Tips for brushing dogs teeth

Brushing dogs teeth is not easy, but it is a very important part of helping keep dental disease at bay, which impacts on their overall health and wellbeing.

Let’s put it into perspective. Imagine if you never brushed your teeth and how this would impact on your health. Not to mention the pain you would be in due to gum disease, loose and cracked teeth, cavities and other issues.

Given 80% of dogs and 70% of cats begin to show signs of dental disease by age three, it’s clearly evident that many pets across Australia are suffering in silence as their gum disease worsens.

Why you miss your dog’s dental pain

Most owners are oblivious to the pain their pets are in because they are still eating. It’s important to realise though that dogs and cats inherently hide their pain and will continue to eat even if it is hurting them – how else are they going to survive?

Dental care at home

Fortunately, there are some ways to help keep plaque and dental disease at bay in between professional cleans. This includes brushing dogs teeth daily, or at least every couple of days.

You can also use the range of oral care solutions from Tropiclean to help make your pet’s dental cleaning routine easier and help tackle their smelly breath too!

Use dog specific toothpaste

When it comes to brushing dogs teeth, never use human toothpaste.  The TropiClean Oral Care Gel, a powerful blend of natural anti-bacterial ingredients that help reduce plaque and tartar build-up between routine visits to your vet.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, TropiClean have their Fresh Breath Oral Care Kit that includes both the Oral Care Gel and Dental Health Solution with a Triple head Toothbrush for a 360-degree clean to cover all surfaces of their teeth.

And to keep your pet’s breath fresh, TropiClean offer a variety of Dental Health Solutions formulated with different health benefits that you can add to their water bowl daily to freshen their breath. This is in addition to brushing dogs teeth though!

There’s also dental chews for dogs and a Kong dental ball that you can fill with the Enticers Teeth Cleaning Gel that you can also find at your local Petstock store or online.

So, how do you brush dogs teeth properly?

Start small, particularly if your dog has a small mouth, using a small silicon finger brush or baby’s toothbrush and never force the brush into their mouth.

Gently lift up their lip, get some help if you need it and run the ‘pasted’ toothbrush along all teeth from as many angles as you can, just like you would your own.

You want to use small, circular movements over the teeth, all the way up to the gum line, to make sure you cover off the entire surface.

Concentrate on those side and back teeth where their cheeks are, but do go over the front and bottom teeth too if you can – or use the Tropiclean dental wipes for this.

Blood on the toothbrush?

If you notice any blood on the toothbrush, it’s worth getting this checked at the vet to ensure it isn’t an early sign of periodontal disease.

Trouble shooting when brushing dogs teeth

If you are struggling, you might want to start with using some meat or tuna juice on your finger and rub that along their gums, before allowing them to sniff and feel the toothbrush against the outside of their mouth, before trying to brush with it.

You can then introduce the gel on your finger first, then with the toothbrush.

If your pup is particularly anxious and the process is causing too much stress, don’t force it. Just implement all of the other oral care into your daily routine and get 6-monthly dental checks at your vet.

Why regular check ups and professional cleans are vital

Your Vet will check your dog’s teeth at their annual check up. but if you aren’t brushing dogs teeth daily and start to see some discolouration at the top of their teeth, or any blood, then you really do need to get the checked more frequently.

Many people complain about the cost of dental, but as dental diseases impacts on their overall health, the cost to our pet’s health and your hip pocket later will be far worse.   Tooth extractions are more expensive so regular cleans will help prevent that down the track.

Why anaesthetic is needed for proper cleans

If you are worried about the anaesthetic and are considering listening to those that offer anaesthetic-free services, please do read this article here, because you are putting your pet’s dental and overall health at risk.

The truth is if a dog is awake, an extensive scale and clean can’t be done, nor can the X-rays that are needed to identify issues under the gums that can’t be seen. Our dog’s can’t tell us where or when they are feeling pain, so X-rays are also extremely important.

Plus, the promise of it being done without causing anxiety is a claim I find extremely hard to believe given the process and my experience.

Regardless, brushing dogs teeth daily will help keep plaque and dental disease at bay and help reduce the number of professional cleans your pet may need.

Dr Melissa Meehan is a highly experienced and respected veterinary surgeon with over 16 years experience. Dr Melissa obtained her Members in Small Animal Medicine through examination in 2008 and now runs her own veterinary ophthalmology service.