Dental Disease

DenverDogLover82

DenverDogLover82

Active member
Dental disease is common for adult and senior dogs. My dog recently had a wellness checkup by our vet, and she said my dog's teeth look pretty good right now. I want to keep her teeth healthy, but I'm not sure she will allow me to brush her teeth. I'm going to try to get her used to teeth brushing. Do you have any tips on getting a dog used to having her teeth brushed?

I know there are also dental treats on the market that are supposed to help keep a dog's teeth clean. I am thinking about getting my dog some Greenies dental treats. What kind of treats do you all recommend?
 
I start brushing their teeth with just my finger and some canine toothpaste at first. Once my dog is used to that, I graduate to a brush. I've never had a problem with brushing their teeth, but the toothpaste smells like chicken which probably helps.

Dental bones are supposed to help because they rub off plaque. I'm not sure about dental treats because it seems to me that they stick to the dog's teeth. Maybe chewing treats works in the same way as gum does for people. It increases saliva production which is supposed to cut down on bacteria. I've always found it easier to just brush their teeth than to do anything else. It's cheaper too.
 
I honestly haven't tried brushing the teeth of our dogs. This is new to me as I only give them dental treats and I thought those were enough to clean their teeth. I'm just afraid that my dog will accidentally bite my fingers off.
 
I don't know of any treats to recommend, but I think a dog can get used to having their teeth brushed if right from the very beginning you use patience when brushing their teeth so that they are not traumatized by the experience and therefore won't go into panic mode from that day forward every time they see a toothbrush appear. It's great that you care about your dog's dental health. I think it's a neglected area with many dog owners, not out of malice but just because they are unaware that brushing a dog's teeth is actually a thing to do.
 
[QUOTE="MeriYa, post: 290, member: 44"I think it's a neglected area with many dog owners, not out of malice but just because they are unaware that brushing a dog's teeth is actually a thing to do.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you and I am one of those who actually don't know that dental health of the dog is that important. I thought dogs can take care of their own teeth.

We don't have puppies and all of them are adult dogs. Should I still try brushing their teeth even though they were not trained to have their teeth brushed?
 
MeriYa said:
I agree with you and I am one of those who actually don't know that dental health of the dog is that important. I thought dogs can take care of their own teeth.
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I totally understand about not knowing certain things about taking care of a pet. We all have to learn, unless we are raised by parents who had animals and taught us from an early age how to take care of them properly. I've had a multitude of fish, birds, rabbits and dogs, and it's definitely a learning process.
After some thought, we can glean that dental health is very important because a dog's teeth are irreplaceable tools. If their teeth fall out or fail in any way, they just can't trot off to the dentist and get dental implants like we humans can do. I think you have to take care of your dog's teeth, even if they aren't used to it, but of course gentleness and patience are key. Asking a vet for tips and tricks on how to ease dental care into your dogs' life would be a great thing to do in order to educate yourself more on the whole process. And of course, there's always the Internet:).
 
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