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As Fido dutifully leaps up upon Aunty Mavis and slobbers all over her, you might notice that Aunt Mavis begins to turn an interesting shade of puce. She may begin to waft her hand in front of her face as Fido pants energetically at her nose. What all this may indicate is that Fido may issues with his oral hygiene.

Bad teeth and gums in Fido are as serious as they would be for any human. Food and debris trapped can allow plaque and tartar to build up, turning the teeth brown. Tartar can cause gingivitis and periodontal disease. This can led to serious infections of the gum. If the bacteria then go on to enter the bloodstream Fido is serious danger of developing problems with his heart lungs and liver.

In some respects, the correct diet goes along way in helping preventing the troubles of tartar: the dry, kibble style of food, as opposed to the soft, canned sort, will help prevent the formation of plaque and tartar. As will chewing on a nice, meaty bone. Unfortunately, bone chewing may only really help the back teeth, and be of no real help to the front teeth. Fido may also decide, as would be his wont, to keep said meaty bone some where useful for later, such as under the blankets of his bed. Smaller breeds of dog are not always inclined to chew on something that may be of the same size as themselves in any case. Therefore the owner who cares would resort to paste and brush!

Dogs can be sensitive about their mouths, and Fido may be resistant. It can also be intimidating for the wielder of the toothbrush when confronted by something which might remove a finger. If you manage to get Fido used to having his mouth handled at an early age it will be less traumatic for you both. Do not be tempted to use toothpaste formulated for human use: it foams and dogs have a tendency to swallow rather than spit. This could be troublesome in two ways: for a start if Fido swallows it will not be good for his gut; if on the other hand Fido escapes with a foamy it might cause widespread panic in the neighbourhood. Fortunately there are doggy friendly pastes available from the vet, which come in a variety of meaty flavours. As for the brushes, any soft standard toothbrush should do the trick.

Tags: Dogs

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