Now that you know about the dental diseases dogs can get, how are you going to care for your dog’s teeth, with or without the disease? Since a dog’s teeth are prone to plaque buildup, they too become damaged unless cared for.
One of the necessary dental care is to take your dog to the vet as through the years, dental care has grown, but still not completely. But, just like people, there are vets who provide dental care to the point of dental implants, braces, and root canals. There should also be dental exams and as a pet owner you need to take good care of your dog’s oral health.
The dental exam contains x-rays to see if there is damage to the dog’s teeth. Then there is a periodontal probe to look for gum infections and some problems. Most of the time, anesthesia is needed as this is quite a painful procedure. Then there is also home care where you can do dental care at home. One of them is to brush your dog’s teeth, but not overdue. It’s okay to brush him daily, but it still depends on how your dog reacts. To make him comfortable, you can start brushing his teeth from when he is a puppy so that he gets used to it easily. There are special toothbrushes for dogs that can be used and are adapted to their comfort.
There are also formulated foods that can help improve your dog’s teeth. There are dog foods that have been improved with oral care and some special diets to make teeth stronger and healthier. You can also buy special chews; just remember a few things when taking care of your dog’s teeth:
• Even if you are at home, check your dog’s teeth from time to time to see if there are any abnormalities in any area. If so, go to your vet to have it checked out.
• Be aware of the food you are feeding your dog. Sometimes, it’s the food that damages your dog’s teeth. There are some foods that allow bacteria to reside on the teeth and attract plaque.
• Avoid giving them sweet foods when they are still small since, like children, they can damage their teeth by having cavities. As much as possible, if you can, force your dog to respond to toothbrushing in a good way because this will really get the teeth clean.
• Last but not least, maintain good oral health care and be responsible in caring for your dog’s teeth; this is also the responsibility of the pet owner.
But the most important thing is to exercise extreme caution and take care of our dog’s teeth to maintain good oral health and show your dog that you really care for him.