Hey Woofa’s,

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep your dog’s teeth clean.

Our dogs start off with puppy teeth (as a baby has baby teeth), then roughly 8-12months in  their adult teeth come through.

It’s important to keep those adult teeth as clean as possible.  A dog can’t keep their own teeth clean so it’s up to us to do it for them.

 

WHERE DOES IT ALL BEGIN?

It starts with their diet.  A big part of what our dogs eat will effect their teeth.

Most dogs, if they’re lucky, will have a balanced nutritional diet of both wet and dry food.

i.e. – Wet dog food – usually consists of meat/vegetables, soggy food that easily gets stuck in their teeth.

Dry dog food – is their kibble, dry biscuit type food.  The reason behind this is because they have to chew this hard food, in doing so it shifts the wet food from their teeth.  As well as being for nutritional value.

As time goes on, our dogs are becoming more domesticated and are eating food/snacks their ancestors wouldn’t have come across in the wild.

One of the main complaints I hear from my customers is how expensive it is to have their dog’s teeth cleaned at the vet.

By the time a dog gets to this stage, they have to go under aesthetic and have the gunk scrapped off their teeth.  As well as x-rays to make sure there’s no gum disease or jaw bone disintegration etc.

Your dog may also end up having teeth pulled!!

We want to avoid this!!!!

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY DOG’S TEETH NEED CLEANING?

If you can, lift the side of your dog’s lip and have a look at the colour of their teeth.  I don’t just mean the outside, if your dog allows, open their mouth and have a real good look.

What do you see?   What colour are your dog’s teeth?

1- Are your dog’s teeth a little yellow or slightly stained?

2- Does your dog’s teeth have a few little brown spots on them?

3- Are your dog’s teeth nice and white?

4- Do you dog’s teeth have lots of brown/greenish gunk all over them especially the ones at the back?

5- Does your dog’s breath have a foul odour about it?

 

If your dog is at 4 or 5, I’m afraid they’re too far gone and will need a trusted veterinary check, at least to discuss possible outcomes.

At 1, 2, or 3, we can turn this around for your dog, before it becomes a 4 or 5.

 

HOW DO I KEEP MY DOG’S TEETH CLEAN?

There are many, many products out there on the market that you can use to clean your dog’s teeth, here are just a few:-

1 – Raw Dog Bones – if your dog will chew them, then go for it.  Not cooked bones, as the bone is cooked and brittle and can splinter leaving your dog’s insides not so happy.

The idea of using raw dog bones is, your dog has to chew down on it, and it’s that motion that will clean the wet food or any food that’s stuck in your dog’s teeth.

Depending on the size of your dog will depend on the size of the raw bone you give to your dog.  I steer clear of giving Billy bones that could potentially get lodged in his mouth.  So I go for bones that are way way bigger and ones he has to naw on.

How often you give them bones will depend on how quickly they get through them.  Say it takes your dog a whole week to get through a bone, then give them a few days break before giving them another.  You don’t want to go over the top either.

Everything in moderation.

 

2 – Dog Chews – the market is saturated with dog chewing products, i.e. dentastix, raw hide chews, pigs ears, greenies etc etc

What I want you to be aware of is the nutritional value of the products you’re giving your dog on a daily basis.

It may help clean your dog’s teeth but what nutritional value is your dog getting from the product?

For example – one of my customers has 3 large dogs and was giving them a dentastix every morning before he left for work.

His vet advised him against this, while it’s good for chewing and removing gunk from their teeth, there’s no nutritional value whatsoever.

He then suggested my customer give them a raw carrot every morning (because they’ll eat them)!!  It’s got nutritional value and they need to naw down on it.

However, not all dogs will eat a raw carrot.

 

3 – Chew Toys –    There’s nothing wrong with chew toys, however you have to find the right one that works for YOUR dog.

Over the years we’ve bought chew toys believing they’d last Billy ages, only to find him finished in a few hours!!!

Or they claim the toy is indestructible and I sometimes wonder if they tested it on a Staffy jaw?

Another customer bought her dog a chew dog because her friend’s dog loved it.  It turns out her own dog didn’t care for it.

Obviously, a chew toy needs to be size appropriate for your dog and his/her jaw.

 

4 – Other products – There are many different products to try – you just have to choose one appropriate for your dog.  Here are just a few –

• Dog Teeth Wipes – are like baby wipes only they’re for your dog’s teeth.  You use them to wipe the gunk off their teeth.
• Dental Sprays – with this product I’d check too see if it’s just for fresh breath or if it actually is for keeping your dog’s teeth clean.
• Food Products – there are powders etc that go into your dog’s food that can help with keeping their teeth clean.  I would check here for any possible side effects before feeding them anything they aren’t use to.
• Water Products – as above there are also products that you can put into your dog’s water that will also assist in cleaning their teeth.  Again check for possible side effects.
• Dehydrated Food Products – if you find your dog won’t chew bones, they may find the raw and natural food products that have been dehydrated appropriate.  They are hard to chew and great for your dog’s teeth.  Choose your dehydrated products wisely.

 

5 – Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth – Billy turns 8 in April and for some reason no longer wants to naw on his bones.  However, he does like his natural raw dehydrated products.

He has a few brown spots on his teeth which the vet said was fine for his age.  However, me being the Dog Mumma I am I’m now cleaning his teeth every 2-3rd night.

Before however you go sticking things into your dog’s mouth, I’d suggest you get them use to it first.

Start by patting them around their mouth, then work into lifting their lips/jowls up and looking into their mouth, then lightly brush your finger along their teeth.

This may take a few times before your dog gets use to it or they may be fine from the beginning.  Billy is pretty trusting of me so he allows me to do it.

I found using a Dog Toothbrush and Dog Toothpaste, he just chewed on the toothbrush and I ended up brushing his gums.

So I moved to the dog toothbrush that fits like a glove on your finger.  It find it easier to use and I can get to his teeth easier.

 

However, another customer of mine with a cavoodle finds the teeth wipes easier for her dog.

YOU have to choose what works for YOUR DOG!

 

WHAT AGE DO I START CLEANING MY DOG’S TEETH?

 

PUPPY STAGE (approx 0-2years) –  I wouldn’t start yet.  They still have puppy teeth and will be chewing regardless, like a baby has teething rings.

For a puppy, have the appropriate sized chew toys and keep an eye on their teeth.

Start them on small sized kibble.

ADOLESCENT STAGE (approx 2-3 years) – at this stage I’d start to introduce them to raw bones, and chew toys that are size appropriate.

As well as keeping an eye on the state of their teeth.

You could clean them as a precaution once a week, depending on their diet.

ADULT STAGE (approx 3-8 years) – definitely keep an eye on their teeth, if they stop eating bones and chewing on their toys, then start cleaning them regularly.  2-4 times per week.

Use whatever products you find works for your dog.

 

SENIOR STAGE (approx 8 years onwards) – by now your senior dog may definitely not want to chew on anything, so definitely keep up with the teeth cleaning.

 

The view here is to prevent your dog having to go in for teeth cleaning by the vet, to ward of gum disease and having any teeth pulled.

It’s always advised to consult with a trusted vet regarding your dog’s health.

NOTE- listen to your gut.  I always mention ‘trusted vet’ because unfortunately I think there’s a few who only see a way to gain your money.

A customer of mine, first time dog owner was convinced by a vet that her 2 year old puppy needed to go in under aesthetic to have her teeth cleaned.  I was very skeptical of this and asked the reason why.  She just said the vet told her that her dog needed it.

I checked with my vet and he said on a very rare occasion this may be the case, but it’s highly unlikely that a dog of that age would need such drastic measures!!!!

If what the vet tells you doesn’t sit well with you, you have the right to a second and third opinion.

 

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

Always check your dog’s teeth, be aware of what goes into their mouth.

Make sure your dog has the age and size appropriate chew toys, chew foods etc to keep their teeth clean.

Remember, your dogs can’t clean their teeth themselves so you have to do it for them.

 

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – WHETHER YOU CLEAN YOUR DOG’S TEETH OR NOT?

 

CHEERS