Let’s Face it, dog teeth cleaning isn’t the coolest topic among fellow dog owners. Generally, it’s not a topic that is highly searched in Google. People usually tend to go digging for information on canine dental hygiene when their pet is already experiencing oral problems. These same folks often get hit with the colossal price tag related to veterinary dentistry, which can go up pretty quickly. Dog teeth cleaning can be somewhat cumbersome for the modern dog and owner, but it doesn’t have to be. By applying the tips, products and methods we’ve outlined in this article, your dog’s mouth will become fresh and so clean in no time!
Before I get into everything, how do you think wild dogs keep their bright white dog teeth clean and healthy?
It’s quite simple really. Mother Nature is SO smart, she thought of everything. Dogs are omnivores, natural predators and scavengers. In the wild they eat a variety of plant proteins like grasses and berries and they also hunt, feasting and devouring all sorts of prey like deer and rabbits. Dogs teeth get cleaned and exercised while gnawing on bones and ripping out flesh. Fun and Tasty for the dog!
Dog Teeth Trouble
The main cause of dental problems in dogs is the lack of veterinary dental check ups and proper home dental care. Plaque and tartar can quickly build up on your dogs teeth causing painful inflammation of the gums. This can lead to some serious health concerns that may affect the entire body. Practicing routine dental hygiene for your dog is as important as regular grooming, nail clipping and long dog walks.
First, do a quick inspection of your dog’s mouth paying close attention to the gum line, the area where the teeth meet the gums. If you notice any discoloration then your dog might have some serious tooth problems. If you see yellow or brownish spotting, that’s tartar and plaque setting up base in your dog’s mouth – not very cool! Generally when you start to see discoloration followed by swampy doggy breath, it’s time to make an appointment with your veterinarian. The longer you wait the more expensive it might become. Depending on your dog’s breed, you’ll want to budget a tooth cleanup every 1 to 4 years for regular maintenance.
Now if your dog is blinding you with his big bright whites then there’s a lot you can do to keep them healthy at home through preventative methods.
Because our domesticated companions aren’t as lucky as their wild counterparts, they mainly rely on us when it comes to dinner. How many dog owners do you know that include some raw meaty bones in their dog’s diet? My guess is not very many. The majority of dogs eat commercial store bought dog food which is actually damaging their teeth.
Because it’s not ideal for us to hunt prey for our dogs the best thing we should do is feed them as close to their natural diet as possible. The number one dog diet we recommend you feed your dog is a home made diet with a variety of animal and plant proteins with added fruits, vegetables, supplements and raw meaty bones. Home made dog diets aren’t for the novice dog owner. It requires some essential research into balancing recipes that are appropriate for your dog and a lot of prep work. It takes a bit of getting used to but the rewards are priceless. If you’re interested and want to learn more on the ins and outs of home made diets we’ll be covering that in future posts. Healthy teeth start with healthy dog food.
If you don’t want to fuss much in preparing your dogs food, opt for a high quality organic dog food kibble or a holistic dog food which are also good alternatives. Go for the highest quality food you can afford for your companion. The happier and healthier your dog, the less problems you’ll have, including when it comes to dog teeth care.
A poor diet of commercial pet food is one of the leading causes of dental disease in dogs. Don’t believe all the hype about dry dog food cleaning your dogs teeth. Its not gonna happen folks. Kibbles are not strong enough to clean teeth. The poor quality in most commercial dog foods are mostly comprised of packed powders that can make things worse and get stuck in between teeth. Generally, dogs tear and rip their dinners into bite size pieces before swallowing them. There’s not much chewing action going on. Unfortunately, cleaning teeth with regular dog food kibble is basically a false statement that only works for marketing purposes. Picture your dog eating for a sec. How long does it take your mutt to eat up his grub? I bet he wolfs it down in no time at all, taking up big gulps of food. He definitely doesn’t stand there above his dish chewing like a cow. Sure he’ll chew on a few crunchy kibbles here and there but there’s zero dog teeth cleaning action.
Dog Teeth Cleaning the Natural Way
You’ve obviously heard of the expression “Give your dog a Bone”! There’s more to the lingo than you might think. For those of you who aren’t familiar with giving raw bones to your dog, they’re actually an essential natural dog teeth cleaning tool. Large raw bones called recreational bones are ideal for this particular purpose and will guarantee a mouth full of shiny, tarter-free teeth. Recreational bones will give your dog hours of chewing fun, cleaning dog teeth and stimulating gums. Choose from the following recreational bones that best suit your dog – marrow bones or beef knuckle bones.
Every Saturday Halle waits very patiently for us to prepare her marrow bone. We purchase a 5-7 inch marrow bone from our butcher and we cook it in the oven or boil it for less than 5 minutes. We then discard the slimy marrow (too rich and can cause stomach upset) let it cool and voila! An instant peaceful Saturday! Halle enjoys her bone in her crate until she cleans it up then she’s free to roam the house with it. Every now and then we take it away for a few days – Halle tends to obsess when she gets too much of a good thing! You can also consider storing the bone in the fridge but it’s not necessary.
“What? I’m getting my teeth cleaned when I play with my Bone? I Knew THAT…” } Halle
There’s much deliberation about marrow bones because they are extremely hard and are known to sometimes break teeth or damage tooth enamel. However, after much research and thoughtful consideration, we give marrow bones a green light under supervision because they definitely get the job done. Always supervise your dog when offering raw bones of any kind followed by a quick hood inspection to make sure everything is ok.
If your dog is on a raw home made diet that includes raw meaty bones then you’re already doing a great job taking care of his cute ‘jaws of death’. As he chews and crunches up those yummy bones, he gets a bonus teeth cleaning at the same time. However, a raw meaty bone diet doesn’t veto you from routine inspections. Don’t forget to occasionally check for any signs of dental disease creeping up!
There’s only one way to keep your dog teeth clean: through prevention and regular maintenance. Did you know that up to 85% of all dogs over the age of 3 have some form of dental disease that requires immediate treatment? Serious Stuff!
Dog Teeth Cleaning Products
Brushing your dog’s teeth with specially formulated dog toothpastes, sprays and gels are other widely used alternatives. You’ll find them online, at your veterinarian’s office and at the pet store. We highly recommend going with a dog teeth cleaning product that contains mostly natural safe ingredients like PetzLife. We regularly use it on Halle and it works great. It removes plaque & tartar, kills bacteria and keeps our Gargoyle’s breath fresh and clean. It has a blend of grapefruit extract with other all natural herbs and ingredients. It might not seem very natural to brush your dog’s teeth but it’s worth the effort. Remember use lotsa praise and positive reinforcement. The more patient and calm you are, the better your dog will relax and allow you to get the job done.
“I don’t mind getting my teeth brushed as long as I get quick breaks every few seconds to catch my breath!” } Halle
You might want to have someone help you in the process. Vish and I are a power duo when it comes to cleaning Halle’s teeth. He calmly gives her a deep body massage while I massage her gums with the gel. Takes two minutes tops!
Here are some other recommended dog teeth cleaning products you can use:
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Oxyfresh Pet Oral Health Care
Their Pet Gel is great!
NatraBio’s Children Teething Formula
Yeah, it’s for kids but works great on Dogs!
Cleaning Dog Teeth with Toys & Play
Have fun while cleaning your dogs teeth. Tough chewable toys, ropies and tug toys are also excellent tools you can use to maintain clean dog teeth. Here’s our top three:
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1. The Famous Kong!
2. Leerburg Kennels has some of the best Tugs available.
3. The Zogoflex Collection from West Paw Design.
Don’t fall for those super popular synthetic nylon chews like the because tiny pieces do end up being digested by your dog. Nylon, or should I say synthetic polymer, is most definitely NOT something you want entering your dog’s belly, even if it’s just passing through. Yes they’re very popular. Yes we’ve used them in the past and we personally do NOT recommend them. Opt for natural raw recreational bones or raw meaty bones instead.
I know that all of the above might seem complicated, plus who really has the time to do all that dog teeth cleaning anyway! The main point I’m trying to make here is that a general lack of hard chewable things to exercise your buddy’s gums is the missing link. So pick an option that works best for you and your dog but pick something.
Here are some potential problems associated with poor canine oral care to keep in mind:
- Congenital or Developmental Disorders
- Periodontal Disease
- Malnutrition
- Foul breath
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Degenerative Diseases
Don’t wait until your dog gets really sick to start a teeth cleaning for dogs routine. Part of being a loving pet owner is being a responsible one, especially when it comes to dog teeth cleaning. You know how painful it can get when you have a bad toothache. It seems like in that moment you’d do almost anything to make it go away. The same happens to our furry beasts. Only they rely on you to keep their dog teeth clean and healthy.
Go to the vet for regular cleanings, feed your dog well, use the special dog toothpastes and gels I mentioned if necessary and provide lots of chewing toys and bones to keep those gums happy. One of the best compliments a dog owner can get is in regard to his dog’s platinum whites!
Lets start a convo on the importance of regular canine dental care. Share your stories and favorite products. Talk to us about your dog teeth cleaning experiences. What keeps your dogs teeth clean?
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Great info. With my focus on health & fitness in dog (people too) I get more and more questions about teeth cleaning. Awesome article to refer to!
The option of non anesthetic cleaning done professionally by people who have mastered it is becoming readily available to the dog community. Those professionals will usually let you watch the process. It’s a great way to learn techniques to brush your own dogs teeth.
Good stuff HB, thanks. :)
Look at those white chompers Halle has!
Ace has his first raw beef bone earlier this week. He loved it. He also chews a lot on Nylabones.
Hey Jt how are ya?
Love the avatar with your ‘Big Beast‘ :)
When it comes to dog teeth cleaning many owners are unfortunately misinformed about the proper tools and techniques. I don’t blame them, sometimes good and honest info is hard to find especially on the web.
Whether we like it or not, if you have a dog, you have to consider oral health.
I totally agree with you.
The best bet for a dog owner is to locate a Veterinarian who doesn’t anesthetize dogs during teeth cleaning checkups. Anesthesia is very rough on the dogs body and overall system so it’s best to avoid it as much as possible. Generally most Holistic Veterinarians use gentler techniques that involve massage, aromatherapy and a calm compassionate attitude. It may take a little longer but there’s virtually no wear ‘n tear on the dog. Plus by being awake and conscious the dog learns to be touched and have his mouth manipulated.
Also, if your dog is going in for surgery of some sorts and needs to be anesthetized, consider having his teeth cleaned at the same time – takes care of 2 matters at once!
Thanks Jt for the kind words :)
Share to your delight!
The option for anesthesia-free teeth cleaning is a great way for pet guardians to have heavy tartar removed without the risk of anesthesia, or if their dog is allergic to it or has a heart problem. I’m so happy the word is getting out about it, but there are still very few places which offer it. Denver does and I do it. :)
I think the main problem is that people don’t realize how far the problem of bad teeth can extend, and that in some cases it can indeed lead to death
Know Your Dog’s Enemies: When Bad Breath Can Kill!
Yup, absolutely.
Keeping your dog’s teeth in check in mucho important.
It could save you lotsa health problems down the line.
I wish some dog owners would focus more on their dog’s
oral hygiene and less on the repetitive baths and unnecessary
fashion apparel.
Anesthesia-free teeth cleaning is the way to go :)
The best holistic approach would be prevention by keeping
your dog’s whites in check through healthy eating habits, play
& exercise.
Meg is the natural holistic approach gaining in popularity where you are?
Also, are those yours those beautiful Great Danes on your site?
We are suckers for GD’s :)
Any of you tried the anesthesia-free cleaning? How did it work?
Asia – In Denver we do about four to six teeth cleaning clinics a week in various locations around the city and have anywhere from six to 25 dogs at each clinic, so yeah, word is getting out. The holistic animal community here is awesome with lots of networking. We all know each other. :) Where do you live?
And yes, those are two. I have four total. I’m also on the board of the Rocky Mt. Great Dane Rescue and keep adopting my fosters. LOL
Meg
Heya Meg – keep up the great work!
Do you recommend anesthesia-free cleaning to all your clients or only to those that have a hard time with it?
Let me ask you, have you notice an increase in the amount of dogs that have problems with their teeth? Because we were just discussing that the other day with out Holistic vet. They’ve seen a huge jump, especially with younger dogs as young as 2, which so surprised me!
I was just curious!
Wow they are truly majestic – lotsa Hugs for loving rescues :D
I cannot imagine how much dog food you must go through daily LOL.
Oh we are in Montreal btw.
Jana, no we haven’t yet.
Halle’s teeth always get “four-paws-up” from her vet :P
I’m sure that Meg could maybe give us the insider goods on that ;)
My own dogs have great teeth… BUT in response to your earlier comment, I do notice my clients younger dogs seem to be told their dog has teeth problems.
What do you think it’s attributed to?
You’re so right, Asia. I think it’s taken a few generations to show, but the fact that a huge percentage of pet dogs eat kibble and canned food made by the Big Pet Food Manufacturers is what we attribute to bad teeth at an early age. I make it a habit not to slam names in someone else’s blog, but when you feed meals made mostly of sugars and carbohydrates, you can’t expect good dental health.
Also, as a rule, we find that small dogs tend to have worse teeth earlier than large dogs. Even those who eat a healthy diet. We’re finding that educating the public (and the vets) on the benefits of maintenance cleaning without anesthesia can save many dogs’ teeth whose owners wouldn’t take them for a traditional anesthesia cleaning due to costs. I will always recommend someone take their dog to a vet if there are any loose teeth, x-rays are required or there is extreme gum disease. WE don’t pretend to be vets but 9 times out of 10, we can clean teeth as good as a vet if there are no underlying major problems.
Oops, sorry to be so wordy. I get that way when talking about this. :)
Meg
You’re right on Meg!!!
The Big Pet Food playas sometime market saying that their pet food is specially formulated to clean your dogs teeth – that one seriously kills me!
I mean how can this clean your dogs teeth?
Anyways don’t get me started on the dog food corps … I could write an entire book.
I’m working on an article on that subject and I can’t seem to close it up cause there’s so much to say.
And yes I agree small dogs have worst teeth. I think, correct me if I’m wrong here, it has to do with the size of their mouth.
meaning the small mouth cannot kinda support all those teeth in it essentially.
Poor little cuties. That’s another reason why dog owners who have a small breed must keep their dog’s teeth in check.
I’m happy that you guys are guiding dog owners in the right direction about the importance of good dog food and especially proper dog oral hygiene :)
Keep up the awesome job Meg :)
How do you keep your BIG dog’s teeth suppa white?
Heya JT, 4 paws up for keeping your dog’s teeth nice and shinny :)
You too you’re noticing it eh!
Like Meg said, low quality dog food really doesn’t help.
It all starts with good healthy food (raw is ultimately the best bet), lotsa recreational bones, tug games (ropies and that sort) and essentially regular dental checkups.
I think dog owners sometimes simply forget or are unaware that they need to keep their dog’s teeth clean.
JT do you give raw bones to your dogs?
How are they doing BTW?
Must be hard running in the heat sometimes?
Just a quick question for you guys …
What do you do to eliminate dog bad breath?
Like, what are your tricks to keep doggy breath at bay?
any thoughts and comments would be really appreciated :)
I would love to hear from you :)
I believe that two main reasons for bad breath are either problems with the teeth or digestive system.
So if the teeth are clean and healthy, I’d look at what’s going on further on.
As for the anesthesia-free cleaning, I am reading that while the teeth will look great, the main area of the problem is right at the gums. Cleaning that area is painful and cannot be done without anesthesia. That’s what I’m reading.