From the time you get your dog whether it is a rescue dog or a puppy you should dedicate time each day or at least time every second day to cleaning your dog’s teeth and teaching them to be accepting of this.
It starts with teaching your dog that a dental examination is part of life with you and this can be a lifesaving technique to learn.
Teach your dog to let you look at all of their teeth, under their tongue, in the back of the throat by the tonsils and in the pockets under your dog’s lips.
Not only will you be able to monitor and ensure dental health, this examination will also allow early detection of growths, possibly malignant, and help discover possible ticks.
Current dental health issues with our pets are escalating and dental health can adversely impact on your pets’ overall health. Rotten, dirty and decaying teeth can cause heart disease and infections in our pets’ organs which will shorten our pets’ lifetimes and cause them pain and distress.
Undertaking preventative care and regular teeth cleaning may eliminate the need for your pet to go under a general anaesthetic for dental care. It is wise to limit general anaesthetics to only if absolutely necessary.
Points to look for when examining your dog’s mouth and teeth:
- Bad Breath
Healthy dogs do not have bad breath or mouth odour.
Odours can result from infected teeth or gums, trapped foreign material, food allergies, digestive issues, kidney disease, diabetes or even mouth tumours.
- Red Inflamed gums
Healthy gums are pink and smooth any sign of redness or swelling indicates an issue that will require veterinarian care.
- Pain when your pet is eating or chewing
Our pets should enjoy chewing so any pain or difficulty indicates problems. Watch your dog to see if there is an evidence of this such as only using one side to chew.
- Tartar build up
Your dogs teeth should be white or slightly yellow depending on age of your dog. Healthy mouths do not have plaque build ups or heavy tartar build up. If this is the case please consult your veterinarian.
- Infected or loose teeth or gums that bleed to easily at only a light touch.
Please go and see your veterinarian.
MOUTH MASSAGE FOR YOUR PET
Most dogs enjoy a mouth massage or you can certainly teach them to be accepting of it.
Start with a mouth massage externally, use light to moderate pressure to make circular motions around your dogs, jaw, lips and cheeks.
If your dog is comfortable with this get a small amount virgin organic coconut oil or Scoff It! Edible toothpaste and rub your dog’s gums gently with your fingers. This is great for improving mouth circulation and increasing strength of the gum tissue.
Teeth cleaning
When you clean your dogs teeth experiment with what applicators they may accept in their mouth.
You can use finger brushes, toothbrush, new gauze or new strips of chux cloth wrapped around your finger.
Wet the applicator then rub in the Scoff It! Edible Toothpaste and clean you dogs teeth everywhere they will let you. Use circular motions from away from the gum line to the outer edges of your dogs teeth. Scoff It! edible toothpaste is very delicious to dogs so let them lick some from your finger afterwards as a reward for being so well behaved.
Scoff It! Edible Toothpaste needs to be kept refrigerated and used direct from the refrigerator.
One of the biggest issues is that dental disease has increased in line with the increase in dogs being fed nothing but dry pellets such as kibble. Owners trust the kibble to clean the dogs teeth which provides a false sense of providing dental care.
Kibble is not a natural tooth cleaning alternative. In fact, it gets stuck in and around teeth and can impact on dental health.
Dry kibble can be trapped in between teeth and cause dental issues and possible dental decay.
Dry kibble has the potential to make your pet dehydrated and changes saliva quantity in the mouth and can affect the pH of saliva to enable tartar build up and associated dental issues.
There are many safe forms of natural teeth cleaners as long as your pet is supervised whilst eating them.
RAW CARROTS
Raw carrots (preferably organic if possible)
I prefer raw carrots that are preferably organic but I still peel them.
I still supervise my dogs whilst they are eating carrots.
SCOFF IT! SCRUMMY SCOFFS!
Scrummy Scoffs are designed to be a healthy wholesome meal or treat and contain most of my edible toothpaste ingredients as well.
SCOFF IT! EDIBLE TOOTHPASTE
Developed to be totally edible and able to be used daily and given as a “lickable” treat at the end of your pets’ teeth cleaning and gum care routine.
SPECIALLY DESIGNED CHEW TOYS
Some specially designed chew toys are suitable but once they are chewed so pieces are coming off or likely to come off please dispose of them and purchase a new one.
Chew toys can be a bit hit and miss. Some will break down dangerously after a few minutes. Please supervise your pet at all times.
NATURAL HOME PREPARED DIETS
Home prepared diets with portions of raw and cooked human grade food types are beneficial. They do not dehydrate your pet and provide more readily bio-available nutrients. All food you prepare for you pet should be of 100% human consumption quality.
My own dogs’ never have kibble only Scoff It! food products, carrots, toys and regular teeth cleaning.
FOOD PRODUCTS TO BE WARY OF THAT ARE PROMOTED AS TEETH CLEANERS:
CHICKEN NECKS OR CHICKEN WINGS
It is rare but they can become lodged in a dogs throat and even cause death. Please be very wary if you dog is a swallower and/or frantic eater. Always supervise your pet whilst having these foods.
RAW HIDE CHEWS
Raw hide chews: are highly dangerous please watch the youtube video below
How they make Raw hide https://youtu.be/Oc265q0ZRss
RAW OR COOKED BONES
Raw or cooked Bones: In England, vets are trying to discourage using bones as these can pierce dogs stomachs and cause deaths.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/17/give-the-dog-a-bone-vets-warn-pet-owners-not-to-do-it/
DENTAL STICK OR GREEN BONE PRODUCTS
These products are carbohydrate laden so they have the same impact as kibble by causing build up around teeth rather than being beneficial as teeth cleaners.
STORE BOUGHT PET TOOTHPASTES
Scoff It! Edible Toothpaste was developed as the store bought brands are chemical laden and are not suitable for human consumption. Whereas Scoff It! Edible Toothpaste is 100% natural and is made of 100% Human grade ingredients.
Storage: Please keep in the fridge, it will last 8 months. However I do hope you have used it all well before then please!!
HOW TO USE SCOFF IT! EDIBLE TOOTHPASTE
Options for application of Scoff It! Edible Toothpaste:
Dog toothbrush or finger brush
Gauze rolls (chemist warehouse) or a new chux cloth cut into strips and wound around the finger.
Wet the gauze, chux or brush and rub in the toothpaste to coat the applicator.
Clean your pets’ teeth once daily or at least every second day, make it a routine so your pet gets used to it.
Aim to get the back teeth and inside of the front teeth as well.
Take time to build up to this if your pet is not familiar with having their teeth cleaned.
Do a little at time and praise your pet very highly.
It takes around two months of regular brushing and you will see an improvement.
I rinse and store my applicators in the fridge too to keep them fresh.
Give some of the Scoff It! Edible Toothpaste to lick off your finger as a bit of a treat afterwards as it is 100% safe and edible.
Also please rub their gums at the end of a teeth cleaning session with a tiny amount of virgin organic coconut oil.
Keeping our pets’ teeth maintained in a natural way increases their longevity and overall health and vitality! Making life happier,less worrying and less costly for us as well!
