Get Even More Visitors To Your Blog, Upgrade To A Business Listing >>

The importance of proper dental hygiene in the dog

If you do not clean your dog's Teeth, tartar will build up and cause problems.

No less important than bathing or veterinary checks is maintaining a correct Dog's oral hygiene, Something that will save to the animal the loss of dental pieces and possible health problems that, even, can be serious or fatal. The best way to avoid it is prevention through a goodbrushing And maintenance, as well as veterinary checks or treatments if necessary. In this article we explain the importance of proper dental hygiene, how to carry it out, and what are the consequences of incorrect cleaning or its absence, as well as some basic recommendations in this regard.

The remains of the food that a dog ingests throughout the day gradually accumulate between his teeth and gums. This accumulation will eventually become Tartar, Which can lead to a multitude of problems and will require the intervention of a veterinarian. To avoid this, the experts warn of the importance of carrying out a correct oral hygiene of our mascot. But when should we start? Tania Jasny, a veterinarian and a member of EDUCAN's team of experts, explains that it is necessary to gradually become accustomed to brushing since dog And, in addition, do it in a pleasant way for the animal. In this way it will be much simpler and, furthermore, "it is convenient, since, although at these ages the teeth do not present any symptoms of disease, thus we will prepare the way towards prevention."

Ideally, the cleaning of your teeth should be part of your life as something as common as, for example, games or walks. "With progressive training, adapting the pace to each dog, we should reach a Daily frequency To obtain maximum protection ". In this way, Tania Jasny explains, "we could carry out a primary prevention of Dental health Which can become serious and cause major health problems in the future. " At the moment the offer of possibilities to clean the teeth to our dog is very wide, reason why we only have to choose the method more appropriate to our particular case.

The veterinarian also advises a correct alimentación, Both in composition and physical presentation of the food, as well as the administration of Chewing sticks, Which "will favor the control of dental plaque and prevent the development of periodontal disease by mechanical action. In addition, there are nutritional supplements that act against dental plaque, tartar, or inflammatory reaction, "he explains. Prolonged chewing, in addition to the mechanical action on the surface of the tooth, stimulates the secretion of saliva, which helps keep the mouth cleaner. There are different dental products on the market. However, Tania warns us that "the proper choice of food and other products to promote dental hygiene should be done individually according to the breed of our dog and always with the advice of a veterinarian" .

We must not forget that, just like humans, dogs also need to check their teeth in order to keep as long as possible in good condition, as well as to prevent incipient problems from reaching more with far worse consequences. That is why, complementing the hygiene of the dog, it is ideal to check the dog's teeth at home once a week, or as much as possible, but without forgetting that every six or eight months it is advisable to pay a visit to the veterinarian For a deeper exploration.

The way to brush the teeth to the dog is the same as in humans, from top to bottom and for at least one minute.

To answer the question of how to clean the teeth of our dog, Jesús María Fernández Sánchez, vice president of the SEOVE (Spanish Society of Dentistry and Veterinary Maxillofacial Surgery) And specialist in Dentistry and Veterinary Maxillofacial Surgery, advises not to force the dog Or fight with him: "If that moment is not left, it is best to wait and try later. Ideally, it is first Accustom the dog, From a dog, to touch the mouth, we open it, we pass the finger through the gums, this way, it will be much easier later Brush your teeth. What works best is to first use a dry gauze and pass it through the outer face of the teeth, without opening the mouth, only raising the lips, and in this way drags and cleans a lot of tartar. Then apply the toothpaste on another clean gauze and repeat the operation. When we have done it for two weeks, approximately, the dog will have become accustomed and we can do it with the toothbrush, which must be very soft bristles. "

The mechanism Brushing a dog's teethIs identical to that of humans: from top to bottom and for at least one minute, being ideal to reach three. We can gently hold the animal's snout and start with the fangs, then we will move gently towards the posterior teeth to finish with the incisors. The time of brushing increases as the animal tolerates that we manipulate its mouth; It is only a matter of patience and, of course, respect for their rhythms.

If we have not done this from the beginning, in order to avoid problems it is advisable to combine the cleaning at home, whenever possible, with the Dental hygiene at the vet, Especially for dogs with oral problems or to which we do not brush our teeth frequently. We must also take into account that a good complement to hygiene is the choice of a Dry diet Instead of feeding our dog with canned or homemade food. Rubbing the food balls against the teeth helps to prevent the formation of tartar and bacterial plaque. Always taking into account, of course, that gesture is not a substitute for good oral hygiene but, as we said, a complement.

The Vice-President of the SEOVE Also explains how to act with dogs that, despite all the recommendations to respectfully introduce the brushing, and have started from puppies, Do not let your teeth brush. In these cases, "there are a lot of products, from liquids mixed with drinking water, powders added to food, dog biscuits with a dental cleansing effect, specific compound mouthwashes and less tartar, Teeth, antiseptic gels to be applied in the mouth, gels with hyaluronic acid, and so on. But taking into account always that none of them has the same effectiveness as brushing and, therefore, can replace it. "

If the dog's periodontal disease progresses it may lose teeth, or suffer from jaw weakness and even fractures.

Good Dog dental hygiene Not only will it increase your quality of life but will help you avoid multitude of illnesses associated with an incorrect maintenance of your mouth. The first symptom Which reveals that our pet is not receiving proper care of his teeth is the appearance of Tartar. The veterinarian and a member of the EDUCAN team of experts, Tania Jasny, explains that "it is advisable to prevent the deposition of scale on the surface of the teeth (composite material of food, bacteria and bacterial products), since it is one of the causes of Oral diseases such as periodontal disease".

It is important to bear this in mind because if the periodontal disease progresses, destruction of the alveolar bone, which is the support of the tooth, can result not only in the loss of the tooth but also in the weakening of the jaw, Fractures. The specialist in Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jesús María Fernández Sánchez, adds that "the importance of dental brushing is that there are numerous studies that correlate the degree of periodontal disease (or dirtiness of the mouth) with serious diseases such as Heart problems, renales y Hepatic".

In addition to tartar, there are other symptoms that alert you to poor dog dental hygiene: gingivitis, periodontitis, halitosis, pain, Bleeding, or Decrease in food intake, among others. Usually, if the owner does not know the importance of the correct hygiene of the animal's mouth, and does not take care of it since the dog is a puppy, it can go unnoticed until the symptoms are very evident. The disease or the problems derived eventually appear if the appropriate measures are not taken, since it is a pathology that affects all dogs to a greater or lesser degree throughout their life.

Jesús María Fernández explains that "although we brush our dogs' teeth, they will always accumulate tartar (some races much earlier than others, as in the case of small breeds such as Yorkshire, Chihuahua, and brachycephalous breeds such as Carlino , Bulldog, Boxer) and will need to go to a veterinary clinic where there is a Veterinary specialist in dentistry That can make them a professional periodontal treatment. This way the mouth is perfectly healthy and clean, but we must not forget that only 48 hours after the treatment is beginning to accumulate plaque and tartar, so it is important the maintenance and hygiene of the animal on the part of the owner".

Getting the dog from puppy to tooth brushing is the best way to maintain a healthy mouth.

Prevention is always the best tool we can Periodontal disease in dogs. Therefore, we offer you some tips Essential for maintaining a correct Oral hygiene of your dog:

  • In the market we can find many resources to maintain a good dental hygiene of our can, but the essential thing is to do from the beginning with a basic brushing kit: a soft bristle brush and a dog specific toothpaste.
  • Canine toothpaste is an effective weapon against bad breath and plaque. They are not dangerous, even if the animal swallows them, because they are not toxic when being made with natural products.
  • The most important thing is the regularity and choose the appropriate method advised by the veterinarian, but without forgetting that if from puppy is not accustomed to carry out oral hygiene, it will be very difficult not to resist opening your mouth for us to introduce Toothpaste and toothbrush.
  • For impossible cases in which the animal is already adult and has not been carried out hygiene throughout his life, and therefore does not accept that we clean the teeth, there is the option to use oral mouthwash or specific aerosols Partly improve plaque or bad breath.
  • If there is no greater problem than accumulated tartar and we want to ensure a perfect cleaning, it is best to carry out a thorough annually at the vet to completely eliminate tartar from the dog's mouth. But we must bear in mind that if the dog has added problems, such as inflammation of the gums, bad breath, or excessive accumulation of tartar, it is recommended that such cleaning at the veterinarian is more frequent.
  • Small breeds are more likely to develop plaque and plaque, so it is advisable to prevent problems by choosing a dry diet for your food. This type of food contributes to the good maintenance of your dental health and can be complemented with snacks or toys specially designed for the prevention of tartar.


This post first appeared on Green Health Tips - Health & Fitness News, please read the originial post: here

Share the post

The importance of proper dental hygiene in the dog

×

Subscribe to Green Health Tips - Health & Fitness News

Get updates delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for your subscription

×