Brushing teeth question...

Dana1384

So I brought Stu to the vet the other day for his check up and last shot... The vet recommended me to start brushing his teeth. So I went out and got a small dog tooth brush and some dog tooth paste. Well I Tried this morning and It was a fight and I think I ended up getting more on me then in his mouth... I have never brushed a dogs teeth before because zoe had always had healthy teeth and no problems... Any suggestion to a easy way to brush to get him use to it and not stress im out... He was giving me dirty looks for like 2 hours...

briteday

I buy a cheap Colgate Motion battery brush at Walmart ($4). Then you eliminate the coordination issue of moving the brush while managing the opening of the dog's mouth.

Put a teeny dab of the paste on the tip of the brush head. Sit the dog next to you with his head leaning on your chest. Use your left index finger to pull back the corner of the lip on the side you want to start. Turn on the brush and start with the molars. There is one little tooth behind the biggest molar so be sure not to miss that one. Work from the back to the front canines, top and bottom. Then do the same on the other side. Lastly I do the front teeth, top and bottom. Expect to spend about 5 minutes initially, but once you get it down to just brushing (vs struggling to brush) then you should aim for spending 2-3 minutes to ensure that you have brushed enough to get the plaque off.

Once you get the hang of it, try to get a 45 degree angle between the brush and the gumline, where most plaque accumulates.

luvmyblklab

Hello-
When I started brushing Marley's teeth (when he was 12 weeks old) I used a washcloth and baking soda until he was used to me working in his mouth. Then he graduated to a doggy toothbrush with a little paste. Now, he even lets me use a scaler on them.

Also, raw carrot and raw bones helps to keep them clean. Hope that helps, and that you don't get anymore dirty looks .

Dana1384

Wow thats trusting, my golden is like when I do her nails, he almost falls asleep,

Thanks for the advice, I will go tonight to wallyworld to get a different kind of brush, and then try to brush them agian tomorrow. Someone was telling me small dogs teeth get worse then big dogs teeth do, Maybe because they have a smaller mouth, i donno .

poodleholic

It will take time, and patience. In the meantime, give your dog a raw bone. Bones really do make a huge difference in keeping teeth healthy. My dogs are 6 yrs. old and have never had to have a cleaning. My vet says I must brush 3 x/day, chuckling, but it's the raw bones more than my brushing efforts (or lack thereof).

Puppy & Dog Forums

 

Dana1384

Well.. what kind of bones are safe? I mean i know not to give them chicken bone, and maybe pork.. My golden gets sick when I give her steak bones, so I don't do that anymore.

skelaki

Any raw bones are ok including chicken bones. It's the cooked bones that are dangerous. If your pup isn't a hard chewer you can give her a raw knuckle bone for recreational chewing.

Dana1384

Cool I didn't know that, everyones always said chicken bones are bad, I learn something new everyday..

Orange County Ca

Lots of views on chicken bones. Start a new thread and see what people think. I'm always leary of anything raw but lots of people swear by it.

poodleholic

I give beef knuckle bones and marrow bones (push some of the marrow out, as it's awfully rich). Many pet stores now offer lines of raw food, and also have various size raw bones packaged individually. I have my butcher prepare those for my dogs. They also love the beef rib bones.

Unless you cut the bone off prior to cooking your steak, don't give your dog a steak bone. They splinter once cooked, and are dangerous to your dog. I wouldn't give my dogs a steak bone even if it were raw. I also am very leary of chicken bones. I will occasionally give mine a chicken neck, but I don't trust those wings, and would never give a raw drumstick or the rib cage, like some people do.

Puppy & Dog Forums