Dental Dog

Preventing Canine Dental Dog Problems

I like to call the dog with great dental hygiene the dental dog to bring attention to the seriousness of keeping your dog healthy through proper hygiene. So don’t ignore your dog’s gums and teeth! The gum problems that may exist in your favorite canine, could lead lead to serious issues for your dog's health. Just as untreated periodontal disease leads to diabetes, heart disease, and strokes in humans, gum disease also is linked to the same illnesses in your dog.

According to The Manual of Veterinary Dentistry, more than 80 percent of pets over the age of three years have some degree of periodontal disease, an infection caused by buildup of plaque. A thin film of bacteria forms on the teeth. If the film isn’t removed within 48 hours, it hardens into tartar, a chalk-like substance that brushing no longer removes for the dental dog problems that may exist.

Feed Chews That Massage Your Dog’s Gums

After a meal, or as a reward, feed your dental dog a dental chew that is designed to reduce the incidence of gum disease by massaging your dog’s gums. The specialized chew should scrape and clean teeth. The chew needs to be made of a material that rids your dog’s mouth of food particles and tartar. The result is not only a healthier mouth, but also fresher breath. Make sure the non-edible, durable chew has round and pliable dental nubs on all sides because the round nubs stimulate saliva flow and increase the type of mouth fluids that attack the type of bacteria that infect the gums.

Your goal is to have the chew actually massage your dog’s gums while also removing the type of bacteria that causes calculus formation. Find out whether your dog is a soft or average chewing dog by watching your dental dog gnaw at bones. Chews are either edible (and don’t contain any plastic) or are durable and not edible.

I recommend a chew to strengthen your dog’s jaw, remove plaque from his teeth, and massage his gums. This chew comes in variable sizes so you can give your dog larger chews as he grows or as his jaw strength improves.

What’s Your Dog’s Chewing Power?

The right chew increases your dog’s jaw strength. Once your dog’s strength improves, provide larger, more durable bones. If your dog bites the bones into little pieces instead of gnawing at the bone, quickly pick up the pieces and immediately discard them.

Never let your dental dog swallow the small pieces bitten off from a chew. Your dog could choke, or the object could obstruct the intestines. Instead, buy your dog a larger size dental chew. If your dog gnaws at his bone, then your dog is a soft chewer. In this case, buy bones made for soft and average chewers. While your dog is gnawing, supervise him. Never leave your dog alone with a chew.
Dogs generally love to chew. Keep your dog away from stones, sticks, cardboard, socks, or shoes. Don’t let your dog chew the type of bones that splinter into sharp slivers. Raw bones have been known to break a dog’s teeth. Use a safer chew customized for your dog’s changing jaw strength.

Chews are sized according to your dog’s weight. Different chews are made for dogs weighing less than 10 pounds, average size dogs of about 25 pounds, medium to large dogs weighing 50 pounds, and very large dogs weighing more than 50 pounds. Increase the size of the chew bone as your puppy grows. Never use puppy bones for dogs with adult teeth or they could choke on bones and pieces too small for them.

Always inspect a bone to make sure it’s large enough and intact with no missing pieces. If your dog swallows any fragment larger than ¼ inch, see your veterinarian immediately. Don’t give soft rubber or flexible bones to aggressive chewers. Instead, offer a durable bone customized for aggressive chewers. A puppy less than three months old should never be given non-edible or other bones made for older dogs.

Clean your dog chew by rinsing under warm water or with ¼ cup vinegar mixed into a gallon of water. Dogs love variety. So rotate their durable bone chews. Make sure any nubs aren’t worn down.

Durable chew bones made from synthetic materials are not edible. Their purpose is to massage gums with raised bristle-like projections. If the bristles break off and your dog swallows them, they are tiny enough to probably pass through your dog’s system without obstruction. Make sure you keep your young children away from your dog’s durable chews. Don’t boil the chews. Keep durable chews out of your dishwasher. I recommend a durable, non-edible chew shaped like a bone.

Edible Chews

Edible chews should contain chlorophyll for fresher breath and macro-nutrients prepared with a veterinarian-recommended formula. Veterinarians agree that macronutrients refer to proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It has been said that dogs should be fed no less than 18% protein for an adult or 22% protein for a puppy or lactating mother. Choose tasty edible chews with a variety of shapes to encourage oral health. Match edible bone size to the weight of your dog.

After your dog has finished eating and chewing for the day, brush your dog’s teeth with a toothbrush specially made for dogs. The brush should have several—at least three--flexible heads to maintain correct pressure at a 45-degree angle. This angle reduces arm twisting. The outer bristles need to be angled for massaging gums. Make sure that your dog’s toothbrush has a padded handle to protect the pet when your dog suddenly jerks his head. Keep the toothbrush handle away from your dog’s eyes and ears. The padded handle also allows for a steadier grip.

Dogs are attracted to the scent of vanilla or familiar food smells. Use non-foaming, tartar-reducing canine toothpaste. Never use toothpaste produced for humans. Choose doggie toothpaste that includes tea tree oil. Bacteria have a hard time growing in tea tree oil, just like green tea extract is used for humans to cut inflammation.

Dental Dog...