We all love our dogs especially when they snuggle up to us for pats and cuddles! However, every day we hear clients complain that their dogs have smelly breath!
Just like us, our dogs develop plaque on their teeth and, just like us, the plaque needs to be removed on a daily basis to keep their teeth clean, breath smelling fresh and their teeth and gums in good health.
There are many ways to remove plaque from our pet’s teeth. Using a combination of methods increases the success. Below we’ve outlined our suggestions, however it’s important to choose the methods that work for you and fit your lifestyle. You mightn’t be able to everything we suggest, but what you can do will be appreciated hugely by your dog.
Dental home care routines should start early in life, soon after you get your puppy or kitten home, but it’s never too late to start. Remember to be calm and quiet, start slowly and use lots of positive rewards to make it fun.
A Suggested Home Care Routine for Dogs.
- Brushing – every other day
- Aquadent drinking water daily
- MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Wipes every other day
- Veggiedent dental treats after dinner
- Don’t forget to Floss! Play with your dog with one of our Rope Tug Toys 3 or 4 time a week
How to Brush your dog’s Teeth
There is no doubt that the best way to remove plaque from teeth is to brush – that’s why we do it at least twice a day. Start when your pet is young and make it a positive experience. Go slowly and use treats to reward them for being good. Begin with a finger brush and some toothpaste.
Finger brushes are great to introduce the concept of brushing to your pet. They are soft and mold to your finger, increasing your pet’s acceptance.
- Begin by getting them used to having their mouth handled. Take your time – you’re going to be doing this for the rest of their life so we want to make it something that they’ll look forward to.
- Put the finger brush on and start by stroking them gently around the face , giving them a treat as a reward. Once your dog is comfortable with this, briefly lift up the lips on the side of the face. Don’t try and open their mouth – there’s no need to look inside.
- Next, pop a small amount of chicken flavoured toothpaste onto the brush and gently and slowly run it over the front teeth. Gradually move onto the back teeth.
- It can help to say a word, such as “teeth”, every time you do this, so they learn what you’re about to do and don’t get a sudden surprise.
Once you can do this with ease , you’re ready to move onto a tooth brush. A good way to get your dog to accept a toothbrush is to place a small treat on the brush and offer it to your dog so that they have to take the treat directly from the brush. Work up to brushing the teeth, particularly focusing on the outer surface that faces the lip. Remember to reward them for their part!
CET Poultry Flavoured Toothpaste
Aquadent Drinking Water Additive
Using Aquadent® FR3SH™ is an easy way to help control plaque and slow tartar formation for your dog or cat. And you don’t have to worry, both your dog and cat can share the same water bowl and benefit equally! In fact, water additives are recommended by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Dental Guidelines as part of home care for dental hygiene.
How to use MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Wipes
MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Wipes are ideal for pets who do not readily accept a toothbrush.
The wipes are infused with a unique taste free zinc formulation that helps to reduce the deposition of plaque, control halitosis (bad breath), and maintain oral health. The textured surface helps with the mechanical removal of plaque from the teeth.
To use, simply wrap a wipe around your index finger, then gently wipe the teeth and gums on both sides of your pet’s mouth, once a day.
The container is best stored upside down so that you have a perfectly moist wipe ready for the next application.
Maxi/Guard Oral Cleansing Wipes
How to Use MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Gel®
MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Gel® is a taste free gel that helps to control plaque, gingivitis and halitosis and stimulates collagen production to aid in repair of the gums.
It is suitable for use when there is advanced periodontal disease, following oral surgery and before and after professional dental cleaning. It is particularly useful when the teeth are too sore for brushing or a hard diet.
Prior to the first use, open the bottle and pour in the accompanying vial of Vitamin C. Replace the cap, let the Vitamin C sink to the bottom of the bottle and then shake until the powder has dissolved.
Simply apply a small amount onto your finger and then rub the gel along the gums above the upper back molars on both sides of the mouth. Large dogs will often accept the gel directly from the bottle. Cats need only a pea sized amount onto each side of the mouth.
Storage: Once mixed, MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Gel® has a shelf life of 1 year when stored in the refrigerator. As long as the solution remains a blue green colour, it is fresh and ready to work. Used daily, a bottle should last approximately 3 months.
MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Spray®
MAXI/GUARD® Oral Cleansing Spray® is a taste free spray that helps to control plaque, gingivitis and halitosis and stimulates collagen production to aid in repair of the gingiva.
It is suitable for use in large dogs when there is advanced periodontal disease, following oral surgery and before and after professional dental cleaning. It is particularly useful when brushing or a hard diet is not possible.
The spray formulation makes this a great product for large dogs because it is easy to cover a lot of territory in the mouth in a short time Simply spray along the gums above the upper back molars on both sides of the mouth.
Maxi/Guard Oral Cleansing Spray
Veggiedent Dental Treats After Dinner
A great habit to get into is to give your dog a specially formulated Dental Chew before they go to bed. Sound familiar – Yes! Just as we tell our kids to brush before bed, the Dental Chews clean their teeth before they go to sleep, which is the time when plaque and tartar build up on teeth the fastest. Using the size appropriate Veggiedent dental chew is a cheap and cost effective way to keep your dog smiling!
Don’t Forget to Floss!
Using a rope tug toy to play with pups and adolescent dogs helps to work their jaw bones and muscles, as well as strengthen their teeth. A little known benefit of having your dog bite into the rope of these tug toys is that the fibres act like dental floss, cleaning the hard to reach surfaces between teeth. Very few dental care products or foods give the incisor & canine teeth (front teeth) an adequate clean but that’s exactly where rope tug toys do their best work. Many, many dogs worldwide lose their incisor & canine teeth prematurely from lack of dental care. I find brushing them and using rope tug toys are the most effective way to take care of my dog’s front teeth.