How To Brush your Dogs Teeth Most pet owners are wary of starting an at-home dental health program, but the benefits can be significan – reduced veterinary costs through preventative care, better dental health, and avoidance of serious and potentially life-threatening diseases like bone disease involving the jaws. For example, By the time dogs are 3 years old about 80% have dental problems which could have been avoided by brushing their teeth. If you're starting a dog or cat tooth brushing routine for the first time, here are some tips to get you started: ? 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 flavours like beef, fish and chicken. Do NOT use regular human toothpaste, as the flavours are generally not tolerated by pets and the foaming agents may be toxic to dogs and cats if swallowed in any quantity. ? 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 stroking to make them feel comfortable, while gently lifting his front lips and rubbing the brush over his front teeth. Be calm! ? Take it at your pet's pace. It might take several tries before your dog or cat understands that it's ok for you to stick your fingers in their mouth. If 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. Don't fight with the patient! ? 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, and reassurance with your brushing sessions until the pet is comfortable with a solid 2-3 minutes of brushing each day. Build on success! If you're struggling with your regular dental regime for pets, or you want to have your pet checked for periodontal disease, please do not hesitate to contact us or pop in to one of our open surgeries. At the surgery we have the facilities to provide all types of professional dental cleaning. Gallamore Lane Industrial Estate Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, LN8 3RX Telephone (01673) 842448 Fax (01673) 844430 www.raseveterinarycentre.com 24 hour Emergency Service