Dental health care is one area pet owners need to be aware of and shouldn’t overlook because it plays a major role in your pet’s overall health. Healthy dentition will encourage a healthy lifestyle for both your pet and you. Also on the other hand , poor dental health will give rise to dental diseases (Periodontal disease) which makes your pet largely prone to other health issues.
What is dental health and care?
Dental health refers to the overall health of your pet’s mouth. This includes their teeth, gums and tongue. What happens in here can be a good indicator to your pet’s overall health. For instance, one of the symptoms of kidney failure is foul-smelling breath (halitosis), also dental diseases cause a significant increase in bacteria load in the mouth and these bacteria can enter the bloodstream causing systemic infections.
How to take care of your pet’s teeth.
- Brush regularly
There are debates on how often brushing should be done. For starters, your pet’s teeth should be brushed everyday or at least three times a week as this helps prevent tartar build up. And once you do this consistently your dog begins to look forward to it.
Brushing should be done only with dog specific toothbrush and toothpaste and not that for humans as they contain fluoride which when in high enough doses can be toxic. This is also because dog toothpastes come in different flavours that they like and so they are more likely to enjoy the process.
How should I brush my dog’s teeth?
Firstly, apply a little toothpaste on to the toothbrush, it is best to use the finger toothbrush (Fig 1.) as this makes it easier. Then apply the toothpaste to the upper lip or to the side, this way they get to lick the paste and not spit them out, this is to allow your dog gradually to get familiar with the process. Do this over a couple of days.
After doing this, next step is to do the brushing. Start with brushing the parts of their teeth you can easily see and also access. Gently and gradually work your way up to all other parts of the teeth and tongue. There is no need for rinsing after brushing because the toothpastes are edible for them.
These do a great job in cleaning your dog’s teeth while stimulating them in other fun ways; the floss ball can be sprayed with dental solution which does extra cleaning. The toys also serve to distract them from things you would prefer them not to touch. These dental toys also strengthen your dog’s teeth and act as a replacement for bones.
- Dental spray and solutions
The dental spray is added directly to the mouth or on floss balls.They act to freshen the breath and kill bacteria not in the normal bacteria flora in the mouth.
- Dental food
Some dogs like Chihuahuas, Maltese, and Pomeranians are more prone to the accumulation of tartar. So, while eating food residues and crumbs easily stay glued to the teeth, covering them and making them prone to dental diseases. However, there are certain types of food (especially dry) that have kibbles formulated with special texture that when combined with chewing helps limit plaques and tartar build up. Doing this regularly helps maintain good oral hygiene.
- Dental supplements/ breath aid
There are certain supplements that come with breath aids to help freshen your doggy’s breath. So, getting one with the prescription of your vet can be a great idea.
- Dental cleaning
On routine physical examination of your pets, your vet may determine that your pet needs a routine dental cleaning. This usually happens when they notice any of the following symptoms severely bad breath, excessive tartar build-up, excessive drooling and decayed tooth/teeth. This procedure will require your vet to do a thorough examination on the pet. These may include blood tests to ensure your pet can undergo an anaesthetic procedure. The surgery doesn’t take too long like regular surgeries.
Conclusion
Your dog’s Dental health care is important. What happens in the oral cavity goes on to affect the entire body.
Your dog will thank you for paying attention to its dental health.
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