Tips and Advice For Maintaining Great Dental Health For Your Canine Friend

Do your dog's teeth look like a set of fine china? We make a point these days of making ours look like that, so why not do the same for our furry friends? They don't eat sugar like us but they do need to have their teeth cleaned just the same. If not, they will show signs of tooth decay sooner or later.

Even as young as three years, tartar buildup and plaque contributing to gum problems are at least an 80% certainty. Bad breath, red or bleeding gums and loose teeth are evidently a sign asking for immediate help! Sometimes even a trip or two every year to the veterinary for professional teeth cleaning may not prevent your dog from having tooth problems. The habit of cleaning dog teeth at home should become part of its regular grooming needs. This may seem a little awkward and difficult, but in fact it can be fun and definitely rewarding for both of you.

Brushing Your Dog's Teeth At Home:

There's much you can do for dog dental cleaning at home. It will prevent many gum and teeth problems. These days you can have dog toothpaste in doggy flavors like poultry and beef. Your dog will soon grow accustomed to the feel of the toothbrush and the taste. Soon enough it will even look forward to having some close-up dental attention and you'll both enjoy it, for sure!

In next to no time your dog will love having its teeth cleaned! Children, even their parents, get a kick out of watching us when we get close up and personal! The tail will start wagging as soon as the brush and toothpaste come into view. It's an exciting time and we're now ready for positioning. There's no set way to do this but I suggest you have your dog put its head between your legs, resting the head on a knee. The lower you sit there's less strain on your back.

Your dog will enjoy the dog toothpaste and in time will let you know which it prefers, beef or poultry-flavor. It's alright for your dog to swallow it. In fact it will want more and more of it, so you'll need to watch how much you use, otherwise it can get quite expensive! You'll want to use at least a dollop on each side though. Your dog will lick it as you brush, and that's fine! This loving exercise in care and attention will be an added bonus for good memories, not to mention removing the cost of extra vet visits for canine dental cleaning.

If your dog is 'long in the tooth', how do you get it to enjoy having its teeth brushed? Your dog may be either older or reluctant to having this new treatment. Training a puppy is usually easier but you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks! I'm going to suggest a few tips here for getting your dog used to having its teeth cleaned at home. There's nothing hard about it. You'll just want to have a little patience and spend the time necessary. Puppies or older dogs will take to this easily.

This is what you'll need to clean dog teeth: Dog toothpaste, either poultry-flavor or beef. A special dog toothbrush with soft bristles and a curved handle for reaching back teeth would be best. Dental pads or any soft piece of gauze.

We offer plenty of info on our site about dog dental cleaning and dog toothpaste for keeping your pet's oral health in great shape.