Taking care of your dog’s dental health is part of their overall health. Read more about why canine dental health is so important on our blog.

How to Keep Your Dog’s Teeth Healthy
Once you become a dog owner, you assume many responsibilities. You have to ensure your dog exercises enough each day, gets vaccinated at a vet clinic, and learns good behavior around other people and dogs.

One of the most often neglected parts of dog care is — believe it or not — dog dental care. If your dog has inflamed gums or a toothache, he or she is dealing with pain that you probably don’t know about, and might not be able to eat without being irritated. Plus, the bacteria could spread and cause a more serious and painful infection.

The truth is that you should be able to maintain your dog’s dental health much in the same way that you maintain your own — by brushing their teeth. Most dog dentists recommend a brushing every day, but if that is unrealistic, shoot for three or four times a week. Check out the list below for other tips concerning your pup’s mouth:

• Ease into it — Your dog won’t accept the intrusion of a strange new routine easily, so give it time. Start by offering him or her some peanut butter or a treat and let him lick it off of your hands, sticking your fingers in his mouth. Once your dog is used to you handling his or her mouth, it will be much easier to incorporate it into your daily or bi-weekly routine.
• Find pet healthcare clinics, such as AZPAWS.org where there are vets who have experience in dental care for dogs. We will be able to detect problems before they even happen, and recommend a course of action if indeed there is a problem
• Design a healthy diet for your pooch — A healthy doggy diet might include certain chew toys or treats that supposedly help battle plaque, but it is also important to make sure that they aren’t chewing on bones made out of starches or consuming any sugars. Your dog can eat fruits and vegetables — which are all around better for them anyway since 66% of dog allergies are caused by beef, dairy and wheat.

By age three, 80% of dogs have periodontal disease. You can prevent this by brushing their teeth, which cleans virtually all (90%) of their tooth surfaces. Give us a call to schedule a teeth cleaning. We can help your canine companion get started with great oral health.