Home Remedies That Will Take Tartar Off A Dog's Teeth
Just like humans, dogs can suffer from dental diseases if their teeth are not properly cleaned. Tartar can lead to painful gum diseases that could prevent your dog from eating or make eating more painful. If you are worried about gum disease, which can be seen with red, swollen gums or abnormally bad breath, visit a veterinarian as most vets provide dental care. To prevent this, utilize home remedies for healthy teeth and gums.
Choose Proper Food
Dry kibble is better at scraping plaque and tartar off teeth. If you feed your dog a soft food or homemade diet, you need to supplement with something that can serve that function. There are many bones and treats available designed to remove plaque. There are also powder additions to food that promote removal of plaque. If you feed a raw diet, supplement with raw bones, which can scrape away tartar.
Warning
Never feed your dog cooked bones as they can splinter and cause intestinal damage.
Proper Toys
Some toys will help remove plaque and tartar from teeth. Choose toys such as rope or rubber toys. Many of these advertise being designed to remove tartar. Get your dog excited to play with them by making them exciting during play and then picking them up. If you bring them out only once per day, they become more exciting to your dog.
Brush Your Dog's Teeth
The best way to remove tartar from your dogs teeth is to brush them daily, as you do your own. Dog specific toothbrushes and toothpaste, such as bacon flavor, are available to make the process less aversive to your dog.
Train your dog to tolerate this by rubbing his teeth with your finger. Do this for only a few seconds before praising and rewarding with treats. Slowly build up to rubbing up for a minute or two, which is about how long it will take to brush your dog's teeth.
Next, wrap some gauze around your finger and use it to cleanse your dog's teeth. You may even add a little dog toothpaste at this point. If your dog seems to recoil at the taste, let him lick it off your finger first.
Once your dog can tolerate gauze, move up to a toothbrush, which can be similar to a human toothbrush or a finger brush that replicates your practice effort.
Warning
Don't use human toothpaste. Your dog can't spit it out like you can, and it contains ingredients that can be harmful if ingested.
Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet, medication, or physical activity routines. This information is not a substitute for a vet's opinion.