Brushing your dog's teeth

Let's discuss brushing your dog's teeth. Do you brush your dog's? I didn't for the first ~4 years of my dog's life, I kind of tried a few times and she put up a big fight and I chalked it up as impossible. But then I took her to the vet for a cleaning and she had to have a tooth pulled. It was just a tiny front tooth on the bottom near her fang. It wasn't a very functional tooth, or noticeable that's it's missing, but it absolutely broke my heart. I felt like I failed her and didn't take care of her like I should have. Ever since that cleaning in January I've brushed her teeth now every night. And on top of that, I do a quick flossing of her top front teeth, a couple of them are close together and I've noticed stuff can get gunked in between them. I know you guys might think I'm crazy for going to these lengths but I just can't risk more of her teeth having to be pulled. I've heard chihuahuas are notorious for teeth problems, and good dental care can increase your dog's lifespan.

Also, if anyone has any really healthy brands of doggie toothpaste they can recommend, I'd appreciate it too. I read in a book about healthy ingredients like baking soda to look for, and I've yet been able to find any toothpaste containing a single ingredient on the list. I can post this list if anyone is interested.

I buy her the Denta teeth cleaning treats. I just have a hard time brushing her teeth for her. I also buy bones from the market that she can gnaw. I heard that its good for her teeth as well. I also bring her to the groomers once a month and I specifically ask them to take note of her teeth.

How long did you try to brush her teeth though? They get better about it if you stick with it, at least in my experience. I think those DentaStix or whatever they're called do help to some degree. I used to buy them too, I don't think they helped as much as I thought they would. Do you know for certain the groomers are cleaning her teeth too? When you look at her teeth do they look clean?

I buy my dogs various treats intended to reduce plaque due to the hard texture, but otherwise I've only brushed them occasionally - until recently. I had always checked my dog's teeth periodically but when I got a third dog who I soon realized had absolutely terrible teeth (when I got him), it really woke me up. He is only two years old, but had absolutely terrible teeth that were nearly too bad for the vet to bother scaling and polishing. He also had four retained baby teeth (including both 'fangs') which looked painful. I couldn't believe a two-year old dog could have such terrible teeth, but apparently this is a bit more common in chihuahuas than other dogs... Since dealing with Iggy's teeth, we began trying to brush all three dogs' teeth often to prevent any problems before they begin. Iggy's mouth was a special case, but it scared us to full attention!

As for a good doggy toothpaste... I have no clue. I got a chicken flavored enzymatic toothpaste by Nutri-Vet but boy it STINKS, and the dogs try to pull their heads back to lick it right off the toothbrush instead of letting me brush with it. An unflavored one worked better, but I believe the brand I used went out of production and I haven't been able to find a new one since I ran out last month. Still searching!

I also buy these DentaStix for my dog. I don't think it's that necessary to brush a dog's teeth, but I could be wrong. I think they can clean their own teeth for the most part because they can manage almost everything without human interference. I would only really take to brushing my dog's teeth if she seemed to be in pain or had any dental problems in particular. I think if my dog seemed to be having problems with her teeth, I would take it to a specialist because their gums are quite sensitive, and the last thing I would want to do would be to cause any additional pain or damage.

(05-29-2013, 07:17 PM)Kyama3 Wrote: I don't think it's that necessary to brush a dog's teeth, but I could be wrong. I think they can clean their own teeth for the most part because they can manage almost everything without human interference.

The fact of the matter is, dogs are domesticated animals now, not wolves in the wild. They're tied in with humans now and have been cared for by us for many years. I think a whole lot of dogs wouldn't know how to truly live in a wild nowadays.

Not to mention, if you put your dog on a raw diet, which is how they would eat in the wild, where they actually have to chew through bones, their teeth do naturally stay clean. So unless you're doing that, your dog probably needs its teeth brushed. Maybe only once or twice a week, but you really should consider it. Perhaps ask your vet what they think, since they can check your dog and give more informed advice.

My partner and I recently brought our yorkie to the vet to get her yearly shots. The vet took one look at her teeth and told us that they were starting to rot. So we haven't brushed her teeth for 4 years as well and just recently we started. I hold her head firmly and she's getting used to it, but by no means does she like it. Already I've seen black plaque on her teeth disappear. We also bought her food that cleans her teeth and she eats it right up.

I brush my dogs teeth about once a week. We have done this since he was a little pup (he's now 2) so he has no problem with me brushing them. I think he actually enjoys it because I only have to call him once and get his toothbrush out and he will come

I have heard it is very important to keep your dogs dental hygiene in good condition as it can affect their lifespan. I know a few people who had dogs that eventually couldn't eat in their old age because of bad teeth.
I also use the dental stick treats too to help out a little. You don't have to brush them every day but once a week is recommended.

(07-25-2013, 07:46 AM)hollyleann Wrote: You don't have to brush them every day but once a week is recommended.

Well, I definitely commend you on brushing your dog's teeth, so many owners (including myself at first) don't appreciate how important this is. But I just wanted to let you know that a dog care book I have recommends you try to brush them every day, and the doggie toothpaste recommends "at least twice a week". You may have a dog that's less prone to dental issues, I don't know all of the specifics for different breeds of course. I know for me, chihuahuas are pretty well known for having dental issues. A friend of mine had to have a lot of his dog's teeth pulled, I don't want to risk it with mine. Anyways, not trying to be all judgmental or anything, but you might want to look into brushing them a couple more times a week.