Sit.Stay.Smile.

Hello!

Frax went with me for the second time in two weeks to the dentist! (Don't ask!) He likes our dentist and has always been friendly, but today he felt compelled to 'talk' to him! Luckily the dentist understood Frax was expressing his dismay at my discomfort with the tooth situation. Frax is very concerned about teeth in general...it's a dog thing.

We brush Frax's teeth at least once a week, more depending if he needs it. *Note: always use doggie toothpaste! You can get it at any pet supply store, veterinarians office, and most big box stores. I just use a human 'soft' big (longer length) brush for him. Remember I have a big dog, so your bristles may vary...

He likes the taste of the toothpaste, so we don't have any issues. Of course he learned from a young age, that it's just part of being a dog. Our Dalmatians hadn't and we wound up racing around the house after them, one person holding them still in a 'sit' or a 'down' the other frantically brushing away! It's best to orient them to it at a young age. Our Dals were already grown when the vet community decided brushing teeth was a good idea. Our last, Traveller who was friends with Jet acquiesced to tooth brushing as well.

Why brush teeth in a dog? For many of the same reasons humans should. Basic hygiene. Less 'doggie' breath! Prevention of cavities...although that is really rare in dogs~their teeth are stronger than ours. This is a generalization of course, but the basically maintained domestic dog does have stronger teeth than any human ever would. We couldn't for example lie down in the back yard chewing rocks. Dogs do, and usually don't have tooth repercussions, gastric is another topic! The neighbors might worry a tad about you if you start lying in the yard chewing rocks however!

One thing that most folks don't think of about dental hygiene is that dental caries can cause infection and inflammation in the heart if untreated. Think about it. The heart is a hop, skip and a jump from your mouth to your chest. The best treatment is prevention. In dogs and humans. In dogs, much of the issue is plaque. Unattended canine teeth get tons of plaque, which has the same inflammatory problems as in humans.

Anyway, if for no other reason brushing your dog's teeth really helps with doggie halitosis! This is of major importance to service dog owners since they are more up close and personal with their canines usually than the public.

Frax feels maintaining his gleaming white smile is important so that his admirers can also be dazzled by his fine chompers, as displayed in his picture above!

#dogtoothbrush #caninehealth #caninebadbreath #brushingyourdogsteeth