How to Brush a Dog’s Teeth
Dogs need to have their teeth brushed too! Fortunately, brushing their teeth two hours a day would suffice. Like with everything else, dogs need to be trained early to accept this activity as part of their daily schedule. Here’s how to get started with brushing your dog’s teeth.
Materials
Gauze
Dog toothpaste
Rubber finger toothbrush
Dog toothbrush
Procedure
Let your dog get accustomed to your hands along its mouth. Rub your hands and fingers gently all along its mouth.
Once the dog is used to this motion, put a gauze around your finger and try putting it in its mouth. You can also use a bit of dog toothpaste on your finger to make the experience more pleasant for your dog.
Once your dog is used to your finger, upgrade using a rubber finger toothbrush. Rub all sides of your dog’s teeth under one minute. Why the time limit? Well your dog can start becoming frisky and impatient any longer than that, so make it quick.
When your dog is used to the third step, it’s time to move on to using a proper toothbrush. Hold your dog gently at your side, in a normal way. Do not give it any reason to be nervous or fretful. Put a bit of dog toothpaste on the toothbrush and let your dog investigate it by smelling or licking.
Once your dog is done investigating the toothbrush, start by using the toothbrush on your dog’s front teeth. Again, don’t make this any longer than a minute. The aim is to have your dog get used to the toothbrush, so don’t be too concerned about being thorough.
Repeat the steps and add a little more teeth sections each day. Remember to talk sweetly to your dog while brushing its teeth. Praise it for allowing you to brush its teeth afterward.
Give your dog a treat after each successful toothbrush session.
When your dog is fully accustomed to you having to brush its teeth, you can be more thorough. Start from the back of the dog’s mouth, to the top back teeth, brushing in circular motions with a gentle pressure. Raise your dog’s lips when brushing the sides of its teeth. Focus on the outside of its teeth.
Take the opportunity to check for tartar buildup, damaged teeth, inflamed gums and dark spots. Have the vet check this out if you spot any.