How To Care For Your Pet's Teeth

Anyone who has had a toothache knows it won’t be long before the pain warrants a trip to the dentist. Dental troubles can affect your furry friend too! Routine care for your pet’s teeth is a crucial part of maintaining your pet’s health and ensuring minty-fresh kisses! 

Dental disease affects 85% of dogs over the age of 3 and cats over the age of 6. Bad breath, mood changes and pain are all symptoms of dental issues. Dental cleaning and extractions are one of the most expensive common veterinary procedures, sometimes up to 1,500$. Keep your dog or cat’s pearly whites clean, healthy and strong with these tricks.

What Is Dental Disease?

Periodontal disease is the inflammation of the teeth and gums, caused by plaque build-up. Plaque is made up of food particles, saliva, and bacteria. If it is not routinely removed, it will built up into tartar.  

Signs of Dental Disease

If your pet is exhibiting one or more of the following symptoms, it may be a good idea to check in with your veterinarian: 

• Bad breath 

• Discoloured teeth 

• Loose teeth 

• Excessive drooling

• Bloody or inflamed gums

• Reluctance or difficulty eating or chewing 

• Pain or avoidance having their head or mouth handled 

• Facial swelling 

• Behavioural changes (eg. lethargy, increased aggression) 

• Pawing at mouth 

• Receding gums 

• Build-up, or fur where the tooth meets the gums

Dental Food

A balanced, fresh and raw food diet is always the best option to help maintain maintain healthy teeth. Kibble (even dental) contains carbohydrates which can contribute to buildup and plaque. If you do opt for a dental kibble diet, look for products labelled with the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, as they are scientifically tested to manage dental disease in dogs and cats.  

Whatever your pet's diet, supplement it with crunchy, textured elements, such as whole carrots and raw bones. These help scrub teeth and reduce plaque and tartar build-up. As a bonus, chewing and licking has been proven to realease feel-good endorphins in pups, helping to ease stress and anxiety. Our blog post Can I Give Raw Bones To My Dog explores which types of bones are best for your pup. 

Mouth Check

A mouth check is a great way to help your pet get used to you handling their mouth. As always, starting as young as possible is best, but it’s never too late to start! Mouth checks can be done with a routine body check and will help condition your pet to tooth brushing. Implement these steps one at a time, in brief sessions. Reward each step, and move onto the next step once they are fully comfortable with the previous step:

• Pat your pet’s head, add a brief pet on the side of their mouth

• Pat the sides of their mouth with a firm, circular motion

• Briefly lift the lips to take a look at the sides of the teeth

• Hold the lip for longer, doing both sides

• Gently massage the tooth and gums

Daily Brushing

We all know what happens if we don’t brush our teeth, why would animal teeth be any different? 

Choose a toothbrush specially-made for your dog or cat, or even a toddler toothbrush from the chemist’s, which slides over your finger. While an electric toothbrush is excellent, your pet may not take well to the noise.  

Human toothpaste can upset your pet’s stomach; opt for pet-specific toothpaste instead.  These come in a range of flavours, such as mint-vanilla, peanut butter, chicken, beef or even bacon. 

 Introduce brushing gradually, from a young age if you can. Start slowly, with brief sessions. Dip the toothbrush in tuna juice, chicken stock or even a bit of peanut butter slurry. Let your pet sniff, lick and explore the brush on their own. When your pet is used to licking the toothbrush, wiggle it a bit to brush it against their teeth. Start at the front of the mouth, using even pressure - you don’t want to tickle your pet! 

When your pet is comfortable, use circular motions, brushing for 30 seconds on each side of the mouth and brushing the back teeth, too. 

Chew Toys & Treats

If Fido isn’t ready for tooth brushing yet, large, hard treats can help care for your pet’s teeth. Chewing promotes healthy gum health, plaque removal and protective saliva production. A dental treat, such as pig’s ears, noses, trotters, Bully Sticks or Dentabones, once a week is a wonderful supplement to raw bones. 

Cats can also benefit from dental treats such as Greenies or Silver Vine Sticks - a great alternative to catnip! Because our feline friends tend to swallow rather than chew, they need a bit more incentive than our canine friends to help care for their teeth.

Supplements

While avoiding carb-heavy food in favour of fresh food does wonders to help care for your pet’s teeth, vitamins and supplements can also help! 

Fish oil, rich in vitamin A, and two Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, can help reduce gum disease, as well as help keep fur soft and shiny.

Seaweed supplements such as My Doggie Weed are formulated to freshen breath,  break down dental build up and contribute to a healthy microbiome. Pre and probiotic supplements, such as Fortiflora for dogs or cats, help maintain a healthy gut biome, which helps with digestion and dental health! 

Plaque Off for cats and dogs is a powder supplement you can add to your pet’s food to maintain oral hygiene and prevent tartar, gingivitis and bad breath. 

At Happy Hounds Dog Walking and Pet Sitting, we care about your pet, from whisker to tail; give us a ring or send us a message to see how we can help your pet smile!