How to brush a dog's teeth canines health tips, dental care, medical facts in our K9 tooth maintenance and pet tutorials section.
How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth
 

  First check your local pet food stores for dog toothpaste. It is usually sold in meat flavors, which make it easier to use on your dog. Do not use human toothpaste even though you believe you dog likes mint and peppermint flavors, they will probably burn your dog's sinuses and they are not meant to be swallowed, even if they are not harmful to people, it may upset your dogs stomach.


  Start out by rubbing a small amount of the toothpaste over your dogs gums, and teeth while generously praising them, so they believe they are getting a special treat. Do this several times a week for a few weeks, so your dog is used to your fingers in their mouth and also to the rubbing and handling of his/her teeth.

  If you do not have medical gauze in you home, you will have to pick some up at the store (it is cheap). Wrap some gauze around your fingers, and using the same method you have been using over the past few weeks, rub the toothpaste covered gauze over your dogs gums and teeth, this does a better job than your fingers, and the scrubbing sensation will help your dog adjust to the toothbrush.

  Now that your have been scrubbing your dogs teeth with gauze and toothpaste, and both you and your dog are comfortable with handling all teeth even back molars you can try with a toothbrush. It may take more than a month for the more timid or skittish dogs and people - keep at it and youll both smile brighter.

  Use a soft bristled toothbrush if you cannot find one for dogs in your local pet stores. The new fancy kinds with the different length bristles may come in extra soft - those are the best, as they can easily be worked between the canine teeth. Do not ever use a hard bristled toothbrush or even medium as it may damage or irritate a dogs gums.

  Do not over brush. If your dog dental care has been more or less consistent since they were a puppy, you should only have to brush their teeth once or twice a week. Remember, they should not be eating candy or sweets, so they will not need to use the same diligence as their owners.




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