Not everyone takes me seriously when I tell them they need to brush their pet’s teeth. That’s when I whip out a toothbrush and pet toothpaste and get to work on a demonstration. But even that’s not always enough to convince them of my resolve on this issue.
Not surprisingly, it’s more often the long-time pet owner who gives me that “you’ve got to be kidding” look. You know the look. It’s usually accompanied by a bemused smile and a head tilt that says, “seriously..?”
Yes, seriously.
It’s about time everyone recognized that their vet won’t sympathize with them when they complain about their pet’s bad breath and expensive dental procedures—not if they’re unwilling to learn how to brush his teeth, train her to sit still for brushings, and actually do it more frequently than once every full moon.
Sure, some pets don’t make themselves great candidates for brushing. But here are ten tips everyone should take to heart when it comes to brushing their pet’s teeth:
1-Train your pets to tolerate it
I’m not saying he’ll ever love it. But he should at least tolerate brushings.
Less than 10% of dogs are actually trained. It’s likely that an even smaller number is trained to accept a toothbrush or fingerbrush in their mouths. Hire a trainer if you must, but make a point of teaching him that the toothbrush is his friend.
2-Start early
Ideally, all pets should be acclimated to brushing before they ever show signs of periodontal disease (80% of pets have periodontal disease by the age of three). Training always works best when you begin early. But don’t despair if you didn’t.
2-Learn how
Have someone actually demonstrate the procedure on your pet. Make little circling motions. Concentrate on the outside of the teeth. Skip the tongue. Here’s a great video.
3-Lightning fast brushings are better than nothing
It doesn’t have to take you forever. Half a minute of brushing twice a week is waaaaay better than skipping it altogether. You’d be surprised how effective just thirty seconds can be when it comes to removing early plaque.
4-Don’t rely on others
Letting your groomer do it every few weeks is NOT a substitute for brushing your pet’s teeth at home and receiving routine dental care by your vet. Regardless of how it’s advertised, a groomer’s welcome addition to a pet’s dental regimen doesn’t mean it’s a panacea for everything dental that ails her.
5-Check with your vet first
It’s not recommended you initiate a brushing regimen if you haven’t had your pet’s teeth evaluated first. Especially if heavy tartar, bleeding gums and loose teeth are the case, you’re better off waiting for a proper professional cleaning than chancing the pain and severe discomfort of your own dental ministrations.
6-Get it all off
Even mild to moderate tartar buildup won’t disappear with brushing. Before you begin a new brushing routine, a round of professional cleaning is probably the first line of business.
7-Frequency
“How often should I brush?” is the most common question I get on this subject. The answer: “It depends.” Once a week is the minimum. Twice a week for those more likely to develop plaque. Daily for my severe periodontal disease patients.
8-Tools
Toothbrushes for pets are all the rage in pet stores. They sport fancy handles, angled bristles, finger attachments and super-fine fibers. But an extra-soft bristled baby toothbrush works great, too. And for those who won’t tolerate something hard in their mouths I recommend a gauze sponge. Its rough surface is just nubbly enough to abrade the plaque…and not the gums.
9-Toothpaste
Just as with the brushes, nothing fancy is needed here. Baking soda is good enough but flavored toothpaste can sweeten the pot (poultry flavor, anyone?). When pets won’t tolerate fancy pet toothpaste or Arm & Hammer’s finest, even water on a brush beats no brushing. Just make sure you steer clear of fluoride-filled or artificially sweetened human-grade stuff. Remember, Xylitol kills!
10-Brushing doesn’t cure all
Just as the groomer can’t do it all, neither can you—especially if your pet is predisposed to serious gum disease. Regular dentals (as often as every six months for some pets) are strongly recommended for these guys…along with brushing, of course.
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Or consider a raw diet. Crunchy bones keep a pets teeth really clean. Check out the comparision pics on this website: www.rawfed.com
(just starting the raw diet with my own crew)
Marie September 17th, 2008 12:47:00 PM
I am still unconvinced. As my dog has never had dental problems, his teeth seem clear of any blemish and are in fact pearly white, and my vets over the years have never said a thing--and I wrong to feel no need to brush?
emily September 17th, 2008 12:54:00 PM
After spending thousands on dental repairs for my 2 old dogs who probably never had very good teeth (raw bones seems to have caused damage, not cleaned the teeth)... I BRUSH! my baby dog's teeth I try to do it at least 2/week. So far (he's about 20 months now), his teeth look clean and white. It's not that hard, really. I'm sure, as with people, some dogs are born with good teeth and they'll stay that way forever. For most, though (people and dogs) dental hygiene is a GOOD THING,
EmilyS September 17th, 2008 01:31:00 PM
Oh, oh....edit required, Patty.....where's the video?
gerry September 17th, 2008 01:56:00 PM
Raw bones - do they keep teeth clean or do they damage teeth? It depends on the kind of bone. Raw bones fed in a raw diet should be small enough for the dog to eat. Large weight-bearing bones, like beef leg bones can cause fractures. After a certified veterinary dentist performed root canasl on my dog who suffered slab fractures on his molars I asked him if my dog had weak teeth. He said no - a lot of it has to do with luck. Chewing on something hard like a cow hoof (he felt these were a common cause) or a leg bone puts a lot of pressure on a very small point on the dog's teeth. If it's just the right (or wrong) place, it can cause a fracture.
Since then I've started feeding raw, but I don't feed 'recreational bones' - bones that are too large and hard to be consumed. The sterilized bones you can buy at the pet shops are even worse, since cooking makes the bones even harder.
Linda H September 17th, 2008 02:09:00 PM
I have brushed my dog's teeth twice a day (no, it's not a spelling mistake and you don't need to adjust your glasses) for the past nine years. I started out with a finger brush when he was a puppy and eventually moved to a regular tooth brush. Instead of using the disgusting dog tooth pastes available I use Tom's Natural paste without fluoride.
Nelson has great teeth, no plaque or gum disease and he is so used to the twice daily routine he actually asks for it. And he never has dog breath.
Chris September 17th, 2008 03:33:00 PM
Darn that pesky video. Here it is:
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-brush-your-dog...
Sorry to give you a long one but it's the most realistic one I could find with simple training tips attached. I'll try and find the kitty folks a good one too.
Dr. Patty Khuly September 17th, 2008 04:14:00 PM
Chris: One of Tom's toothpastes contains Xylitol. I think it's the kids one. Please check to be sure the one you're using doesn't. (Though I'm sure you would have know by now.)
Kudos for the BID brushings!!
Dr. Patty Khuly September 17th, 2008 04:17:00 PM
emily: Some dogs are just born with great teeth. Some breeds are especially blessed. Lucky you. ;-)
Dr. Patty Khuly September 17th, 2008 04:18:00 PM
I brush my dogs' teeth once a week, using doggy toothpaste. I've also done it with previous dogs I've owned. They all tolerate it quite well--in fact, I think they like it! There is no resistance on their part (they mind baths MUCH more!). The advantage of the doggy toothpaste is that they like the taste. I've used both doggy toothbrushes and baby toothbrushes and both work well--there is no need to spend some exorbitant amount on the toothbrush (I got a package of 10 or 12 from Drs. Foster and Smith at a reasonable price).
Arlene September 17th, 2008 05:40:00 PM
Do you have any specific tips for acclimating a cat to brushing? I brush my dog's teeth regularly and he doesn't mind at all, but my one year old cat can be a little feisty.
Tara September 17th, 2008 05:50:00 PM
Tara,
I've tried to brush my cats teeth but find that my fingers are bigger than their mouths making it difficult to get in and leaving me wondering how much good I'm doing at all. One cat has some nasty breath though and after an exam from my vet, he saw some minor gingervitis and reccomended switching to a t/d diet which is a dental diet with larger kibbles forcing them to chew it more times. I'm not sure if its made a difference, her mouth smells the same but I'll be sure to follow up in February at their annual check-up. This particular cat is not an ideal candidate for a professional cleaning due to an underlying heart condition that would make the anastethic risky or thats the route I probably would have gone.
Shannon September 17th, 2008 06:17:00 PM
Dr. Patty-
When you say 10% of dogs are trained, do you mean trained as in obedience training (sit, down, stay, etc) or something else?
Crystal September 17th, 2008 06:33:00 PM
Guilty, guilty! By the time I am done with the haircut, bath, nails, & blow-dry---too tired for teeth and shame on me!
I have to say, that I have also found that genes play a big part. I have had the range of 15 + years with great teeth and healthy gums to 10 teeth removed by 8 yrs. of age and horrid gum recession---all on the same diet & regimen.
My question: Is it ok to intermittently clean (chip off tartar) with a human scaler? Or does that create other issues?
Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire September 17th, 2008 08:33:00 PM
Anybody know of any good sugar-free dental products out there in cat-friendly flavors?
I have a diabetic cat with dental issues (secondary to a combination of FIV and being a seven-year-old cat who's never had a cleaning), and I can't seem to locate a pet toothpaste that doesn't contain glucose. I know he would let me brush his teeth if I could get my hands on a product he didn't find noxious, but he won't accept the "flavorless" gel stuff (after tasting it, I sympathize!), and I know baking soda would be a no-go.
I think we're reaching the point where some dental work is going to become an inevitability- but once we're back to square one, I really want to focus on home care. (Said cat also has a heart condition, and the idea of putting him under makes me all sorts of neurotic.. anything I can do to decrease the odds of having to subject him to further dentals is a good thing.)
Any good products out there?
Twinkie Maven September 17th, 2008 10:03:00 PM
Maybe Dr. K can confirm this theory but I would think brushing without a toothpaste would be better than not brushing at all if you can't find something glucose free. And can we make our own like using baking powder and water?
Just a thought.
Marie September 18th, 2008 08:14:00 AM
On the less than 10% of dogs trained--that's obedience training in a typical program or by a qualified trainer. I forget where that number came from (it was in a business plan I recently read and don't remember the footnote's origins but I'll look it up) but it's consistent with what I see in my pratcice.
Dr. Patty Khuly September 18th, 2008 08:46:00 AM
Twinkie Mom,
I don't know if I'm being ridiculous but is is reasonable that you could make your own toothpaste out of baking sode and water and than 'flavor' it with meat drippings of some sort?
And Dr K did say in her post that water on a brush beats nothing at all.
Shannon September 18th, 2008 09:26:00 AM
Dr. K., That link also has another video about a 'DIY' heartworm/tick/lyme test that I hope you wouldn't recommend (especially as it requires purposely cutting a dog's quick to get a sample) - have you seen it, and what are your thoughts?
Kate September 18th, 2008 11:26:00 AM
Yeah, Kate--that seems over the top. Intentionally inflicting more pain than necessary for a test that won't end up in a medical record because it won't be recorded by a licensed vet--maybe not.
Dr. Patty Khuly September 18th, 2008 02:24:00 PM
Finding a toothbrush for a really little dog is a problem - in fact there is, as far as I know, no such such thing.
I have 9lb rat terrier and any toothbrush or finger brush is way too big to fit comfortably between her cheek and molars and is about as welcome as your fecal rod!
What I've done is take the plunger out or a 1ml syringe and wrap a piece of mosquito netting around it a couple of times and use that with doggie toothpaste. This seems to work well and Mia accepts it without problems - she likes the poultry flavor toothpaste. I've also found that mosquito netting is very good for getting stubborn "fur" of human teeth too - in fact it works better than a toothbrush when it comes to cleaning the flat surfaces of teeth.
Any other options for very small dogs? And I presume this toothbrush size issue can be is a problem with cats too.
Alison September 18th, 2008 08:52:00 PM
Barbara, it's not a good idea to try to scale your dog's teeth. It causes minute scratches in the enamel, which, during a professional dental cleaning are polished off. Plus there is the chance that your dog could flinch, causing trauma to the gum tissue. And, there is subgingival tarter, that is, under the gum, that you can't get to. That is what can cause gingivitis and worse if it is not cleaned off. Brushing is the best way to keep your dog's teeth clean between professional cleanings.
sassy September 18th, 2008 10:01:00 PM
sassy, thank you for your reply. I had wondered about the scratches.
Another thing that I saw first-hand, was the vet cleaned my Pocket's teeth (website attached to my name) with hemostats! I literally couldn'y believe how the tartar 'flew' off in all different directions!
This was done at a follow-up visit, when her cleaning appointment was advised to be cancelled for health (anesthesia) risk due to heart issue and possibly (?) other issue not disclosed.
Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire September 19th, 2008 12:10:00 AM
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erw ter July 23rd, 2009 03:04:00 AM
Found a video demonstrating how to brush a cat's teeth.
http://www.ehow.com/video_4945249_cat-grooming-brushing-teeth.html
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