How to Clean Dog Teeth

As a responsible dog owner, do you know how to clean dog teeth? We all want nothing but the best for our dogs - good food, plenty of dog toys, for them to be happy, friendly and playful ... and in the best health possible. You also want to help your pet to live as long as you can and with the best possible health it's entire time. And there are many ways to do that but today I'll only focus on one aspect of dog health - their teeth.

You may not realize it, but if your dog has clean teeth, then that is much more valuable in helping to maintain your dogs good health than many other things you might try. You especially want to make sure that your dog will be protected against loads of diseases that dental problems such as gingivitis, tartar or plaque may cause. And left untreated long enough, these minor problems can quickly turn into major ones.

First of all, you want to make sure that your German Shepherd regularly gets a good, thorough dental exam during each of his veterinarian checkups. Additionally, you also want to take care of as many of his/her dental needs as you can while you're at home. You can easily examine your dogs teeth regularly at home. And if needs be, you can quickly learn how to clean dog teeth and work on any problems such as excess tartar buildup right along the gum line right then and there.

You may not even realize it but excess tartar buildup on your GSD's teeth is one of the main threats to your own dog's dental health. Just like in a humans mouth, plaque will cling to your German Shepherds teeth and if left long enough it will build up until it causes actual irritation to your GSD's gums. Believe it - any dog can develop inflammation, tartar or gingivitis just like humans, and left untreated long enough it could cause bad breath and even tooth loss. This is an important factor in why you need to know how to clean dog teeth.

It is very possible for your dog to have his teeth cleaned - in fact, your veterinarian can easily remove plaque from your German Shepherds teeth by using special instruments (just like a dental hygienist would use on you) and then polish those pearlie whites to prevent future health problems. But you need to know how to clean dog teeth too. Paying attention to dental care will also prevent various things such as periodontal disease from happening too. You really don't want to deal with this either - this is when tartar is allowed to build up beneath the dogs gum line until it causes all kinds of problems.

Have you ever dealt with periodontal disease? Let me tell you that it is very painful, plus it can also cause your dog to loose a few teeth, it can cause bone loss and even end up in creating many serious infections in your dogs system. Left untreated long enough this disease will progress to the point where the problem can enter your German Shepherd Dogs bloodstream, infecting it's heart valves and other organs too.

But all of that can be completely avoided with a good daily doggie dental program. And just what does that include - do you know how to clean dog teeth? A good doggie dental program needs to be done at home on a daily basis - this is in addition to your regular checkups at the veterinarian. Personally, you should brush your dog's teeth daily, or at least a few times a week, using a pet dental kit and dog toothpaste. Remember, don't ever use a human quality toothpaste on your German Shepherd because it could contain all sorts of ingredients that might upset his stomach.

If you start off while your dog is still a puppy, you can easily teach your dog to accept having it's teeth brushed. Even if yours is an adult German Shepherd you can still make brushing your dogs teeth a relaxing and happy experience for both of you - but you'll do best by starting the process off slow and letting the dog get used to having it's teeth brushed. Lastly, don't forget to give your GSD plenty of praise! Do all that and I bet you that he'll begin to look forward to having his teeth brushed and cleaned.

It's probably best to begin cleaning your German Shepherds teeth by putting a small amount of pet quality toothpaste on one of your fingers and then rubbing it gently all across your dog's teeth and gums. Take your time, move slowly and speak sweetly to your dog throughout the entire process. After a minute or two of getting your dog used to having it's teeth brushed you can begin eventually to lift the sides of his mouth so you can reach all the way back to those back teeth.

If your German Shepherd does not like the bristles of the pet toothbrush, no problem - there are all kinds of sponges, pads and other dog dental aids available in pet stores everywhere and all over the internet that you may want to try in place of a traditional dog toothbrush. Plus there are many flavors of doggie toothpaste and dog dental sprays too. You might even want to talk to your own vet and ask if he could recommend you any kinds of dog dental care products. Plus, there are loads of videos online that will show you exactly how to clean dog teeth - and in great detail.

Return from How to Clean Dog Teeth to German Shepherd Health Articles

"A puppy is but a dog, plus high spirits, and minus common sense." -- Agnes Repplier