Dear dog owner,
Who hasn’t had this experience? Your panting dog’s snout is approaching its
loving owner who is lying on the sofa, and the dog is joyfully anticipating
a caress or at least some friendly words. Instead, Mr. or Ms. Dog Owner
recoils with disgust. The smell is just unbearable!
Most often, bad breath is caused by the buildup of tartar on the teeth.
Tartar accumulates if the plaque
covering the teeth calcifies and becomes hard. Smaller dog species with
tightly spaced teeth and older dogs that no longer chew as much are
especially vulnerable to developing tartar.
The unpleasant odor is not the only reason you should try to prevent tartar
buildup – most important, it can also lead to gum inflammation (gingivitis),
and this inflammation can cause teeth to become loose and fall out. Mouth
bacteria can spread to all parts of the body and can cause infections in the
kidneys, the liver or the heart valves.
Removal of tartar often requires general anesthesia. This procedure can be
costly if antibiotics are needed to combat infection along with teeth
extractions and dental surgery. For older dogs with heart disease, the risks
of general anesthesia are increased.
For all of these reasons it is important for you to know how to prevent
tartar. Just as in humans, the process of chewing harder foods decreases
plaque formation in dogs. There are also specially formulated dental treats
and diets available to help care for your dog’s teeth. Daily tooth brushing
effectively removes plaque from teeth before it has a chance to harden.
Special toothpaste is available for dogs, which contains abrasives and
antibacterial substances, and is frequently meat-flavored in order to
increase acceptance by dogs. You should never use toothpaste intended for
humans on your dog. Most of these products contain essential oils and their
fluoride content is too high for animals. In addition, most pets find the
taste unpleasant. The brushing itself is of greater importance than the
toothpaste, as it is brushing that removes plaque.
Here are a few additional tips for accustoming your dog to the daily ritual
of brushing his teeth: put a little bit of peanut butter on the toothbrush
and play with it with your dog. After a few weeks, he will give you
permission to move the brush around in his mouth. Wait another week or two
before you actually begin to brush his teeth: when you do, it’s just like
with people – always move the brush from the gums toward the tips of the
teeth.
You can read all you need to know on the subject of tarter in our
article.
We wish your dog a bright and shiny smile!
Your enpevet team.