Categorized | Dog Health

Dental Care For Dogs

Posted on06 July 2010. Tags: dental care for dogs, dog breed, Dog Dental Care, Dog Health, good dog, Ownership Advice, Tips and Advice

Dental care for dogs has come a long way and includes a variety of options for home dental treatment that will actually prevent tartar build up and early tooth loss. In addition the options for dental procedures that can be completed at the vets have also increased dramatically. They now include options for reconstructive jaw surgery to correct misaligned teeth and other congenital problems that lead to dental health issues in dogs.

Home Dental Care for Dogs and Dog Dental Treatment Options

Dental treatments for dogs can be as simple as including a good, safe chew bone or nice fresh joint bone for the dog to chew on. This natural form of dental care is still one of the best for dogs and will prevent the tartar build up that leads to most of the more costly dental procedures.

Some of the more common dental care options and dental treatments that are easy to add to the routine at home include:

• Regular daily or every other day tooth brushing for the dog
• Feeding only dry kibble that will act to scrape tartar off the teeth
• Providing specially formulated dental treatment or dental care treats
• Using rubber or texturized nylon chew toys

How To Provide Home Dental Care for Dogs

Most dogs and puppies will learn to enjoy having their teeth brushed. Start by just running your index finger around the base of your dog or puppies teeth, on both the inside and the outside. Once they are comfortable with this, add a small amount of flavored dog toothpaste. It is really important to never use human toothpaste, dogs really don't like the taste!

The next step in building in a dental care routine is to add either a finger sleeve that slides over your index finger or a soft bristled doggy toothbrush. Both of these items, as well as the dog toothpaste, can be purchased at your local pet store. Start brushing your dogs teeth on a routine basis, they will really start to enjoy this dental treatment, especially with the flavored toothpaste.

Dog Dental Procedures

The most common dental procedures include scaling or removing the tartar from the teeth. This is done by your vet and does require that the dog be fully anesthetized. Since there is some risk involved anytime your dog has to be put to sleep, taking care to keep a good dental routine in place and maintain your dogs overall dental hygiene is important.

Dog dental procedures including scaling, as well as dental care and home dental treatments are all important for your dog. In combination they will help ensure your dog doesn't suffer from any irritation or pain in the gums or mouth for his or her life.