Oral hygiene for dogs: what you should know about it

Oral hygiene is important. Not only for you, but also for your dog. The ancestors of your four-legged friend did not have to worry about brushing their teeth. At that time, the teeth were cleaned by tearing and eating the prey.

Today's dog food, however, no longer fulfills this purpose. That is why around 60 percent of all dogs over the age of three suffer from dental problems. Unfortunately, only about 20 percent of their owners know about it. Therefore, often nothing is done, which in the long run is a torture for the animals. For example, dogs can no longer eat properly because their gums are inflamed. It becomes dangerous when bacteria from the mouth enter the bloodstream and damage internal organs, especially the heart and kidneys.

Oral hygiene for dogs: What dental diseases can occur

As in humans, the dog's teeth are susceptible to tartar and periodontal disease. In this case, one leads to the other. Food residues form a breeding ground for bacteria. This is how a soft plaque first develops, which then becomes hard tartar. The rough surface of the plaque then harbors even more food residues, the bacteria multiply explosively and sooner or later lead to gingivitis. If this continues to progress, the veterinarian speaks of periodontosis. The sensitive tooth necks are then already exposed.

Dogs can also get caries. However, this dental disease occurs less frequently in dogs than in humans, if you pay attention to the dog's diet. Chocolate or sweets, but also too much dog biscuits you should absolutely delete from the food list.

To prevent tartar and periodontal disease, a healthy diet alone is not enough. Instead, brushing your dog's teeth is also the order of the day. It's best to start when your dog is a puppy, so that regular oral hygiene quickly becomes a routine for your dog. With older dogs, a lot of patience and praise is usually required to train them to brush their teeth.

Oral hygiene for dogs: This is how it works

A special dog toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs should be used to clean the teeth. Animal care products have a meaty taste to make brushing teeth easier. It is okay to limit brushing to the outside of the dentition at first. This makes it easier for you because all you have to do is lift the lips a little. The dog will regularly lick the inside of the teeth clean itself. In addition, the serrated teeth interlock like scissors and are thus scrubbed and thus cleaned. Nevertheless, there is no harm in brushing the insides as well if the dog opens its mouth voluntarily. It is enough to brush the dog's teeth once or twice a week, but in the beginning more frequent "training" is recommended to get the dog used to oral hygiene.

If brushing your dog's teeth doesn't work at all, you can still practice oral hygiene:

Feed your dog a high-quality dry food. A coarse structure provides more abrasion, so that the teeth are cleaned automatically. In addition, the increased chewing stimulates saliva production. This flushes food debris from the teeth.

Get your dog a chew toy that mechanically cleans the teeth or special chew items like dental care sticks.

Add special mouthwashes with a disinfecting effect to the drinking water.