Simple Steps To Look After Your Dogs Teeth

Posted by Pet Vet Speaks on Aug 5, 2009 in pet health advice | Subscribe

Many people do not realize the importance of caring for their dog’s teeth. As dogs age, the need for dental care increases. The best way to ensure proper dental health for your dog is to start while they are very young. Many dogs do not like their mouths touched. It is important for you as a dog owner to desensitize them to being handled like this at a very young age.

The veterinarian is always going to need to examine your dog’s mouth and you do not want to have problems with this.

The best way for you to get your dog used to having his mouth touched is to begin touching it when you first get your pup.

Make sure to touch the lips, open the mouth, and touch the teeth in a calm and relaxing way for about five minutes each day until your pup is used to being handled in this way.

Make this a regular part of your interaction with your dog so he remains calm when you are doing any kind of preventive dental care.

Most veterinarians recommend brushing your dog’s teeth daily. Many manufacturers make special toothpaste and brushes for dogs.

You do not ever want to use human toothpaste on dogs as it may be harmful to them. To get your dog used to having his teeth brushed, you may want to start by putting a dab of dog toothpaste on a cotton ball and rubbing it over his teeth. Toothpaste for dogs is usually quite tasty to them, so he shouldn’t mind this.

You can then try a finger brush, available at your veterinarian’s office or pet supply store. Eventually, especially for larger breeds, you will want to graduate to a regular dog toothbrush. Regular brushing will help prevent the buildup of calculus and debris on your dog’s teeth.

Another way to help prevent calculus and buildup on your dog’s teeth is by using rawhide chews specially formulated for dental care.

Many companies manufacture these chews. One of the best available is by C.E.T. Most veterinarians carry C.E.T. dental health products. C.E.T. chews are formulated with an enzyme that helps keep plaque from forming and prevents the buildup of bacteria.

Also, the natural abrasion of rawhide chews helps keep teeth healthy. C.E.T. also makes a chew that contains chlorhexadine which has antimicrobial properties.

Some companies also make special dental health food, which may be recommended to you by your veterinarian to help prevent dental problems.

Even with proper preventive measures, most dogs will eventually need a dental cleaning from your veterinarian. If your veterinarian recommends a dental cleaning, it is important that you follow through.

If your dog develops dental disease, harmful bacteria can pass through into the bloodstream causing potentially serious problems such as kidney infections and infections involving the heart valves.

A dental cleaning performed by your veterinarian is much like a human dental cleaning, however your dog will need to be sedated.

The anesthesia is light and with today’s technology is extremely safe. Many veterinarians have anesthesia monitoring systems just like those used in human medicine. A thorough exam will be performed to determine if any teeth need to be pulled or repaired.

Some veterinarians will do x-rays of the teeth to find any cracks or diseased teeth. After this, a trained member of the veterinary staff will perform a dental cleaning. First, they will scale the teeth to remove the tartar above and below the gum line.

This will be done with both hand instruments and ultrasonic scaling equipment. After this, the teeth will be polished, which will make them smooth and help prevent plaque from adhering to them.

Most veterinarians will also do a fluoride treatment. This is to help strengthen the enamel and prevent plaque from forming. If any teeth are diseased or broken, your veterinarian may pull them.

Some veterinarians who specialize in dental care will perform root canals and other intensive dental work.

Most veterinarians will put your dog on a treatment of antibiotics to help prevent bacterial infection.

It is very important to take good care of your dog’s teeth to keep them healthy and to prevent infections. Always follow your veterinarian’s advice and if you have further questions, consult your veterinary staff or pet professional.

Colin Philips
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/simple-steps-to-look-after-your-dogs-teeth-110429.html

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9 Comments

  • glen ^ Apostrophe ^ says:

    Analogies and Metaphors; pick your favorite.?
    MQ1:
    Please pick one or two, no more, for your answer. Cut and paste the choice writing instead of just the number.
    My answer will be displayed after I receive 10 answers.

    Metaphors Galore

    Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year’s winners:

    1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

    2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

    3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

    4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

    5. She had a deep, throaty genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

    6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

    7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

    8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

    9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

    10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.

    11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

    12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

    13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

    14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

    15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

    16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

    17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

    18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

    19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

    20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

    21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

    22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

    23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

    24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

    25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

    MQ2: Do you think the students premeditate the possibilities of making this list?

  • Logan says:

    22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

    10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.

    6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
    References :

  • Lucky13 says:

    I would definitely have to say "She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef." Is my favorite, it’s clever and very fitting :)
    References :

  • MARIOOO!![SUSPENDED] says:

    I didn’t read all of them but I liked all the ones I read :D
    References :

  • oh_jo123 says:

    11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

    23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant

    I like these two the best and no I don’t
    References :

  • everybody's got one says:

    MQ1: Pick ONE? You’re kidding, they’re all great.

    Gun to the head decision:

    14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

    Tip of the hat to my old math teacher, who died eating pi.

    MQ2: You don’t stumble on these gems by accident. I’m sure they were ALL premeditated. Thanks for the laugh, and a star for you…
    References :

  • Dan the brick man says:

    i like these 2
    20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.
    5. She had a deep, throaty genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
    References :

  • Big Suzy Creamcheese says:

    Hahahahahaha! They are brilliant!

    So hard to choose only two but…

    3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

    24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

    Fantastic stuff, really gave me a great laugh. ><
    References :

  • David V says:

    23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

    2. . His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

    MQ2….there could be a good chance
    take care
    dave
    References :

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