3 Tips for Keeping Your Dog’s Teeth Clean
by dogtoyadvisor | Last updated on November 18, 2020
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Dental health is a big deal for us and we write about it often. We’ve learned from personal experience how important it is for a dog’s health and how bad it can get when you neglect it.
Does your dog have really stinky breath? A few brown stains on his teeth? Maybe a yellow hard cover over his back teeth? Does he bleed when he chews?
If your answer is yes, you need to read this.
Our story
We adopted Dobby when he was about one year-old. We knew he’d had a very hard start to life but he looked pretty healthy, aside from being really skinny, which quickly changed with all the treats and food we gave him.
As we began noticing plaque buildup on his teeth, we didn’t think too much of it, he was so young, we only heard of dental issues with older dogs.
Being very inexperienced dog parents, we made so many mistakes and had such lack of information available that we did much more harm than good.
One day we noticed Dobby wasn’t eating as fast as he used to and things escalated to the point where he was bleeding every time he chewed on his chew toy.
In the meantime, we consulted vets, tried all sorts of products and even began brushing his teeth.
But it was just too late for him.
Dobby had no other choice but surgery
When he was about 4 years old, we finally decided to schedule the plaque removal procedure and in that procedure we discovered he’d already lost three teeth to plaque-related decay.
We were gutted!
It was our responsibility to take care of him and all the food and treats we gave him and the lack of dental health actually caused him to have rotten teeth, horrible breath and, we can only imagine, lots of pain.
That was the day we decided things would be very different from then on.
Most owners think that one procedure is enough to solve the problem, but if your dog has a tendency for plaque buildup, if you don’t make any changes after it, plaque will return sooner rather than later.
What we did to save our dog’s teeth
After speaking to experienced vets, and doing a lot of research, we created a three step plan for Dobby (and Tommy and Coco, our two Jack Russell we adopted later, of course, we knew better by then).
Step 1 – Dental Hygiene (No Brushing)
Tooth Paste! That’s right, dogs need to clean their teeth too!
Use your finger or a very soft brush and a tasty tooth paste to gently rub the back teeth and gums.
If your dog won’t have it, don’t despair, there are enzymatic tooth pastes that work pretty well even if you can’t brush his teeth.
Just give it to him to lick, the enzymes with the saliva will do the rest.
Most vets recommend it and, by far, the one we saw the most results with is this:
Step 2 – Chew Chew Chew
Chews! Long gone are the days chews worsened the problem.Nowadays, there are a couple of healthy, low carb, tasty chews for your dog that will help keep his mouth fresh and healthy.
After a ton of research and our vet’s advice, we found Veggie Dent really keeps its promise of removing plaque and tartar.
We started noticing great results after just a couple of weeks.
Gluten and animal-protein free, our dogs love its taste. At the same time, even while feeding them one a day, it doesn’t upset their stomaches or intestines like some of the others we’ve tried.
Step 3 – Chew Some More
Chew Toys! Chewing is a great way to massage the gums and remove any food residues from your dog’s teeth.
Pick one he loves but with lots of grooves and edges to really get to those tight spots in your dog’s mouth.
There are a few chew toys our dogs love and use often. Here is our suggestion:
How we know it works
What happened to Dobby doesn’t need to happen to your dog. If you take the matter seriously and take preventive measures, you’ll be able to manage plaque and never allow it to form around your dog’s teeth.
We’re very proud to say that after 3 years since Doby’s surgery he has had very healthy teeth, no problems in sight.
Not only that, but the steps we took since then made a World of difference for Tommy and Coco.
Because we applied that strategy from the start their teeth are impecable! No stains, no plaque, no bad breath and their gums look healthy.
Don’t wait until you start noticing stains and plaque on your dog’s teeth to do something about it.
Prevention is key.
Combining a good tooth paste with the best chews and adding chew toys they love is the key for healthy teeth and gums.We know that, for our dogs, it made all the difference.
If only we’d learned about it sooner.
Looking for more tips?
If you’re struggling with any kind of behaviour problem, or you just want to teach your dog new commands, we have the perfect solution!
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Hi Lisa.
We think you should take your dog to the vet and have it checked and removed professionally.
Sometimes it’s best to do it properly and avoid any worries.
Good luck and let us know how it went,
Mike and Sandy
Try.t.tree.oil.it.s.natural.wont.harm.or.hurt.dog.my.bullmastif.had.huge.ones.they.went.smaller.goodluck
Hi Lucy,
Thank you for your feedback. We’ll give it a try!
Be careful with these new age supposedly old fashioned remedies!
Tea tree oil is highly toxic to dogs.
There is all sorts of new age stuff recommended on the web for dogs, don’t be conned.
I have been using this on my 16 year old bichon for many years on the advice of a doggie dentist. She saved 3 of the 5 teeth my vet wanted to pull, 6 years later he still has those teeth. I also use a water additive. The chew is incredible. I think it has made a huge difference. I give it to him at the end of the day after he has eaten all food. You cant go wrong with this product line. It is the best out there.
My dog had bad breath and brushing his teeth every day but still
Hi Len,
In that case you should probably take him to a vet for a cleaning and start over from there.
Let us know how it went.
Good luck
$500 is a bit much to clean their teeth. We got a pom from a dog shelter and his are terrible and I was in to get them cleaned until I heard $500
Check into pet insurance first. It has saved us thousands of dollars when our Westin needed ACL surgery.
I use it can’t say it makes the dogs teeth white. What worked the best was a chew stick but now he won’t use it.
Hi Diane.
There are several chew sticks available, maybe he’ll prefer other types than the one he has.
Thank you,
Mike and Sandy
Bad breath in SOME dogs and not others is what it is. Had my dogs teeth cleaned, pulled some too. Breath was better for a FEW days, maybe week. It’s not the cleaning, just like people , some struggle w odors that can’t be helped. Deep down in the gut!!!! I won’t spend that kind of money again, best to keep up with home cleanings.
Hi Melissa.
Yes, it does depend on the dog but there is always something you can give him to keep it in check.
For us, it’s those dental chews that do the job perfectly.