Dog Care 101: Caring For Their Teeth

There have been a lot of cases where owners simply chose to neglect the oral health of their dog until the pet developed foul-smelling breath. Shortly after this, these owners noticed that their dogs’ teeth are a chaotic mess.

When such dogs are taken to veterinarians, the dogs’ physical exams and blood tests immediately reveal that the infected teeth will have to be removed. While the tests may prove that the dog is in excellent health – thanks to their supplements – the teeth may still require cleaning and extraction. This will not only cost a lot but can also be quite painful for the dog as some pets might need to get up to 18 teeth removed!

After the surgery, owners will have to make sure that their dogs receive a healthy amount of Pet Flora so that they can naturally combat the antibiotics. At this point, owners are likely to regret their negligence about the dental hygiene of their dogs, wishing they knew earlier how to clean dogs teeth.  

Advanced Dental Diseases Will Hurt Your Dog

Advanced dental diseases can be cured, but the process can make your pet really sick. In the beginning, you will be able to visually spot dental tartar building on their teeth – which consists of as much as 80% bacteria.

Dental tartar has also been known to damage the gums of your dog along with the bone underneath and the ligaments that are meant to hold their teeth in place! Through all these areas, bacteria can make their way into your dog’s vital organs and infect them. These organs include the dog’s kidneys, lungs, and heart.

Even if your dog has undergone surgery and had its teeth removed, it is vital that you learn how to maintain their dental health for a strong immune system. As many as 95% of the pet owners out there don’t brush their dog’s teeth regularly. We’re going to take this discussion a step forward and enlighten you with ways to maintain the healthy teeth of your pooch.

Brushing Daily May Be the Best Deterrent but There Are Other Ways!

Raw Bones

Raw Bones can be a great substitute for cleaning your dog’s teeth. Such bones have the ability to scrape any signs of tartar from your dog’s teeth alongside having some other benefits. Raw bones also help in exercising the jaws of your dog while providing them with a great assortment of minerals such as calcium.

If you are going to substitute brushing your dog with raw bones you should know that this is the next best alternative. All you have to do is make sure that the bones are raw because these are generally safe. We will recommend that you look for knuckle bones or large femurs from cows.

Once you have provided your dog with a raw bone, it is your responsibility to make sure that the bone does not get too small as tiny bones can easily lead to choking. When you notice that the bone has shrunk, replace it with a new one. Lastly, keep in mind that cooked bones also have the ability to actually get lodged in your dog’s throat.

Homeopathy

If your dog seems to develop tartar quite easily then you should definitely try homeopathy. We will recommend the use of Fragara 6x and you can give your dogs 2 pellets on a daily basis. Remember not to mix it in their food though.

Fresh Foods

These foods will provide your dog with digestive enzymes that fight plaque. That said, we’d like to clear out that even though the marketing of kibble says it can clean teeth, this is completely untrue.

Enzymes

You can go ahead and use digestive enzymes and pack them into the different quadrants of your dog’s teeth on a daily basis for at least a week. Once this has been done, you may switch to different quadrants. This will work very efficiently to fight tartar.

Enzymatic Oral Gels and Sprays

These products are ideal for both – cats and dogs who have plaque buildup on their teeth. Grapefruit extracts and grape seed are known to reduce diseases and inflammation of the teeth. Thyme, peppermint, and neem oils have been known to fight against pathogens and bacteria that are known to cause bad breath and gingivitis.

Once you’ve acquired either one of these, all you will have to do is rub or spray these onto your furry friend’s gum line and you’re all set. There are a number of companies out there that manufacture brushless types of oral care products but it is your responsibility to choose only the ones that have been made with non-toxic and natural ingredients. Our favorites include:

1. Products that use herbs as their active cleaning ingredients and help activate saliva to soften the tartar and make it shed over time. The main herbs used in such product include rose, mint, and distilled water stabilized with ethyl alcohol. All of these ingredients work to positively change the chemistry of the dog’s mouth in order to activate healthy saliva.
2.  Products that use a pristine blend of extracts and essential oils that are great for killing bacteria in the dog’s mouth. Some of the main ingredients in such products include thyme oil, neem oil, peppermint oil, grape seed extract, and grapefruit seed extract among so many more.
3. An oral care product has been scientifically developed and clinically proven to be very effective while being completely safe. All the chemicals used in such products are food-grade and are set in accordance with Canada’s Low-Risk Veterinary Health Products Program (LRVHP).  

Having said all of the above, we would also like to discuss one product that you should definitely steer clear off – Xylitol. It has been known to be really beneficial for the oral health of humans. For dogs, however, Xylitol is as good as poison! This is essential to remember, and spread the word. It can be confusing as it is positively spoken about in terms of human consumption, but avoid giving this to your dog at all costs.