Oral Health Tips

[BlackKnight90]

Short story, I got a puppy and I'm curious to know what you guys do for your dog's oral health. The typical advice I've been getting is dental treats and brushing teeth however, now I'm starting to see/hear about water additives. They're saying that it helps reduce plaque/tar build up. So, for fresh breath and overall healthy mouth/teeth what do you recommend? What's your K9's normal dental routine?

 

[egoldstein]

I think I am more hands-on than most. I brush teeth, give treats, and the thing I probably do that most don't is I will check them for plague every now and then and pop it off with a dental scaler if I find any. It's easy to cut gums with a scaler, so I don't recommend it unless you're careful and your dog trusts you and will remain still for it.
It can be hard getting the habit started, but brushing teeth is the best proactive solution, just have to keep up at it until it becomes a habit. (I recommend treating yourself after brushing their teeth, helps set the habit faster)

 

[Chiara2003]

Treats!..

 

[egoldstein]

Great advice. This is something I'm gonna need to take seriously soon. If I had to guess, oral health is probably one of the most underrated health topics for most dog people.

I find it depends on the dog. I have several dogs, all on the same food and while some will need routine cleaning just to keep up with the plaque, others barely require periodic care.

 

[egoldstein]

What's their diet like? Do they eat any fruits and vegetables?

I eat a lot of fruit and veggies, which means the dogs typically get a good portion of whatever I'm munching on, but their primary food is kibble.

 

[pes]

Brushing is really the only thing that works. Treats do not clean, they just mask the odor. I do not have any experience with water additives, but to me it looks like more chemicals your dog should not drink. If it was safe, humans would be using it too.
Brush daily and your dog will have a clean breath. Plaque begins to solidify after 48 hours, so daily brushing is required. Once you teach your dog how it is done, it does not take time, but the reward in having a healthy dog and pleasant kissing is totally worth it.

 

[BlackKnight90]

Brushing is really the only thing that works. Treats do not clean, they just mask the odor. I do not have any experience with water additives, but to me it looks like more chemicals your dog should not drink. If it was safe, humans would be using it too.
Brush daily and your dog will have a clean breath. Plaque begins to solidify after 48 hours, so daily brushing is required. Once you teach your dog how it is done, it does not take time, but the reward in having a healthy dog and pleasant kissing is totally worth it.

That's what I was thinking as well. I was taking a look at the additives, but it just doesn't sit well with me. I'm in the process of looking into a brand of toothpaste/brush for a dog as well as a proper way to introduce it to a puppy. I know mine doesn't like water (bath time was hell) and I don't want to give her another phobia.

 

[pes]

brand of toothpaste/brush for a dog

Ditch that.

All you need is a regular normal human toothbrush preferably with a longer handle but nothing special. They use those for polar bears, so definitely fine for a dog. I do not even use paste, just water, though there might be some benefits to that. But paste is more difficult because it has a taste and teaching the dog not to lick it and stay calm is more complicated.

Starting with a puppy is the better option since the first teeth fall out so even if it takes time to teach the brushing, you are not wasting the adult teeth.
Have a look at youtube. There are some creative ways of teaching a dog teeth brushing. Split that whole action into small incremental steps and you will teach a dog how to let you brush their teeth in a short time.

The same applies to nail clipping or ear cleaning. You absolutely do not want to force the dog to endure it. It is uncomfortable, it can be painful, you need cooperation.
Use treats (extremely tasty type like meat) during the whole brushing process, reward frequently in the beginning, go in very small steps. Introduce the brush slowly and begin with just fingers.
The benefit of this is greatly reduced stress because the dog knows what is going to happen and allows it to happen for the reward despite it being uncomfortable. Even painful in case of nail clipping. But you end up with a happy dog and not a screaming, shaking, scared dog.

Absolutely never apply anything of the above to sex ever, sex needs to be a voluntary activity.

 

[egoldstein]

That's what I was thinking as well. I was taking a look at the additives, but it just doesn't sit well with me. I'm in the process of looking into a brand of toothpaste/brush for a dog as well as a proper way to introduce it to a puppy. I know mine doesn't like water (bath time was hell) and I don't want to give her another phobia.

If you use basic desensitization methods things tend to go well. A toothbrush, nail clipper, dental scaler, etc are all weird new experienes for a dog, so it pays to work up slowly.

A basic quick overview of desensitization is to use food/treats and offer the reward at the same time as you introduce the toothbrush (clipper, etc). Work in small increments, first just go for touching the lip, once they're OK with the brush touching their lip, distract with another reward and touch their lip for a bit longer. Build up step by step, making it a pleasant experience every step along the way. If you find the dog is hessitant, go back a few steps and work forward slower. It can take more time at the begining, but it pays off in the long run. As you progress you get to the point where they will sit there, often they will lift their lip when the brush comes in, give a good brushing and offer the reward at the end. There are tons of resources out there on desensitization training, watch a few videos and do a bit of reading, it's an investment of time that will save so much frustration for you both as time goes on.

I trim nails with a rotary sander and the dogs are fine with it; I brush teeth, use a dental scaler, etc. It's the same process of bulding up trust and can be used to get the dog to offer a paw for even blood draws and other procedures that are typically more traumatic but don't need to be.

 

[BlackKnight90]

Absolutely never apply anything of the above to sex ever, sex needs to be a voluntary activity.

full disclosure I'm what you could call a guilty zoo and truth be told that's the last thing on my mind right now. I'm still working with her on the basics, and I have no sexual interest right now. My only concern is having a healthy dog and well-mannered friend/companion.

 

[BlackKnight90]

If you use basic desensitization methods things tend to go well. A toothbrush, nail clipper, dental scaler, etc are all weird new experienes for a dog, so it pays to work up slowly.

A basic quick overview of desensitization is to use food/treats and offer the reward at the same time as you introduce the toothbrush (clipper, etc). Work in small increments, first just go for touching the lip, once they're OK with the brush touching their lip, distract with another reward and touch their lip for a bit longer. Build up step by step, making it a pleasant experience every step along the way. If you find the dog is hessitant, go back a few steps and work forward slower. It can take more time at the begining, but it pays off in the long run. As you progress you get to the point where they will sit there, often they will lift their lip when the brush comes in, give a good brushing and offer the reward at the end. There are tons of resources out there on desensitization training, watch a few videos and do a bit of reading, it's an investment of time that will save so much frustration for you both as time goes on.

I trim nails with a rotary sander and the dogs are fine with it; I brush teeth, use a dental scaler, etc. It's the same process of bulding up trust and can be used to get the dog to offer a paw for even blood draws and other procedures that are typically more traumatic but don't need to be.

I read a book that briefly covered the issue however, I'm probably going to binge watch videos online in a way to guarantee that I don't screw this up. The common thing I keep seeing/hearing is go at the dog's pace. If the dog is still freaked or unsure, then back off and take things very slowly. I'm not in any hurry, so I have the luxury of being able to just take things at her speed. She's still a puppy after all and I'd rather take my time now and build a positive experience than try to force something and make it hell for the both of us.

 

[Strayward]

If you're using toothpaste, it goes without saying that you can't use regular human toothpaste. The one for pets usually has some kind of enzymatic function that softens tartar over time and helps clean the teeth, but the brush ends up doing most of the work.
As for the brush, as Pes said, you can use a regular human toothbrush with soft bristles. I find however that the shape of the pet specific ones makes the job easier. On human brushes, the head is kind of straight or slightly bent in, but on pet brushes it's kind of open and bent out which makes it easier to reach the back teeth without bumping your hand into their nose.

 

[BlackKnight90]

If you're using toothpaste, it goes without saying that you can't use regular human toothpaste.

from what research I've done almost everyone said not to use human toothpaste. I'm probably going to look for something pet specific or just use a brush for now.