Dental Home Care

Check out our 4 Week CAT teeth brushing program and DOG teeth brushing program

 

At home dental care is one of the best things you can do to for your pet. The easiest method is to start from the very beginning with a puppy or a kitten, but even older pets will take to teeth brushing without much fuss.

 

One of the key things to remember is that we don’t want your pet to feel trapped. They do well when they retain control and know they can walk away from your brush at any time. This approach works very well, but it needs to be done gradually. You probably might remember a stage in your pet’s development when they thought running away was a great game. You can usually get through that stage by letting them know that being with you is one of the most wonderful things in the world and that it does NOT mean you will be giving them medication, putting them in a crate, taking them away from the dog park and snapping a leash on their collar or making them do something similarly awful.

 

The best way to introduce a new skill is to help them decide they want to do it. When teaching recall, it’s better if they start running toward you by chance, you call their name, holler (with a huge smile on your face) “come here!” and run backwards so they’re “chasing” you, but the key is, once they’ve achieved the recall (come to you), all you want to do is give them a huge hug/pat/good dog and send them RIGHT BACK ON THEIR WAY, with a release word like, “OK!” Kind of like a game of tag. They don’t feel like they’re trapped or forced into doing anything, they’re just checking in with you and then going about their business. During this program, we hope to teach you how to make teeth brushing pretty great as well.

 

First of all, we’ll start with the toothpaste. We have CET toothpaste available here. There are different flavors: Poultry, Salmon and Vanilla Mint. You want to get the toothpaste your pet LOVES. I started with the poultry flavor, which was a huge hit! When the company added vanilla mint recently and I wanted to try it too but tooth brushing was well established by then, so I was only in danger of losing the cost of the toothpaste tube and not our brushing relationship. Remember, while mint flavored toothpastes might appeal to us, animal flavored (poultry, beef, cheese, salmon) will always win with your pet, and you want every advantage when you’re starting out.

 

If you end up purchasing toothpaste from another source, pet stores always have a good selection, I’ve found that a paste and not a gel is always more successful and always make sure you get a dog approved flavor (no mint or orange or vanilla). And NEVER use human toothpaste because it contains surfactants (detergents) that must be spit out and not swallowed.

 

The second thing you’ll need is a toothbrush. I do not care for the standard dog toothbrushes, especially for small dogs; they’re very long and unwieldy. Also, their bristles are usually too firm. I use baby and child toothbrushes with my dogs. You’ll want to start with the baby toothbrushes as they’re very soft and work your way up to the child toothbrushes as your dog gets used to the sensation and their gums get used to the stimulation. Just like when you brush your own teeth, your dog’s gums might bleed a little but that is a normal occurrence occasionally. This might happen more frequently at the beginning. All of the child and baby brushes are short handled and much easier to maneuver in and around your dog’s mouth. I use a child’s spin brush as my dog is very familiar with brushing and actually comes running for the spinning sound. If you can, the spin brush would be the best end option as it will move even when it’s in very small spaces (like at the back of the mouth), thus optimizing the brushing benefits. However, it’s more like icing on the cake.

 

For cats, CET makes a great toothbrush that’s small, angled and easy to use. Their lips are more tight in around their mouth and their teeth are much smaller than even most small dogs. The toothpaste is the same as well.

 

“Why should I brush my pet’s teeth?” In answer to this question, I’ll ask a question, how would your mouth feel and taste if you didn’t brush your teeth? Humans are recommended to get professional teeth cleanings every six months and we brush our teeth once or twice a day, plus flossing! If you’ve ever gone camping or weren’t able to brush your teeth for any length of time, you can see why brushing your pet’s teeth is important. In addition to these reasons, bacteria in the mouth don’t just affect the mouth. Just as with humans, bacteria can travel to other organs in the body, causing widespread issues. Also, dental problems can be very painful on a daily basis and every time your pet eats. Loose teeth, resorptive lesions, gingivitis, exposed roots and fractured teeth are very common issues we see every day. Sometimes pets seem to be unaffected by their teeth, but after a dental cleaning, owners see a huge improvement in mood and energy.

 

Daily brushing is best. When you try for daily teeth brushing, you might only get five days out of seven, but you’ll be making a big difference in your pet’s life. Pretty soon it’ll be just a few minutes in your daily routine, just as with brushing your own teeth.

For an easy to follow 4 week program, check out our

CAT teeth brushing program and

DOG teeth brushing program