Pets Reporter How to understand your dog or cat better?
Mouth cleaning should be a habit that owners have to have with their dogs, since it not only eliminates bad breath but protects them from infections that can cause pain and discomfort.
Since they are puppies, they have to get used to this dental routine, so that when it comes to brushing them or taking them to a veterinarian, they do not have an uncomfortable and traumatic moment.
So that there are no future complications in your dentures, it is better to take it to regular veterinary checkups and care. It is also important to have prophylaxis if the caregiver wants his dog’s teeth to be healthy.
Tips to take care of the dog’s teeth
Fight bad breath
Before eliminating bad breath from a dog’s life, it is necessary to know if he has any oral problems or periodontal disease.
• Halitosis occurs when bacteria that accumulate in the remains of food left in the teeth release certain sulfur components, so it will have an unpleasant smell in your mouth.
• Soft diets or canned foods are the most likely to leave residue between the dog’s teeth.
• From gum infections – gingivitis, periodontitis – to kidney failure problems, intestinal obstruction and diabetes, are diseases that cause bad breath.
The best solution to avoid this problem is to brush them daily, provide them with quality and highly digestible food, get snacks and toys for dogs that encourage chewing and generate fresh breath.
Eradicate tartar with prophylaxis
Prophylaxis is a cleaning technique that provides greater protection to tooth enamel and releases plaque and dental calculus.
This procedure can be performed without and with anaesthesia. It must also be done once or twice a year, with the exception of puppies under one year or a year and a half.
The fear of some people that causes anaesthesia prophylaxis is that their pets do not wake up again, so they prefer to do it without it.
A clear sign that the dog needs this treatment is that it has yellow, green, brown teeth or very reddened gums.
It accustoms the dog to a toothbrush
Before introducing a toothbrush to a dog’s mouth, it is better to get used to the canine, since the owner will have contact with his mouth.
• Wash your hands and put toothpaste on your index finger.
• Insert it gently and safely into the dog’s mouth and slide it along the surface of the teeth and gums.
• Dogs have a limit point, so do not exceed.
After that process, you can use the toothbrush and clean them in vertical movements, starting with the fangs.
Importance of the diet
The diet is very important for the oral hygiene of a dog, since there are some products that leave residue between the teeth.
However, the one that is considered favourable to combat this problem is the dry diet, this type of food has greater nutritional balance and offers advantages for oral hygiene since while chewing and crushing the food is delaying the appearance of bacterial plaque.
Are dental snacks effective?
There are bones or dental rewards that help the accumulated tartar to detach from the teeth since by chewing them they make friction and the plaque is gradually removed.
When choosing them it is good to check if they are effective, safe and that they are appetizing for the dog.
Taking care of a dog’s teeth is a very important task since this will allow them to be in good health and not to get infections that could get worse over time.
