Oral Care for Pets

Brushing a dog's teeth every few days will help it stay healthy.

Oral healthcare, or keeping your pet's teeth clean and healthy, is an important part of its overall well-being. Just as with a human, a dog or cat can become ill from an infected tooth. If its teeth and gums aren't cared for properly, your pet may develop gum disease. This in turn may lead to more serious problems that require sedation to address. Sedation can be dangerous even for the healthiest animal, so it's prudent to avoid it whenever possible. Brushing your pet's teeth is just one of the many things you can do to keep your pet's teeth free from disease.

Things You'll Need

• Specially-designed canine or cat tooth brush
• Specially-formulated toothpaste

Instructions

Introducing the Toothbrush

1. Sit your dog next to you on the floor and simply pet the animal. You may want to introduce your dog to the toothbrush, allow it to sniff the brush, maybe even put the brush in your dog's mouth, but don't let it chew on the brush. Rub the toothbrush back and forth if the dog allows you to put it in its mouth, but not for very long, the first few times. The toothbrush should be wet, but free of toothpaste.

2. Massage the gum line and brush your cat's teeth and tongue with the toothbrush the first few times you sit with your pet, so it gets used to this daily ritual. Always wet the toothbrush with water before beginning this exercise.

3. Setbacks may sometimes occur. Your dog may refuse to open its mouth. If this happens, don't force its mouth open. Instead, simply slip the toothbrush into the dog's mouth when you can. The dog's teeth don't have to be open. You may have to back off a little and begin again before proceeding. Allow the animal to investigate the toothbrush on its own for a while. Be sure to watch your pet, however, to be sure it doesn't choke, or bite at it.

Introducing the Toothpaste

1. Put a small amount of toothpaste on your finger. Allow the dog to taste it. Dogs can't spit, so it's important not to overfill the toothbrush with too much toothpaste. It's designed to be swallowed, but not in large quantities.

2. Place a very small amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush and brush your cat's front teeth. Don't do any more for the first couple of days. This should only take about 30 seconds, to a minute.

3. Take a little more toothpaste and place it on the toothbrush when your pet begins to tolerate the smaller amount. Brush its teeth for longer periods of time, working your way around its mouth at even intervals.

Tips & Warnings

• Begin oral care for your pet as soon as you get it. However, it's never too late to begin a good teeth cleaning regimen with your pet.

• Don't use human toothpaste on your dog or cat. It's not meant to be swallowed, and animals can't spit when they need to.

References

• Pet Dental: Dental Care for Your Pet
• Veterinary Oral Health Council: Helping to Control the Most Common Diseases in Dogs and Cats Periodontal Disease (Gum Disease)