Brushing a dog’s teeth is vital to their health. Neglecting their teeth can lead to disease, tooth loss, dead teeth, and mouth pain. In between the recommended annual cleanings, dog owners should train their dogs to tolerate regular brushing.
Choosing the Right Toothpaste and Mouthwash for Your Dog
Not all toothpastes are the same. Just because toothpaste works for humans doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for dogs. Humans are trained to spit out toothpaste, but a dog who can be trained to do so would surely earn a spot on national television! It’s safer to purchase toothpaste designed specifically for dogs, and be sure to use only the minimum amount to prevent over-ingestion of the paste. Mouthwash made for dogs is also available and is recommended as a supplemental tooth care routine at least once a week.
To use mouthwash between brushings, simply saturate a cotton ball with the appropriate mouthwash and wipe your dog’s teeth thoroughly. Some dogs believe this is a treat, while others might think you’re trying to torture them. If you train your dog as a puppy, the process will go much smoother. It’s easier to train a pup to sit for a mouth cleaning than an older secondhand dog.
If you’ve adopted an older dog, use caution the first time you attempt to clean their teeth. Stand behind them and off to one side to prevent any attempts to bite or struggle. Always reward the teeth cleaning session with a nice treat afterward. If possible, reward them with something other than food. If nothing other than food gets through to them, offer a small food reward, as you’ve just cleaned their teeth. However, part of the process involves training them to tolerate the cleaning, so expect a bit of give-and-take at first.
The earlier you start brushing a dog’s teeth, the easier it will be on both of you as they get older. Most vets recommend brushing either weekly or biweekly. Some vets think this may be a bit excessive and recommend a monthly brushing instead. When training your puppy, it’s okay to brush every three to four days, using toothpaste only occasionally. You may need to repeat the behavior often and follow through with a reward to help them tolerate the process.
Using a pea-sized amount of puppy-approved toothpaste, train your dog to tolerate short, incremental brush strokes throughout the entire process. Give them a moment in between these strokes to swallow and adjust. Dogs don’t always close off the back of their throat the way humans do, so there may be some coughing and sputtering. If this happens, just make your incremental brushes smaller. Do your best to clean all of their teeth.
Brushing your dog’s teeth might be more challenging than brushing your own, so take your time and don’t get frustrated. Try to make it a positive experience for them. Offer soft, soothing remarks about their good behavior, even if you have to act quickly to catch them being good. Dogs don’t like the feeling of a toothbrush in their mouth. Of course, they would chew it to pieces if given the opportunity, but they won’t tolerate the feel of the brush in their human’s hands. Go figure!
Special dog toothbrushes work better than discarded human brushes. Many dog toothbrushes are designed to slip over your finger, requiring only the action of feeling around their teeth as best you can. These brushes are easier to use than bristled ones and do nearly the same quality job. However, if you can’t manipulate the bristled type, it becomes ineffective, making the finger-slip type more practical.
You can start by brushing just a few teeth and gradually increase the time and number of teeth you brush every few days. This helps avoid a power struggle with your dog, which could lead them to become completely intolerant of the process and cause you to resent the idea of doing it. If it becomes too much of a fight from the beginning, you likely won’t continue. If you take your time and make it fun for your pup, they may even begin to enjoy the process—or at least appreciate the lavish praise and rewards afterward, not to mention your beaming approval of their behavior.
Brushing your dog’s teeth doesn’t need to be a nightmare for either of you. It takes patience and time to help them adjust, but the effort pays off by helping to avoid dead teeth, tooth loss, and gum diseases that can result from neglecting their oral care. Anyone who has ever had a serious toothache knows how painful mouth problems can be. Dental care for dogs is far better than the pain of untreated mouth issues.
