In case you didn’t know, February is National Pet Dental Health Month. The health of your mouth can have a significant impact on your general health and wellbeing, and it’s the same for our pets. Just like us, pets can also suffer from a broad range of oral-related problems. In fact, dog’s teeth have considerably more work to do than ours as they don’t just use their mouths for eating, but for play, exploring and tasting their surroundings too.
If our dogs’ teeth aren’t regularly cleaned, the plaque will build up and turn into tartar. This has a solid, brown, gritty look and feel, and can lead to inflammation and tenderness which can be incredibly unpleasant for your dog to contend with while trying to eat. It can also go on to cause gingivitis (an inflammation including redness and swelling along the gumline where the gum connects with the tooth), and gum disease.
Believe it or not, you can brush your dog’s teeth yourself, but if their gums are already inflamed then they’re likely to bleed when brushed. As responsible pet owners, it’s important we take the time to look after our dogs’ teeth, helping to prevent nasty dental diseases including plaque build-up, tartar, gum inflammation and bad breath (halitosis). Here’s how you can help your pooch with their doggie dental care:
Dental Diseases
One of the most common dental diseases in dogs is periodontal disease, otherwise known as gum disease. Gum disease is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and, without treatment, can destroy the bone that supports the teeth. Periodontitis can cause teeth to loosen or lead to tooth loss, painful abscesses and infections that could potentially cause heart disease or permanent jaw damage. Although gum disease is common, the good news is that it is largely preventable with regular teeth cleaning by you at home, a professional tooth clean by the vet and various toys and chews.
If you’re concerned your dog is experiencing any dental discomfort, it’s important that you contact your vet as quickly as possible (brushing alone won’t solve the problem if a dental disease has already developed). Dental diseases can be very painful for your dog and they can have a big impact on their lifestyle and wellbeing. Here are a few signs to look out for if you think your beloved pooch might be suffering with their teeth or gums:
- Bad breath (all the time, not just after meals)
- Yellow or brown coloured teeth
- Red, inflamed or bleeding gums
- Difficulty eating or refusal to eat
- Weight loss (if its too painful to chew and they stop eating, their weight will soon start to drop)
- Dropping food from their mouth
- Rubbing their face along the floor (rubbing their gums/teeth for some relief)
- Excess dribbling
If your dog shows any of these signs, speak to your vet. They’ll be able to talk to you about the best treatment for your dog and how you can help them start to feel better.
How to Keep your Dogs Teeth Clean
As with most things in life, prevention is better than cure. You can start by brushing your dog’s teeth with a special dog toothbrush and toothpaste (available to purchase in store at Rooke’s).
The idea of brushing your dog’s teeth may seem out of the ordinary. But just like us, brushing our pets’ teeth is an excellent way to prevent a build-up of plaque. You won’t need to brush them every day, although the more regularly you do it, the better.
Canine toothpaste comes in a range of flavours dogs love including peanut butter, chicken, beef or liver (just be sure not to use human toothpaste as this contains chemicals that can be toxic to pets). Doggie toothbrushes are also available in a variety of sizes (some can be worn on the tip of your finger for small dogs, and for larger breeds you can purchase larger/manual toothbrushes).
Brushing your dog’s teeth may require some trial and error, but it will be worth it.
Improve Oral Hygiene with Toys and Treats
The act of chewing helps to maintain your pet’s oral health. In fact, gnawing helps to scrape the plaque off the teeth in the same way that brushing would. That’s why #RookesRecommends KONG Dental toys. Not only will these toys keep your canine companion entertained, but they have specially designed grooves that are perfect for cleaning canine teeth and gums.
Dog chews come in different sizes (small, medium and large) to suit the size of your dog (a small dental chew could be a choking hazard for a bigger dog). Purina Dentalife and Pedigree Dentastix are loved by dogs as they’re not only delicious, but they also help to promote good oral health. Dental chews are uniquely shaped and contain active ingredients to target plaque and tartar, helping to keep your dog’s mouth and teeth as clean as possible. They’re a useful way to prevent potential dental issues including tartar build up, bad breath and fractured teeth (a common occurrence in dogs often resulting from chewing on hard objects such as antlers, bones, or non-bending chew toys).
While we’re on the subject of food, there are specially formulated dental diets available to help keep our pets’ mouths clean. Canagan pet food, available for dogs and cats, uses anti-plaque remedies combined with delicious flavours to satisfy your pets instincts whilst cleaning their teeth. Win, win!
A Professional Teeth Clean
One of the best ways to ensure your dog has optimal oral health is to take them for a professional tooth clean at your vets. Your vet will remove any plaque and tartar from the teeth and give them a polish. Next, they’ll use a dental probe to search for any potential tooth and gum issues (much like a dentist would on human teeth).
All of the products mentioned above (canine toothbrushes and toothpaste, dental chews, KONG toys and Canagan pet food) are available in our High Street store. In fact, we have many more products on our shelves that can help you with your doggie dental care. So why not pop in and see us? Our friendly, experienced and dog-friendly team are on hand to help – You can even bring your pet pooch with you!
And for any doggie dental concerns or worries, always contact your vet. They’ll talk to you about the best treatment for your dog and provide advice on how you can help them feel better.