When it comes to caring for your dog, dentistry is often an area that many owners overlook. While it might seem unnecessary to care for your dog’s teeth, poor oral hygiene can lead to serious life-threatening conditions including kidney, liver, and heart muscle damage.
Follow these simple tips to keep your dog’s teeth clean and ensure that their pearly whites will sparkle for years to come.
1. Brush your dog’s teeth
While it might sound silly, brushing your dog’s teeth is one of the best ways to prevent plaque buildup and keep your dog’s teeth clean and healthy.
Just like with humans, it’s ideal to brush your dog’s teeth daily. However, if you don’t have time to brush your furry friend’s teeth daily, once a week will suffice.
There are specifically-designed dog toothbrushes with angled handles, soft bristles, and even multiple heads to make reaching all the tiny nooks and crevices inside your dog’s mouth easier and quicker.
You’ll also need toothpaste specifically designed for dogs too, as human toothpaste contains toxic ingredients which could cause significant harm to your dog.
2. Dog dental chews
Dog chews are a simple and effective way of keeping your dog’s teeth clean. There is a range of dog dental chews available and they almost all contain teeth-cleaning properties.
It also provides a healthy treat to curb your dog’s cravings and prevent them from nibbling on furniture or anything else they shouldn’t be eating.
3. Feed your dog the right food
A healthy diet is just as important to a dog’s health as it is for a human and eating the wrong foods can cause damage to your furry friend’s teeth.
Many unhealthy foods can stick to a dog’s teeth and build up plaque and bacteria.
To protect your dog’s teeth and keep them healthy, try to feed your dog foods such as apple slices, carrot sticks, uncooked pumpkin, sweet potato, and squash as they are all tasty dog-friendly human foods that help to scrape plaque and build up off of your dog’s teeth.
Bay Vets: Friendly veterinary surgery
One way to ensure that your dog’s teeth are healthy and clean is by visiting your local vets to book an oral hygiene consultation.
It is important that your pet receives a professional check-up at least once a year so that their teeth and gums can be examined.
At Bay Vets, we offer dog and puppy checkups to make sure your dog’s teeth are clean and free of any nasty infections.
We are unfortunately at full capacity here at Bay Vets, however, you can sign up here to be added to our waiting list or contact us today for more information.
