Welcome to February which is also known as Pet Dental Health Month. I’m just wondering how many of my friends out there actually brush their dog’s teeth? There are three things Mom and I are really passionate about with us dogs – exercise, seat belts, and dental health. Food and bones are not enough to keep your teeth in good shape. For our dental regimen we have special toothpaste for dogs, a special dog toothbrush, and a regular toothbrush. Being as it is dental health month, I have several posts planned with tips on keeping your pup’s teeth in good shape.
We are a teeth brushing family. Can you imagine as a human never brushing your teeth? Starting the day we move in with Mom, we make teeth brushing a part of our bedtime routine. I know most humans claim their dog won’t do it, doesn’t like it, etc., but we don’t buy it. Mom has also started brushing teeth with older dogs and all it takes is a nice flavored toothpaste for dogs and some patience which means it may take a few weeks, but keep trying. Start with your finger rubbing your dog’s gums. When your dogs adjusts to your finger, add some toothpaste to your finger and massage. Once the toothpaste on the finger is accepted, add in the toothbrush. Try to do it daily at the same time so it becomes part of the dog’s routine. We go out one last time, get naked (collars off), brush teeth, and then off to bed. We love it and wait for it.
Look at my shiny, white, smiley teeth! Mom couldn’t get a shot of the other ones because I kept closing my mouth, but they are looking mighty white as well. I’m eight, Katie is twelve, Bailie is one and we all have great teeth according to our vet. Katie has some staining, but other than that our teeth are in great shape and have never had to be professionally cleaned. Dental health is very important and not only for a dog’s teeth and gums. Dental issues left untreated can lead to other health problems as well. What are you waiting for? Start brushing your dog’s teeth today, it is never too late!
I need to get the mom started on brushing my teeth. Thank you, thank you for the suggestions on how to get her started! XOXO Sparkle the PBGV
It is easy to do once you are used to it, but take time getting used to it.
Great ideas!
Thank you.
We disagree – good food, real bones and good chew toys can be enough. All my dogs have lived between 17 and 20 years old – they have all had good teeth and kept them into their old age and they never had their teeth brushed.
We find that good food and the right chew articles are really good, but for some of those hard to reach spots, brushing teeth is the only way to get the teeth clean.
We agree with Reilly’s comment. Have a terrific Tuesday.
Best wishes Molly
Good food and chews add to dental health, but brushing helps get things chews miss.
Such an impawtant post for sure! I will be the first to admit, I don’t always brush my huskies teeth every day, but they are done at least a few times a week. I do know that they should be done every day, I really have to work on them with it because they are definitely not huge fans of having them brushed!!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
For us making it a habit really works well. We all hang out and wait to get them brushed before we go to bed and we love it.
During our water boarding she brushes our teeth, yuk. We love your night shirt, BOL
Lily & Edward
Oh dear me…that sounds like torture.
I clean my teeth, but not efurry day, we do it two times per week :o) but I get a tooth cleaning bone efurry day and I have a special chewing bone what I mostly ignore :o) You have beautiful teeth and I bet a lot of bipeds would be glad to have such a fabulous smile :o)
I love having shiny clean teeth. We always brush, but we also eat good food and have good chews to help out as well.
WE get OUR TEEFS Brushed OFTEN… Very OFTEN… we have Chicken Flavored paste and just love that… we admit to being a bit Squirmy sometimes… butt that is just pawt of the experience… We actually do LIKE it…
Yay for you guys! We love it too but also squirm now and then. I think we have beef flavored toothpaste.
Hello Sweetie. ♥ You know that I LOVE to have my teeth brushed. It is my favorite thing besides giving kisses! *wink~wink Love, Bentley
I have to admit I enjoy it, but it is not my favorite thing by far…wabbits, squirrels, ear scratches, kisses, stuff like that is more fun, but I’m glad you brush too 😉
I’m just going to be up front and say that I’ve NEVER brushed the dogs’ teeth. Ever. Flash has been in for a comprehensive sedation cleaning recently, and the groomer has brushed Chewy’s a couple of times, but they gnaw on bones pretty regularly and I just don’t worry too much about it.
The vet told mom to do it with her first dog, so she has simply continued and we all have great teeth and no need for a sedation cleaning…cat bro Bert will not let his teeth be brushed and has needed his chompers cleaned once already. We feel brushing is necessary as part of an entire routine with good food and chews/bones, but you have to do what is right for your dog.
I admit it Emma, I’m bad at brushing the dog’s teeth. Of course, when someone eats something they shouldn’t, well they get their teeth brushed then. 🙂 I should take your advice and start working on this immediately!
LOL! If we eat something gross, Mom won’t go near our mouth or teeth, totally opposite! She wants us to eat treats and drink water if we find something nasty to chomp down. Mom’s first dog needed to get hers brushed, so she is in the habit and it is so easy and doesn’t take all that long either.
Oh yes,the tooth care is so very important!!!
It is, but cat bro Bert refuses. He recently had to have his teeth cleaned. One would think with all the stuff he chomps on, he wouldn’t have issues!
It can be rough at the get-go but good brushing habits are vital for long term health. I too found getting the right toothpaste does the trick. Now my two fight to be first in line for their “treat”
Toothpaste has to taste good, you are correct. Bailie follows mom around, sometimes drooling, waiting for her turn! We brush in seniority order, so she is usually last.
you guys are so good at keeping track of details and taking care of yourselves!!! your doodle friend Dash
Mom is sometimes a bit too detailed, but I guess it is better than a disorganized mess, LOL!
I am better at doing this some times more than others… I’ll do really good with it for a while, and then I’ll slack off a bit. Must be more consistent!
We have it in our routine which makes it easier to stick with it and Mom is one of those fanatics who can’t skip once because it will lead to twice, and so on. Every night, even when we travel, but we like it which makes it easier.
I don’t mind when mom brush my teeth, but Vaks… wow, mom love her fingers too much to even try to brush Vaks’s teeth LOL.
Scary! Mom has never been bitten while brushing a dog’s teeth, but they say there is a first time for everything!
This is something that I keep meaning to do, but haven’t. I tried it once and got little cooperation, but I know that you’re right that it just takes patience and persistence. I’ve also had gels but they haven’t liked those either. I recently received some wipes, what do you think about those…have you ever tried them? I can’t imagine they’d do as well as brushing though.
Never tried the wipes as brushing is so easy once a dog gets used to it and the bristles “brush” between the teeth and other areas a wipe would miss.
It’s not something we do daily for the dogs – or even weekly, but every now and again – but you’re right – it needs to be more consistent – thank you for the reminder 🙂
We know not everyone will brush daily, but if you can get it into the routine, it is pretty easy unless you have tons of dogs. The three of us are manageable.
Great post emma and yes dental health is so important, I am not good about brushing my gangs teeth
I know it is hard for most pet parents to do all the time, but it is a serious habit at our house and we all love it.
We try to brush the dog’s teeth twice a week and they get other items to chew on. I understand that some people believe that chews and bones are enough but one of my dogs does not like to chew but she loves her beef flavoured toothpaste on a finger brush!
Good to hear you are brushing! We had to get rid of the finger brushes as they slip off mom’s finger easily and she was afraid one of us was going to swallow it one day! They are good for starting out especially!
I REALLY need to get better at brushing Mauja and Atka’s teeth. They really don’t mind it, but I just forget about it and only do it about once a week. I love the idea of making it a part of the bedtime routine.
I think it is hard to do regularly if you don’t have a routine with it. Since we love it, we wait to head to bed until our teeth are brushed, so Mom can’t forget.
What great advice Emma, we need to look for some better toothpaste!
Smileys!
Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo
We’ve tried lots of brands but the one in my photo is the best and we love it. We’ve been using it for like six years now.
Look at those chompers!! What a good habit you guys are in! I will suggest it to Mom as well!
My sisters and I love it, it is part of what we do like wearing a collar…didn’t like it at first, but now it is something we just do.
I should also say, excellent plan with your ears! No one wants sticky toothpaste ears!
Thanks! My ears get into everything and they would love to hang in toothpaste I’m sure!
YES our guys get their teeth brushed twice daily.
That is even better! We’ve thought about trying twice a day, but have stuck with bedtime.
Thanks for the good advice Emma. We aren’t as diligent as we should be, b ut maybe your post will inspire us!
Our secret is making it a habit. Brushing a few times a week is better than not doing it at all.
I’z got Chickun toofpaste but Humom doesn’t do it every night’z. xxoxx
Mollie and Alfie
I bet she is sneaking your toothpaste for herself as human toothpaste isn’t nearly as tasty I hear!
Great tips. We aren’t big on brushing either. Whenever our dogs need a particular procedure, we usually have the vet clean teeth and usually they say they did not need anything. I don’t mind having the vet clean teeth under sedation on older dogs because they can also check for any growths on the inside of their lips, on their gums, or under their tongues or down their throats. We actually need to get Storm in this winter for a cleaning.
Other than being spayed we don’t usually have procedures, I had my lips done, but my teeth didn’t need anything done at the time. It is just a bummer if it has to be a special sedation for teeth.
Emma, I have got to get better when it comes to Harley’s dental hygiene. Thanks for the reminder. By the way – your choppers are looking doodle*tastic!
Hey thanks! With one pup, it is a cinch. Just make it part of his routine and it will stick.
I used to try to brush Haley’s teeth on both the inner and outer surfaces which wasn’t easy as most of you already know. Several years ago, my vet told me that the outside surfaces were more important and especially in two areas on each side where dogs usually have the most trouble with their gums.
It’s much easier now to just hit those areas on the outside, instead of trying to do a total “human like” job of brushing her teeth and not sticking with it because it’s too difficult. Even just using a wet washcloth to gently rub over those problem areas helps break up the plaque.
Getting the insides of the back teeth is occasional for us as it is not easy even with a fancy brush. We haven’t heard which areas are most important, but the outsides get a brushing daily, the insides, several times a week with the fancy brush.
Oh Emma, you are so right! I hardly ever brush my pets’ teeth, and it’s not because they don’t like it or won’t let me. I am just lazy. Well, I just haven’t made it a habit. I always say I’m going to, and then I never do. I am going to try really hard to start making this a habit. I even have the brushes and toothpaste! Good grief.
I know, most humans have trouble getting used to it. Mom has been doing it for like twenty years. It started with her first dog when she was told if she didn’t brush her teeth she would need lots of expensive cleaning and possible dental work. Not having much money at the time, she got busy brushing and Trine loved it making it easy. It has continued on from there.
Yanno, the doc said NOT to brush Maxie’s teefies – but that is the *exception* for sure — and only because his gums are so inflamed! For a healthy mouth, yes indeedy – brush away!
With bad gums, one would have to be careful. We tried brushing cat bro Bert’s teeth, but he wasn’t about to allow it and cats are more difficult with you small mouths.
I’m terrible at brushing the dogs’ teeth! I really must get into the groove on that. Kudos to you for having a teeth brushing routine! Love that sweater by the way!
It’s been a habit for Mom to brush dog teeth at bedtime for over twenty years, so it is easy to keep around here.