{"id":143,"date":"2017-09-06T05:41:30","date_gmt":"2017-09-06T05:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/?p=143"},"modified":"2018-05-15T14:42:44","modified_gmt":"2018-05-15T14:42:44","slug":"dog-blog-how-to-care-for-your-dogs-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/?p=143","title":{"rendered":"Dog Blog \u2013 How to care for your dog\u2019s teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Clean and healthy teeth improve your dog\u2019s quality of life. Not only does it prevent bad breath and discomfort to the dog, but ensures that your pet is welcome around the family and other humans.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Where to start<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take a look at your dog\u2019s diet; it should include crunchy and chewy items that helps to keep tartar build up at bay. Eating specially formulated hard food will go a long way towards keeping teeth and gums healthy. Look out for oral hygiene chews, which also fight against gum disease and bacteria.\u00a0 Be on the lookout for foreign objects your dog chews and don\u2019t give it bones that can damage or break a tooth.<\/p>\n

You, and your vet, should regularly check the dog\u2019s teeth. You may not relish opening your Rottweiler\u2019s mouth, so it\u2019s best to make the dog used to have its mouth looked at from a young age.<\/p>\n

Why healthy teeth and gums matter<\/strong><\/p>\n

Without regular care, plague and tartar will build-up and the dog\u2019s breath will smell. People will avoid the dog and it will suffer from gum disease (gingivitis). This is not only painful and uncomfortable for the dog, but if neglected can cause toxins entering the bloodstream, which can cause kidney and heart diseases.<\/p>\n

What to look out for<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first is bad breath and difficulty in eating. Lip licking, dribbling and nasal discharge can also be signs of dental problems. Facial swelling and eventually losing teeth are further indications that your dog\u2019s teeth are in trouble.<\/p>\n

What can you do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regularly check the dog’s teeth and keep them clean. Getting the dog used to having its mouth touched may take a while, so start at a young age. Gently rub your finger around the dog\u2019s teeth, then advance to wrapping a piece of gauze around your finger, and eventually use a doggy or soft children\u2019s toothbrush. Now add some doggy toothpaste \u2013 NOT toothpaste meant for humans! The taste is too sharp for the dog and can make it sick. Try to clean the dog\u2019s teeth twice a week.<\/p>\n

Unless you see a problem, it\u2019s fine to have your vet check the dog\u2019s teeth during your regular visit. If needed, he or she will clean and polish the dog\u2019s teeth; which may have to be done under anesthetic if a lot of work needs to be done.<\/p>\n

Just as it pays to take care of your own teeth, the longer-term advantages outweighs the time and effort it costs to take care of your dog\u2019s teeth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Clean and healthy teeth improve your dog\u2019s quality of life. Not only does it prevent bad breath and discomfort to the dog, but ensures that your pet is welcome around the family and other humans. \u00a0 Where to start Take a look at your dog\u2019s diet; it should include crunchy and chewy items that helps…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=143"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":218,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions\/218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pethobs.com\/pet\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}