How to brush a dog’s teeth at home?

Pets often become true family members. Caring for the health of a pet is far from last. The caring owners of dachshunds, Dalmatians and “Dweller terriers” do not forget about a balanced diet, preventive examinations at the veterinarian and animal hygiene. But for some reason, such a necessary procedure as brushing your teeth was undeservedly forgotten. How to brush a dog’s teeth at home? This will be discussed in the article.

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Why is this necessary?

Is dog brushing really necessary? Who brushes her wild cousins ​​like wolves, foxes, or Australian dingoes? That's right - no one. And the dogs did not need this, while they, living in the wild, ate solid food. A completely different thing is domestic dogs, in the diet of which are dry feed, soft cereals and meat that has undergone heat treatment.

Important! Problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, or plaque have become commonplace. Therefore, cleaning is objectively necessary. Not twice a day, as in humans, but at least 3 times a week.

If you brush your dog teeth at home regularly, then you will be able to maintain healthy teeth and gums for a long time. This is an excellent prevention of digestive diseases. At the same time, such a problem as an unpleasant smell from the dog’s mouth is also solved.

Important! In addition, you must regularly take the dog to the veterinarian to remove tartar by ultrasound. The procedure is completely painless, and the animals tolerate it very easily. An exception is dogs of large breeds, which are removed from tartar under general anesthesia.

To teach a doggie to oral hygiene is necessary since puppyhood:

• Up to 3 months, while the teeth are milky, you can do without brushing with a toothbrush.
• From the age of six months, when milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth, regular brushing with paste is necessary.

Important! If you neglect the cleaning procedure, then the teeth gradually begin to hurt and fall out. This is especially true for small dogs - Yorkshire, toy terriers, chihuahua. The dog loses its appetite, losing weight. In severe cases, abscesses are formed in the mouth, fraught with febrile conditions or even the death of a dog.

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How to brush a dog’s teeth at home?

Even if the dog is old enough, it is never too late to accustom him to a useful hygiene procedure. To do this, so that there are no problems when you are going to brush your dog's teeth at home:

• Show the dog that the cleaning procedure is neither painful nor scary. Wrap a piece of tissue on your finger, dip it into the broth. This is necessary so that the dog feels a familiar pleasant taste and is not afraid.
• Hold the pet between the knees. Lift the dog’s lips with one hand and with the other (with a finger dipped in the broth), brush the animal’s teeth several times. In this case, say the word command. For example, “Clean”. Do not hurt your gums so that the dog does not feel discomfort.
• Praise the pet, give him a treat.
• After the procedure becomes familiar for the animal, get a special paste and brush.

Important! Do not use hygiene products for humans. The “human” brush will not be able to clean the fangs and injure the gums. The toothpaste that people use contains fluoride, and it is harmful to the canine organism. Most toothpaste enters the esophagus and then the dog’s stomach.The brush can be purchased at a specialized veterinary pharmacy.

• The principle of cleaning teeth is the same as for humans. Put a little paste on the brush, and lifting it up, clean the dog's fangs well. Then offer the dog water. If a special brush was not on sale, you can use a children's toothbrush with a floating head. Direction of brush movement up and down.

Toothbrushes

A good way to get rid of plaque is strawberry or tomato juice. Put some juice on a cotton pad and wipe the animal's fangs.

Good home remedies that you can use to brush your dog’s teeth are hydrogen peroxide, soda and aloe juice:

1. Mix the same volumes of juice and peroxide.
2. Then add soda so that a mass is obtained that is reminiscent of sour cream in consistency.
3. Apply the compound on gauze or bandage and thoroughly rub the dog’s teeth.

Of course, skills do not come immediately. But gradually you will see that there is nothing complicated in this manipulation, and it can be easily carried out independently.

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If the dog refuses to brush

Sometimes it happens that the dog refuses to brush his teeth outright. What to do in this case? I do not want to constantly resort to general anesthesia. First of all, because it is not so safe:

• Pay attention to sticks and “bones” made of solid material. Pets are happy to nibble them, because the sticks are produced with the taste of chicken, meat or fish. It turns out good prevention of tartar formation.
• Special sprays for teeth are also on sale. If the dog does not allow you to brush your teeth, then maybe it will give you at least a spray on them? Spray destroys salt formations and has a disinfecting effect.

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If accustoming to the procedure was unsuccessful, and you do not know how to brush your dog’s teeth at home, contact your veterinarian or dog handler. They will be able to tell the owner how to behave correctly in such a situation. Show a little patience, and the mouth of your toothy handsome man will be in perfect order.