Advice for learning how to keep your pet’s teeth clean – Hometown Focus
Dental care is an important but often overlooked part of pet care. In addition to causing oral pain, tooth loss, infection and difficulty eating, dental disease can also lead to eye, sinus and nasal issues as well as contribute to various organ dysfunction like heart and kidney disease.
While dental exams and COHATs (comprehensive oral health assessments and treatment) with your vet are recommended annually, there is also a lot you can do at home to help care for your pet’s oral health.
Dental treats and chews come in all shapes and sizes for both dogs and cats. Keep in mind that these add to their daily calorie intake, and this should be considered when planning your pet’s diet to avoid overindulgence and weight gain.
Traditionally, bones have been considered a way to reduce dental tartar in dogs. However, bones and certain chews can produce a lot of problems including gastrointestinal upset and broken teeth.
Veterinary dentists recommend avoiding bones and offering chews that are soft enough for you to indent with a fingernail. Always supervise your pet with any type of chew or bone.
Remember, every pet is an individual and what works for one dog/cat may not work for another—particularly if you have a dog who likes to inhale food like some kind of powerful cordless vacuum. Dental chews don’t work the way they are supposed to if your Labrador just swallows it whole.
Dental supplements and water additives can be an easy and convenient addition to your pet’s oral health plan. These types of products are supportive care, so be wary of any “cure-all” type claims.
Good research should be part of buying any new product including dental supplements. When in doubt look for a VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal on the label and ask your vet for recommendations.
Toothbrushing is the best thing you can do at home for your pet’s teeth. While it may take slow and patient training, most pets can learn to tolerate toothbrushing (yes, even our non-compliant friend the cat).
Use a pet-specific or small soft-bristled toothbrush and pet-specific toothpaste. Human toothpaste should never be used in pets as many contain ingredients that are very toxic to them.
Ideally, pet’s teeth should be brushed daily, but something is better than nothing even if you can only manage a few times a week. Make brushing your pet’s teeth part of your routine.
Whether you do it first thing in the morning or add it to your nighttime routine, being consistent with a time and place will help both you and your pet make toothbrushing a habit.
Start slow! Using just your finger or a soft cloth, rub along their gums over just a few teeth (you don’t have to get the whole mouth at this point). Especially in the beginning, try to end on a positive note and offer plenty of rewards— praise, cuddles, or even a treat (perhaps a dental-specific one).
Once your pet is comfortable with you rubbing their gums, let them lick pet-specific toothpaste off your finger/ cloth and work up to rubbing their gums with the toothpaste on your finger/cloth.
Once your pet has become comfortable with this, you can introduce a pet toothbrush in the same manner. Start with brushing the outer edges of the upper cheek teeth and canines. This is typically where the most plaque and tartar builds up.
Slowly build up to brushing all the teeth, focusing on the outer edges (tips and inside edges of the teeth are less of a concern as the tongue typically keeps these surfaces relatively clean).
If you struggle to reach the teeth on the bottom jaw, lift your pet’s head gently by grasping the upper jaw with your thumb and forefinger of your free hand to slightly open the mouth and expose the lower teeth.
How long it will take for your pet to be comfortable with toothbrushing depends on your pet and can take weeks to months.
In general, younger pets will learn to tolerate this more quickly, but don’t be discouraged if your pet doesn’t take to it right away—go slow and keep it a positive experience.
Oral health is so important to the overall health and quality of life for our pets. Tooth care starts at home and finding an oral health plan that suits you and your pet’s individual needs is paramount.
If you still feel a little lost and don’t know where to begin, bring your concerns to your veterinarian. They can help you decide on the best oral care plan for your pet. Happy, healthy mouths lead to happy healthy pets!
Dr. Molly Feiro, a veterinarian and owner of Iron Pine Veterinary Services, was raised in Hibbing. She got her B.S. in Animal Science at the University of Minnesota and then attended veterinary school at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. She has been practicing small animal medicine on the Iron Range for the past five years and opened her own mobile clinic in August 2021. She can be reached at 218-780-8049.