Do you wish you could give your dog a kiss but you always stay away because their breath smells so bad? Sure, they could've gotten into something, but the real reason their breath stinks is because of plaque and tartar build up on their teeth. Just like we need to brush our teeth to keep our breath smelling fresh and plaque and tartar build up at bay, our dogs need the same care!
Fun fact, did you know that 80% of dogs suffer from some sort of dental disease by the age of 3? Not to mention, dental cleanings and dental surgeries for dogs can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. The good news is, many of those situations can be prevented with proper consistent dental care. In this post we'll be sharing a few ways you can easily provide dental care for your dog to improve their overall health and wellness!
1. Brushing Your Dog's Teeth
The most common way to improve your dog's dental health is to brush your dog's teeth. Now, if you've never done it before, there's a few important things to know, especially with what products to buy since you cannot use your own toothbrush and toothpaste (we'll explain why!).
What to buy:
- Dog Toothbrush
- To help get into all the nooks and crevices around your dog's teeth, many dog toothbrushes are designed with a long frame and dual heads. You can easily find the perfect dog toothbrush at your local pet retailer!
- Dog Toothpaste
- Please read this important note: You cannot use your own toothpaste for your dog. The reason why? Human toothpaste contains xylitol and fluoride which are toxic to dogs. Plus, dog toothpaste also comes in more appealing flavors to them like bacon, cheese, etc. which will make the experience much more enjoyable for them!
Dog Brushing Tips:
- Make sure your dog is used to you touching their mouth and gums. If there's some hesitation there, don't add in the toothbrush until your dog is more comfortable.
- Let the toothbrush (no toothpaste yet) touch your dog's teeth in a few areas before fully brushing. Always immediately reward them for letting you do that! Continue until your dog is comfortable with touching multiple areas of their mouth.
- Once your dog is comfortable with the toothbrush in their mouth, you can now introduce the toothpaste! Similarly to what you did with the toothbrush by itself, do a few teeth at the front first and then reward. Do this until you gradually build up to brushing all of your dog's teeth!
2. Dog Dental Treats
The second way you can help improve your dog's dental care is by giving them dog dental treats. Dog dental treats are designed to not only aid in keeping your dog's breath fresh, but also to remove plaque and tartar build up as they chew on them. Plus, what dog would say no to a treat? It's a win win!
Our Plaque Busters were specifically designed with a floral shape to fit around your dog's teeth. In addition to this, our limited ingredients including finely-ground oyster shells and sweet potato aid in removing the plaque and tartar on your dog's teeth. Our original Plaque Busters come in three flavors (original, bacon and pumpkin spice) and we also have two Advanced Plaque Busters for double fresh and whole mouth care.
P.S. Our Plaque Busters have only a few ingredients, making these a great natural dog dental treat option!
3. Dog Dental Toys
Did you know that there are many dog toys that were designed to aid in dog dental care? These aren't super specific styles either and can be many of your dog's favorites including balls, rope toys, dog enrichment toys and more.
Many of these toys have added grooves and textures that clean your dog's teeth as they play with them. Your dog will think they're just having a great time, when they're actually doing that and cleaning their teeth!
4. Dog Dental Bones & Chews
Similarly to the third way to improve your dog's dental health, there are many dog dental bones and dog dental chews available for your dog to enjoy. These can come in the form of all natural dog dental bones and chews like antlers, horns, pig ears and more, or in a man-made form using rubber or synthetic materials (think KONG or Nylabone).
What's great about these, is that most dogs have a natural instinct to chew. So, not only are you giving them something to chew and focus their energy towards (a.k.a not your furniture) in a mentally enriching way, you're also providing dental care for your dog. You can find any of these options at your local pet retailer online or in store.
We hope you're feeling more confident and excited about dental care for your dog! We know that with so much information out there, it can feel overwhelming at times for where to begin. Our goal with this post was to share tons of options that work with your schedule that all are great ways to provide excellent dental care for your dogs!
