How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth

As part of supporting National Pet Dental Health Month this February, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about brushing a dog (or cat’s) teeth on a regular basis. Most homeowners are leery of starting an at-home dental health program, but the benefits can be enormous – reduced veterinary costs through preventative care, better dental health, and avoidance of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases like diabetes, heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.

If you’re starting a dog or cat tooth brushing routine for the first time, here are some tips to get you started:

1. Start with the right equipment- a soft-bristle tooth brush or special finger-tip pet tooth brush, and veterinary toothpaste. Veterinary toothpaste is specially formulated for pets and comes in a range of pet-friendly flavors like beef, fish and chicken. Do NOT use regular human toothpaste, as the flavors are generally not tolerated by pets and the foaming agents can be toxic to dogs and cats if swallowed.
2. Pick a quiet and relaxed spot to start your routine. Most vets recommend that you start off with short treatment periods at first (30 seconds to 1 minute) and that you give your pet plenty of time to sniff or lick the brush and toothpaste to get used to the taste. Encourage your dog or cat with words and petting to make them feel comfortable, while gently lifting his front lips and rubbing the brush over his front teeth.
3. Take it at your pet’s pace. It might take several tries before your dog or cat figures out that it’s okay for you to stick your fingers in theirIf the pet shows signs of being uncomfortable (wiggling or squirming to get away, growling or yelping) let him go, and try again later or the next day when he or she has calmed down.
4. After a few days of just front dental brushing, expand the area of your brushing to start including the sides of the teeth, adding one more tooth each day until you’re covering the whole mouth. Continue to encourage your pet and include treats and extra cuddling, petting or reassurance with your brushing sessions until the pet is comfortable with a solid 2-3 minutes of brushing each day.
5. If your pet begins to balk at brushing sessions, revert back to step 2 and build your way up slowly. Your goal is to have your dog or cat enjoy his or her brushing sessions and look forward to it as quality bonding time.

If you’re struggling with your regular dental regime for pets, or you want to have your pet checked for periodontal disease, click here to schedule an appointment with the Weare Animal Hospital vets. Don’t forget – patients who book in February receive 10% off professional dental cleaning.

For more info on managing your pet’s home brushing routine, click here to watch a video from the American Veterinary Medical Association.