Oral Hygiene For Your Dog. Keeping Your Dogs Teeth Clean

As humans we understand the importance of keeping our teeth clean and are taught oral hygiene from a young age. Dogs are also susceptible to oral diseases such as gingivitis, and yet we often overlook the importance of our dogs dental hygiene.

There are numerous methods that can be used to aid oral hygiene for your dog, and things to watch out for that can cause great harm to your dogs teeth.

Games
While various backyard sports are enjoyed by all the family, there are some sports which can be just a little too rough for your dog. For example, when playing cricket with a cricket ball, there is the chance that your dog will try and catch the ball in its mouth, this can easily result in broken teeth. Broken teeth are not easily, nor cheaply, fixed as it may require a specialist canine dentist to make and fit a 'false' tooth. There are many good oral friendly toys available on the market, such as Orbee tuff Mutt toys from Planet Dog. They will help to clean gums and teeth whilst proving fun and enjoyment for your dog.

Nutrition
Although most commercially produced pet foods provide a balanced diet, tinned foods, meat rolls and even raw meats like mince, are very soft and mushy and can't act as an abrasive to naturally clean teeth. An excellent addition to the pet food market was the introduction of dry biscuits that are now a very common style of food for most pets. As they are hard and crunchy, they rub against the teeth whilst your dog is chewing. There are even some specific pet food formulas that have been manufactured with this purpose in mind. Although feeding your pet dry biscuits certainly helps, giving your pet bones to chew on regularly is not only another effective solution, but a tasty one for your dog too!

Accessories
Yes, you can buy a toothbrush for your pet! Most veterinary clinics will stock a toothbrush which has been specially designed to fit over your finger and has a small brush head, perfect for using on your dog or cat. There are also toothpastes available for pets. Human toothpaste cannot be used due to the fact that it's too high in fluoride and our pets can't spit. However, the hardest part of actually brushing your pet's teeth is keeping them still! Most people find that unless you start brushing your pet's teeth when they are young, it may be more difficult to get them use to it as they get older.

Age
We have all heard the saying 'getting long in the tooth' which simply indicates the aging problem. The majority of older pets will have experienced or will be experiencing tooth and gum problems, in fact, the state of advanced plaque on a pet's teeth is often used as a reasonably accurate indicator of a pet's age.

Habits
The humble tennis ball is a common dog toy. However, vets will agree that they can cause severe wearing down of the teeth when chewed constantly. The fibre on a common tennis ball is very abrasive and over time can wear a dog's teeth right back to the gums. Another way that this can occur is through excessive self-grooming or when a pet is constantly biting and chewing its own fur due to itchiness caused by skin conditions. Seeking relief for the original skin condition will ensure that this never happens.

Hints
The most obvious signs of teeth and gum disease are bad breath and dribbling. What you smell is literally rotting tissue. Not only is this very unpleasant for you and your pet, but it can eventually be dangerous to your pet's health as abscesses, blood poisoning and serious illness can result from mouth infections.

Breeds
Some breeds of dog and cat are actually more susceptible to dental problems than others. For example, dogs with short or pushed-in faces such as the Pug, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Pekingese, Shih Tzu, and Tibetan Spaniel; or cats such as Persians, may be more prone to dental problems. The bone structure of their skulls can sometimes mean that there isn't enough room for all of their teeth or that their teeth will grow at incorrect angles and may eventually cause gum damage.