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February 14th
If you’ve just welcome a new Doodle puppy to your household, you probably want to know how to keep your new friend safe and healthy.
While things like proofing your home are important for your excitable puppy’s safety, so is dental hygiene. You’d actually be surprised how many dog owners ignore simple and effective things like cleaning their dog’s teeth every day. Actually, gum disease is a big problem in the dog world, with up to 80% of adult dogs having suffered from it at some point.
If you’ve used our puppy finder to find the perfect puppy, you’re probably already an ethical dog owner—so you should want to keep your dog’s overall health at 100%. If that’s the case, then you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to look at a few helpful tips so that your dog can keep chewing happily, along with why their dental health is so important.
You dog’s dental health is as important as your own, and it should be treated with the same level of responsibility. As we’ve already mentioned, the vast majority of dogs suffer from gum disease at some point or another. If this is left untreated, it could lead to further problems, including infections in your dogs mouth or even problems in vital organs. So it’s something you’ll want to avoid as much as possible.
Sometimes dental issues in your pup can be hard to spot at first, so there are a few things you need to look out for. Problems normally develop when plaque is formed and hardens into tartar. Both of these will normally irritate your dog’s gums and could potentially lead to disease.
Symptoms of dental problems in your dog could include bad breath, weight loss, excessive drooling, discharge from the nasal area, blood in their saliva or swelling under the eye. You might also spot problems in your dog’s mouth including swollen gums, discolored teeth or a problem chewing.
While a number of these symptoms like weight loss can also be indicative of another problem with your dog, they could be down to dental issues. If you’re unsure, consult your vet immediately.
So you know why it’s important and you know what the signs are, but sometimes prevention can be the best cure. How can you look after your dog’s dental health? Let’s have a look…
Start with brushing regularly, just like you do yourself. While three times a day might be a bit much for a dog, once a day is great. If you can’t manage that, then 3 times a week should be enough. Some dogs will need less maintenance than others.
If you can’t get your hands on a special dog toothbrush, you could also use a child’s brush, or your finger wrapped in cotton. Make sure it’s soft.
While you can use a human’s toothbrush, remember: never use human toothpaste on your dog. It could be harmful. You’ll have to pick up some proper dog’s toothpaste, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find.
If your dog is a bit put-off by the process, keep talking and praising them. Positive vibes are good. You can start off by doing it for a few seconds for the first few times until your pet’s used to it.
You could also start trying dog food that has a dental formula included, although this shouldn’t be in place of brushing regularly. One other good way to prevent dental issues is to make sure your dog always has clean chewable toys to enjoy.
Hopefully, these tips should be enough to keep to keep your dog’s dental health as best it can be.
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