Spotlight On Grooming: Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth

Plaque and tartar don’t just cause smelly breath, but can lead to inflammed gums and infection.

The idea of brushing a dogs teeth is relatively new. However, with the change of food styles and longevity of our pets these days, keeping Fido’s teeth healthy has never been more important.

  1. gently get your dog used to the sensation of having something touch its teeth. I start off with fingers for a few days, letting your pup lick a small amount of cream cheese/ liver paste etc from your fingers
  2. Start to touch and feel around your dogs mouth. Do this slowly and don’t rush this step
  3. After a few days, get your dog used to licking toothpaste off your fingers (so they get used to the taste)
  4. start applying the toothpaste to the toothbrush and allowing Fido to lick it. DO NOT brush teeth yet, until your dog is comfortable with this stage
  5. once your dog is comfortable with this,  start with gentle brushing pressure on the teeth, building up each session to gradually brush more and more teeth
  6. if your dog freaks out or pulls away in any way, go back and few steps and slow down the process. Don’t rush it. Having a dog who enjoys tooth brushing is much more fun than having to force it to be done of the rest of their life