Dog Dental Care

How should I take care of my dog’s teeth?

Just like us humans, dogs need dental care as well. Dogs often suffer from the same dental issues that we do. Dogs can get cavities, gingivitis and even periodontal disease. Taking care of your dogs teeth is essential to their overall health. There are a few important things you can do to ensure your dog has healthy teeth.

Brush your Dogs Teeth

Wouldn’t it be nice if your dog could pick up a tooth brush and brush their teeth every night? However, the truth is, dogs don’t brush their own teeth. They rely on humans to do it for them. Proper teeth brushing is important. The best toothbrushes for dogs are ones that are double headed. They do manufacture toothbrushes that are single sided, but a double headed one is best. This helps to brush both the front and back of their teeth at the same time. Remember to start teeth brushing early on as early as one year old. This doesn’t only help dogs maintain dental health from early on, but it also helps them adjust to teeth cleaning and gives them less anxiety about something new.

Dental Chews and Dental Bones

Dental chews and dental bones help get rid of buildup on dogs teeth and help fight bacteria. These chews also work by breaking down plaque and getting rid of the tartar on your dogs’ teeth. Dental chews also are mint flavored while getting bad breath by getting rid of that odor causing bacteria and leaving a minty breath behind.

See your Veterinarian for dental cleanings

Just like us humans, dogs need dental cleanings too. While a trip to the veterinary dentist is most recommended. A trip to your regular veterinarian is a great option as well. A dog should get their teeth cleaned at the dentist once every 6 months to a year. Smaller breeds should see their veterinarian more often. Smaller breeds are more likely to have plaque build up and gingivitis.

How can I get plaque off my dog’s teeth?

Plaque build up is inevitable but there are ways to break down your dogs plaque at home. A trip to the veterinarian dentist can be costly if proper dental health is not maintained.

Proper teeth brushing is important to help your dog maintain a healthy mouth. Dogs get cavities too, just like us. It is important to brush your dogs teeth. Dogs follow the same teeth brushing schedule as humans. Ideally, it would be best to brush your dogs teeth twice a day. If that is too difficult, depending on your dogs temperament it can be. brushing your dogs’ teeth three times a week would be beneficial as well.

Another option that is great for getting plaque off dogs teeth’s are brush sticks. Brush sticks are grain free, mint flavored and made with all natural ingredients. Brush sticks work by stimulating your dogs gums as your dogs gnaw on the dental stick. This dental stick would be ideal to use as a daily treat for optimal results.

Dental wipes have become increasingly popular. They are easier than ever to use. No need for rinsing and can be used on the go. Simply lift your dog’s lips to expose their teeth and use the dental wipe to rub over al over your pets teeth. This can be used twice a day or after every meal. Dogs who consume wet food are more prone to dental issues, so this is a great post meal option for those pups. Dental wipes come in a variety of flavors that promote good breath. These wipes help remove plaque build up and reduce the bad breath causing bacteria.

Lastly, brushing bone chew toys are an easy and fun option for your dogs. They come in a variety of styles to cater to your dogs preference. The grooves and design on the toy is designed to massage your dogs gums and clean your dogs teeth and they chew. There are usually options to integrate dog tooth paste in your dental toy as well. Make sure to clean the dog toy before and after use to avoid bacteria build up from added toothpaste.

It is important to choose which of these is best for you and your dog based on scheduling and lifestyles. Your dogs dental health is just as important as us humans, so proper dental care is essential for your dogs well being.

Do dogs really need to have their teeth cleaned?

Dogs’ teeth are surprisingly a lot like human teeth. In fact they have problems just like we do. They are prone to cavities and periodontal diseases. Dogs need the same quality dental care as we do. Proper teeth brushing, dental chews, or dental bones all work to help your dog to maintain healthy teeth. It is suggested that dogs visit their veterinarian dentist every six months to a year for proper cleanings.

What is the cost of having a dog’s teeth cleaned?

Dogs teeth cleaning costs are surprisingly more expensive than us humans. The average cost for a teeth cleaning for your dog is between $300 and $1,000. This price is only quoted for your dogs routine dental cleaning. Unfortunately the cost of treatments for cavities or extraction can add a significant cost increase to the vet bill.

What should a dog’s teeth and gums look like?

The ideal gum health would be a pink color similar to the shade of cooked shrimp or cooked salmon. Dogs gums should have no signs of redness or blood oozing between the teeth and the gums. Dogs teeth should be white in color and have no signs of plaque.

What is the black stuff on my dog’s teeth?

The ideal gum color for your dog is light pink. If your dog is showing signs of black stuff on their gums, it could be a cause for concern. Black spots as well as bad breath could very well be a symptom of periodontal disease. Also, these spots could indicate the possibility of cancer. Some breeds of dogs could have darker pigmentation on their gums which presents itself in black spots, and this is normal. If your dog is exhibiting black spots accompanied by bad breath, it might be time for a visit to the vet for a routine dental check up.

How often should dogs have teeth professionally cleaned?

Veterinarians suggest having your dogs teeth cleaned by a veterinarian every 6 months to a year. A few factors taken into consideration are the dog’s size and breed.

What happens if you don’t get your dog’s teeth cleaned?

Not getting your dogs teeth cleaned can pose quite a few dental health risks. Similar to humans, dogs can develop cavities and gum disease as well. These are not only costly to fix, but painful to your dog as well. In order to treat your dogs cavities or tooth decay, dogs have to go under general anesthesia which can be stressful for dogs. Getting your dogs routine teeth cleanings done will minimize the buildup of tartar and plaque.

What do unhealthy dog gums look like?

Monitoring your dogs gums helps ensure healthy teeth. However, many of us are unaware of what to look out for when determining if dogs gums are healthy. Here are some signs of unhealthy gums that would warrant a trip to the veterinarian:

Red Gums are often painful and prone to bleeding. This is often a sign of inflammation or infection. It is also a symptom of heat stroke for dogs.

White or pale pink gums are an indicator of quite a few healthy issues, not just dental. . Dogs with pale pink or white gums could be a sign your dog is anemic. Your dog may also have pale colored gums from too much blood loss or blood clotting. It could also be a sign of heart disease.

Yellow gums are a sign your dog may have jaundice. Just like humans, dogs can develop jaundice as well which often indicates liver problems. In humans and dogs alike, liver problems often present themselves in yellowing to the eyes, skin, and gums.

Blue or purple gums are very serious and indicate that something is very wrong. If your dog has these colored gums then it is important to take your dog to the emergency room. This could indicate poor blood circulation or oxygen. This also could be a sign of blood clots, breathing issues, or even serious illness.

What do infected dog gums look like?

Ideally dogs’ gums should look like cooked shrimp or salmon colored. This indicates healthy gums. Dog gum color can help indicate what type of infection your dog may have. Gums tell us a lot about dogs’ health. It is a cause for concern if your dog has gums that are yellow, blue, purple, pale pink, or bright red. Also if your dog has black coloring or black spots on their gums. If your dog exhibits any of these discolorations, a trip to your veterinarian is a good step to determine the direct cause.

How do you know if your dog’s teeth hurt?

Dogs don’t like to admit to their masters that they’re in pain. They often will withdraw from you or tend to be alone more often. There are signs to help indicate if your dog is having teeth pain.

• Some dogs experience excessive drooling.
• Some dogs will have foul breath.
• Some dogs don’t have an appetite.
• Some dogs will have a runny nose.