So you’ve just gotten out of the shower, brushed your teeth, and are ready to relax on your bed to snooze into tomorrow. As you tuck yourself in, however, your pup jumps up and says goodnight with a big lick across your face, followed by some panting excitement for you to pet him in return. As much as this experience sounds like a comforting gesture, many of us know that this act can make us want to jump back in the shower, rebrush our teeth and throw our fingers over our nose to avoid smelling our pup’s foul dog food breath. Beyond your personal discomfort, uncommonly bad dog breath can be a precursor for gum disease, which is often seen starting at age 3 in nearly 80% of dogs.
For those of you desiring to avoid associating this ‘icky’ feeling with your dog, here are some mouth care tips for you to try out on your dog:
1. Test the Breath
Granted it won’t smell like a bushel of roses, but if your dogs breaths seems to be extraordinarily off putting, and perhaps accompanied by excessive drinking, drooling, vomiting, urinating or lack of eating you should visit your local vet.
2. What’s under the Hood?
Take a moment to check under your dog’s lips to see that his/her gums ARE pink and NOT white, red or swelling. Also make sure there isn’t a brownish tartar on the teeth, unusually loose teeth, tumors in the gums, or cysts under the tongue.
3. Are My Dog’s Teeth Decaying?
It is important to have regular teeth cleanings performed on your pooch to avoid build-up of plaque and bacteria-forming foods that can harden into tartar, leading often to tooth loss, receding gums and gingivitis.
4. Brush Brush Brush
Don’t feel like taking a monthly drive to the vet for a simple teeth cleaning? Well you can purchase a canine tooth-brushing kit or a soft piece of gauze to wrap around your finger! You’ll only need one trip to the vet to pick up some puppy safe toothpaste because fluoride, as found in regular toothpaste can cause a disruption in the enamel formation for younger dogs. Sometimes vets will even have mouthwash you can take home with you!
5. How to Brush a Dog’s Teeth
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