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You Brush Your Teeth, But What About Fido?

If you’ve ever tried getting children to brush, just think about how difficult it would be to brush your pet’s teeth. It might sound unusual, but brushing your dog’s teeth may help keep him or her healthy. Dogs and cats can develop the same kind of oral hygiene problems such as tarter, plaque, cavities, and gingivitis.

If your poochie’s teeth are looking pretty gross, you might want to consider a new regimen of cleaning their teeth once or twice a week. If they’ve got build up in hard to reach places, then you may want to consider taking them in to get them professionally cleaned, where the vet puts the animal under anesthesia. If a dog’s teeth are improperly cared for, they can become infected and travel down to the heart, which can cause life-threatening damage.

There are special doggie brushes made to simplify the process, but an old human toothbrush can work too. Make sure to use special dog toothpaste though, as our kind contains fluoride which can be harmful to the dog, plus they can’t spit it out afterwards. The dog toothpaste will likely be meat flavored, so they might not hate it too much!

If your dog is a biter or a bit of an aggressive dog, you should probably just go in and get his or her teeth cleaned by a pro. If you think your dog could manage, make sure to slowly work your way up to brushing, start by using a washrag to massage the teeth and gums, while being sweet to your pup.

After your dog becomes accustomed to the washcloth massage, try using a brush with the special toothpaste and use a gentle circular motion like you did before. Even if the brushing seems relatively unsuccessful, reward them with a much deserved treat.

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