How to brush your dogs teeth

Learn how to brush your dogs teeth with these tricks. I know this may sound crazy but taking care of your dogs teeth is just as important as taking care of your own. Just like human’s, dogs can develop plaque buildup on their teeth and if not treated it turns into tartar, which can cause several issues from gum disease to bacterial infections. The bacterial infections can cause tooth loss or more server complications such as heart, lung, or kidney disease. I read that over 80% of dogs over the age of three have active dental disease. These diseases are preventable as long as you make an effort to maintain your dog’s oral hygiene.

How to brush your dogs teeth

When learning how to brush your dogs teeth don’t rush into it and stick your fingers or toothbrush in your dog’s mouth. You could be at risk of your dog being scared, or aggressive with you. Remember they are still animals; you don’t want to end up with a bite. It takes time, many dogs are sensitive to new things or routines.

For both of my dogs I simply started with playing with their face moving the lips around. Once I was confident that they were comfortable I would lift up their lips and rub my finger against their gums and teeth. They will eventually get use to this and now you can start introducing a toothbrush.

Let your dog check out the toothbrush before you start. Have them lick and sniff it, so they aren’t afraid of this foreign object. We want to keep this experience as positive as we can, so they know to trust us. You want to angle the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle as best you can and move in circular motions all around the mouth. If you are only able to do a small area at once, stop and come back its okay to slowly work this in. Eventually you’ll want to at least brush their teeth 2-3 times a week.

Keep it interesting

You can keep this interesting for them by using dogs safe flavored toothpaste such as chicken, beef, banana. Making it into a game by giving them a reward every once in a while, after your able to brush the teeth will keep your dog interested. Dogs are very smart they will get the game soon enough. My dogs now know the phrase “let’s go brush your teeth” they both come running behind me into the bathroom, sit and I begin brushing. We use organic coconut oil when brushing our dogs’ teeth and they love it.