Dental Care: An Overlooked Part of Grooming
Jun 11
While most people think to bathe and brush their puppies and dogs, many dog owners don’t consider taking detailed care of their puppy’s teeth and gums. Often people just assume that “doggy breath” is not only unavoidable, but is a natural occurrence in dogs and puppies, such as Yorkies for sale in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Their food doesn’t smell great, so their mouths probably won’t either. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. There are lots of things that you can do to keep your dog’s mouth healthy.
First off, start young. Most puppies around 4 weeks of age start growing 28 temporary teeth, which are sometimes called “puppy teeth” or “milk teeth.” While most puppies only keep these teeth until they are between 14-30 weeks of age, it’s best to start dental care during this stage, so that they can get used to having their mouths handled. Adult dogs have 42 teeth that need care. All this growing of puppy teeth and shortly after adult teeth, is not comfortable, which is why puppies like Maltese puppies for sale in Pennsylvania and Ohio teethe and chew so much.
An easy way to start your puppy out is to carefully raise the lip and rub the gums and teeth with your finger. Eventually you’ll want to use a more appropriate cleaning tool, such as a finger brush or special dog tooth brush. When introducing the new tool, try applying some flavoring to it such as peanut butter, cheese, bullion, or garlic salt.
For actually cleaning your puppy’s teeth and gums, you’ll need a special toothpaste designed for dogs, which often contain meat-flavorings and special enzymes. Never ever use tooth paste intended for humans as these contain ingredients that aren’t meant to be ingested by humans let alone dogs, who won’t be rinsing and spiting. Ideally, one should brush a dog’s teeth after ever meal, just like for humans. However, you can safely get away with only brushing a few times a week if you make sure they are regularly eating a hard, dry kibble, which scrapes their teeth, as well as providing lots of chew toys. There are several kinds of chew toys that are especially for dental care. Beware of using any chew toys or objects, such as bones and hooves, which may be too hard for your dog to chew. This is of special concern with small, toy breeds, such as Yorkie Poo puppies for sale in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Instead of being helpful, these objects could break or chip a tooth.
If you are regularly taking your dog to the veterinarian, he or she will also be monitoring your puppy’s dental health. In rare cases, your dog may need a professional cleaning, which involves anesthesia.
Whether you regularly brush your puppy’s teeth or not, regularly check for dental problems. Some signs of dental problems include: decreased appetite or food intake, red, swollen, or bleeding gums, unusual drooling with or without blood, a yellowish-brownish build up along the gum line, “doggy breath,” and broken or damaged teeth.
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