Pet Help

When you first bring your new puppy home you’ll quickly discover that their teeth are like razor sharp needles, often getting caught in your clothes and leaving tooth marks all over your hands and other body parts. At around three months old your pup will start losing his baby teeth and the adult teeth will start coming through and much like humans they have many of the same problems, from bad breath to tooth decay and more serious problems like bacterial infections.

From a very early age you should get your dog used to you opening their mouth, this can be easily accomplished by holding one hand under their jaw and pressing in with your fingers. This is not only recommended to make it easier for dental care, it’s also handy for those dogs that won’t easily take tablets and to get them used to it when it comes time for their regular vet check-ups.

Most suggest cleaning your dog’s teeth twice a week and there are several specially designed dog tooth brushes and tooth pastes available on the market today. Dog chew toys and raw bones can help prevent tartar build up; as they chew, the bone or special dental biscuit etc, rubs against the teeth and helps keep them clean. A quick word on bones, many will tell you not to give your dog bones as they can splinter and cause some major problems for your pet, this can be true of cooked bones, but the larger uncooked marrow bones or knuckle bones are generally okay, as long as they are removed once they get too small.

Often it’s hard to know if your dog is having problems with their teeth or gums other than such signs as not wanting to eat or only chewing on one side of their mouth. So it’s better to work on prevention rather than waiting for the obvious signs of infection or other problems. As always, if you’re not sure check with your vet. Your local veterinarian may also have other suggestions for keeping your dogs mouth healthy and smelling fresh.

[tags] puppy teeth, dog breath, dog dental care[/tags]