如何正确帮狗狗刷牙 | How To Brush Your Dog’s Teeth

如何正确帮狗狗刷牙 | How To Brush Your Dog’s Teeth

How often should I brush my dog’s teeth?

We should brush our dog’s teeth once to twice a day. Yes, it should be that often. We can start to train a puppy to accept teeth-brushing when they’re around 4 – 6 months old.

Why should I brush my dog’s teeth?

Around 80% of dogs aged 2 years and above start to develop dental problems if we do not practice proper care. Initially we may find that our dog has bad breath. If we do not care about the need of proper dental hygiene, the condition will further develop to tartar formation and inflammation. Worse yet, there are many blood vessels in the gums which can transmit bacteria to other organs like the heart, liver, and kidney, which may lead to other diseases.

Toothpastes and toothbrushes for dogs

There are different pet toothbrushes in the market which you can choose from. And pet toothpaste is edible, has a tasty flavour and does not foam. You can brush your dog’s teeth in a circular motion. After teeth-brushing, you are advised to keep their drinking water away from reach for 30 minutes for the best results.

Brushing your dog’s teeth for the first time

It’s possible to train our dogs to slowly accept the habit of getting their teeth brushed. For their first time, we can apply the toothpaste on our bare index finger and apply it onto the gum directly, with no circular or brushing movement at all. Continue to do that for about 4 days, until your dog can tolerate the taste of the toothpaste. Then move on to the next level by adding a circular motion with your bare finger, instead of using a toothbrush. Continue doing that for another 4 days until your dog is used to the finger movement in their mouth, then you can level up to the final stage of brushing their teeth with a toothbrush. As a reward, you may give them a dental stick treat after every teeth-brushing session.

The most common myth about dental sticks

Dental sticks are unable properly clean the upper, lower, inner and outer teeth of our dogs; they cannot be compared to what a toothbrush can do. Therefore brushing your dog’s teeth thoroughly with a toothpaste and toothbrush is always the most effective way.

Hope these little tips help, especially for new pawparents!

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