How To Keep Your Dog Smiling at Any Stage of Life

Let’s take care of your dog’s teeth for Pet Dental Health Month!

Just like humans, taking care of a your dog’s teeth is important at any stage of life.  Healthy teeth and gums keep your dog happy, and if there is something wrong in their mouth it’s a good indication there might be other health issues.  Think about how much your dog uses their mouth – chewing food and toys, tasting things to see if they are edible, grooming, etc. So if they have a tooth problem, it probably hurts to do most of those activities. In honor of Pet Dental Health Month, here’s some tips to help keep your dog’s teeth healthy at any stage of life…

Puppies

Puppies have sharp teeth, in case you haven’t had one in awhile 😉  They are like needles!  These puppy teeth should be gone by around 6 months of age, so don’t worry, they won’t be needles forever 😉  Here’s what you need to do while they are still young:

1. Teach them to have their mouth handled.  Open their mouths, gently feel their gums, and lift those lips/jowls so you can see the color of their gums.  Reward them and praise them when they let you do this calmly.  It will pay off later (and your vet will thank you)! Now, don’t do this in the height of a game of tug or fetch – wait until they are relaxed and do it gently.  If they resist you, put some peanut butter or doggie toothpaste on your finger to help entice them.
2. Teach them what is appropriate to chew on.  Your puppy will be teething, and he will want to alleviate his sore gums by chewing – it is what they do! Give them safe toys to chew, and avoid ones that are too hard (they should give a little when he bites down on them).  If they are going for your wood furniture instead of a toy, catch them in the act and replace/redirect them to a toy you want them to chew.

Adults

Now that those adult teeth are in, it’s time to knuckle-down and take care of them.

1. Brush their teeth.  This is why you needed to get them used to handling their mouths as puppies 😉 Do it as often as you can so you can prevent tarter build-up.  NEVER use human toothpaste – they make special toothpaste for dogs.
2. Be selective of chew toys.  You can now do a harder chew toy (and some breeds need them), but make sure it’s not so hard it will break a tooth.  If your dog is an obsessive chewer, you may even need to find other outlets for that energy.
3. Follow your vet’s advice about teeth cleaning.  Your vet may say that the tooth brushing and chewing is doing fine and they don’t need to do a cleaning. But if tarter does build up, it can cause a serious infection. Most local vets are having specials this month, so check to see if yours is offering one!

Seniors

If you’ve been diligent with your dog’s oral health so far, you will have fewer problems as they age.  But, there is always the chance he will have trouble with worn-out teeth or infections.

1. Continue brushing their teeth.  Even as the teeth are getting worn, they still need to be kept free of tarter buildup.
2. Check gums regularly.  Any signs of redness or swelling – call your vet. This is also true for bad breath!
3. Keep your regular vet appointments.  They need to monitor tooth loss, prevent infections, and keep an eye on things.
4. Get softer chew toys. For those old dogs that just can’t drop the habit, they need softer toys that will protect those aging teeth.

This article was inspired by Dogster Magazine

Related: Exercise Ideas for Dogs at Any Age

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