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Dog Dental Health | Vanillapup

Dog Tip Tuesday: The Best Way to Keep Your Dog’s Teeth Sparkling Clean

  • Vanillapup
  • December 27, 2016
  • 2 minute read

Dental health is frequently overlooked by dog owners. Let’s be honest, they sometimes dread brushing their own teeth every night, let alone bother about ours. Also, some people already expect a dog’s breath to stink!

That is probably why many dogs have a hard yellow layer on their teeth, particularly those at the sides and the back of the mouth. What’s causing that is tartar build-up.

Tartar is a form of hardened plaque. A build-up of it may cause the gums to be irritated and inflamed resulting in gingivitis. If gingivitis is untreated, it may then turn into periodontitis, a severe and painful gum disease that affects overall health.

As you can see, lack of dental care is a slippery slope. So the best way to prevent all these problems is to make sure that you keep plaque and tartar at bay!

Raw diet

When I was on a homemade raw diet, my teeth were all white and sparkly! Chewing on raw meaty bones helps to gently rub off dirt and tartar. Not only that, raw meat contains natural enzymes that help to clean teeth.

The trick is to give your dog a big piece of raw meaty bone to work on if not daily, weekly! You will see results in a few weeks.

Examples of raw meaty bones:

  • Poultry feet, neck, and wings
  • Beef or lamb shank
  • Ribs

Do not feed cooked bones, as they may splinter and cut your dog’s digestive system. Do not feed weight-bearing bones too because they are extremely hard and may break your dog’s teeth.

Always watch your dog when giving her bones. If your dog tends to swallow without chewing, start by holding on to the bone while letting her chew off the meat and soft bones.

Mama finds that this is the best way to keep your dog’s teeth in tip-top condition.

Now that I am commercial raw (freeze-dried ground meat) due to convenience, mama gives me a raw meaty bone once a week to control tartar build-up.

Toothbrushing

If you prefer not to feed a raw diet, then regular toothbrushing is your best bet. Get a toothbrush that fits your dog well. If it’s too big, brushing will be uncomfortable for your dog.

Mama is currently using SigOne 360° toothbrush. It has a small brush head with soft, fine bristles all round. I enjoy brushing more now due to this design!

Here’s how to brush your dog’s teeth.

Professional dental scaling

Some dogs are more predisposed to dental problems due to breed or other factors. Hence, they may need professional cleaning from time to time.

Proper dental procedures require anaesthesia and pain control. Anaesthesia has its risks but it is necessary because deep cleaning below the gum line, teeth extraction, and dental treatment are painful and require your dog to be still.

Just be sure to send your dog to a reputable vet clinic with an experienced periodontist and dedicated and intensive anaesthesia monitoring.


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Photo credit: PKMousie via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Vanillapup

Latte is the happy Westie behind Vanillapup, a website for dog lovers. Discover latest products and services, dog-friendly hangouts, helpful tips and advice, and exclusive perks.


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5 comments
  1. Rebecca says:
    December 29, 2016 at 7:16 am

    Sorry, I meant the raw meaty bone. Does your mama get it from supermarket? Which meat is the best?

    Reply
    1. Vanillapup says:
      December 29, 2016 at 11:47 am

      Hi Rebecca! You can get them from supermarkets, butcheries like The Foodie Market, and wholesalers like Lim traders. Poultry, beef, lamb, venison, are all good.

      Reply
      1. Rebecca says:
        December 29, 2016 at 9:36 pm

        Thank you! Where to get freeze dried ground meat? I’m deciding whether to switch to raw diet if it’s convenient, as my dog has allergy and is always licking her paw.

        Reply
        1. Vanillapup says:
          December 29, 2016 at 11:06 pm

          You can get commercial freeze-dried raw food, such as Primal, K9 Natural, and Stewart from most online stores. I get mine from Kohe Pets. If you are looking at fresh raw ground meat then the supermarket will have it. However, be sure to try to provide a balanced and complete diet (see first link below) if you are doing it yourself.

          Useful links:
          https://vanillapup.com/2014/12/14/raw-diet-for-dogs-beginners-guide/
          https://vanillapup.com/2016/08/06/choose-commercial-raw-diet-dogs/
          https://vanillapup.com/2015/04/12/vanillapup-picks-k9-natural-raw-dog-food/
          https://vanillapup.com/2016/04/09/stewart-raw-naturals-freeze-dried-dog-food/

          It’s good to note that most allergies suffered by dogs are not caused by food but environmental allergens. You may consider socks when going out if that’s the case.

          https://vanillapup.com/2016/11/03/ask-vet-dog-rashes-pimples/
          https://vanillapup.com/2016/05/30/vanillapup-picks-trusty-dog-socks-rc-pet-products/

          Hope this helps!

          Reply
  2. Rebecca says:
    December 29, 2016 at 7:14 am

    Hi, can I check where can I get freeze dried ground meat that your mama is giving you weekly?

    Reply

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