating on the teeth.
Oral Check up at the vets
Have your vet do an oral check-up of your dog. It should be done occasionally. The vet may identify oral issues and provide advice on cleaning techniques. The vet can also advise on the type of food to give your dog for oral health and to minimize bacteria in the mouth.
Maintaining good oral health of your dog reduces potential teeth and gums problems which can be expensive to treat. Good oral health in a dog, is good for the dog’s happiness and overall health.