Oral hygiene is no less important for our pets than for us. Regular inspection and brushing will keep your teeth in order until old age, as well as avoid the appearance of an unpleasant odor. This is especially important for those who communicate closely with their pet. Dog toothpaste is not a novelty; many people have long accustomed their pets to morning hygiene and enjoy using it. However, for those who have not heard of such a procedure, the article should be interesting.
How much is this procedure needed
Surely this question has now arisen among many. Indeed, in the wild, animals calmly dispense with special hygiene products. This is true, but in the wild animals eat differently, eat certain herbs, which serve not only to normalize digestion, but also to rehabilitate the oral cavity. At home, toothpaste is used for these purposes (for dogs, for example). Such care will avoid many problems.
What gives daily sanitation of the oral cavity
If you are being consulted by a veterinarian, then the doctor must have already told you that there is toothpaste for dogs. It eliminates the unpleasant odor. This is due to the destruction of harmful bacteria. Thus, the tool can be used for preventive purposes. Regular rehabilitation of the oral cavity will significantly reduce the risk of caries and plaque.
Dog toothpaste allows you to quickly and efficiently remove particles of food that is stuck between your teeth. However, it should be remembered that human compositions can not be used for a four-legged friend in any case. Even children's pasta often contains fluoride, which causes severe poisoning, convulsions, tremors. And to avoid swallowing the composition is unlikely to succeed, especially if you have never performed this procedure before.
Choose the composition
In the veterinary pharmacy today you can offer several options. Which one to choose, sometimes it’s difficult to answer right away, so study the composition of the product. Toothpaste for dogs of small breeds, however, as well as large ones, should be gentle and safe. However, do not forget that each individual component can be a source of allergy. Let's look at the composition of pastes for dogs, so to speak, in a section so that you can imagine why this or that substance is included in it.
The basis is water. Its function is to dissolve solid residues. This is especially true if your pet eats natural feed. To give the paste a peculiar texture, viscosity and density, glycerin is used. Gum acts as a stabilizer, with its help the paste maintains its consistency.
To prevent hardening, various substances are used, the safest of which is considered carrageenan. If it is indicated on the package, you can be calm about the health of your pet. Usually, the paste is sold in the usual white color, this is a merit of titanium dioxide.
Sorbitol gives a pleasant, sweet taste to the product. It is a safe sweetener that does not burden the pancreas and is not the cause of weight gain. To give the tooth enamel a perfect shine, abrasive particles are added to the composition, very often it is ordinary baking soda.
For the smallest
Today, many choose decorative breeds of dogs: chihuahua, toy terrier and other kids are very convenient for apartment maintenance. These dogs live long enough, about 20 years, but, unfortunately, are susceptible to diseases of the oral cavity, in particular, they suffer from the presence of tartar. To keep your pet able to eat normally, it is extremely important to start brushing his teeth with special pastes from a very young age. Veterinarians say that this procedure should be performed at least once a week, but it is better to reduce the interval to once every three days.
Toothpaste for dogs from tartar
Daily sanitation of the mouth cavity can serve as a prevention, but not a cure for this disease. Therefore, if you see that your pet's fangs are covered with gray and yellow spots, and an unpleasant smell is felt from the mouth, get an appointment with a specialist. However, if you carry out this procedure from a puppy's age regularly, you can prevent the development of the disease. Sodium hexametaphosphate, which is part of the paste, helps to avoid the appearance of tartar. Sodium triphosphate allows you to quickly remove plaque, and essential oils have refreshing properties.
Special components (enzymes) included in the composition kill germs, which is extremely important if the dog eats natural food (meat, liver). So that the pet does not protest against the hygienic procedure, various flavors are added to the composition of the product. Often they are attractive to the animal, as they resemble peanuts, liver or chicken. So you can choose what your pet will like.
Natural supplements
They can abound with toothpaste for dogs. The reviews of the owners emphasize that the most important thing is that the pet agrees to tolerate this procedure, so the less fillers that irritate the organs of taste and smell, the better. However, they also perform a certain function, contribute to the healing of microdamage to the mucosa and have an anti-inflammatory effect. Veterinarians say that the best composition should include natural clay as an abrasive to cleanse plaque. In this case, the enamel is not damaged. A feature of the composition for brushing a dog’s teeth is that foam does not form from it, and you can’t rinse your mouth.
Choose a brush for dogs
If we make out with toothpaste: you just need to carefully familiarize yourself with the composition, and you will definitely get what you need. In pet stores, consultants often offer “8 in 1” products: Hartz, Beaphar, Trixie. These are well-known and trusted brands that are completely safe for the dog even if swallowed. However, toothpaste and dog brush should be chosen together. It is unacceptable to use a human brush: it is too large and does not fit well in the jaws of an animal. An ideal option would be a tool with a triangular head and very soft bristles.
How to use, or Action Guide
If your pet is already an adult and has never brushed his teeth before, then he is unlikely to like it. When asked whether dogs can brush their teeth with toothpaste, veterinarians emphasize two points. First of all, the optimal composition of the paste itself should be selected, and secondly, the pet should be prepared for the procedure so that this is not stress for him. Therefore, be very careful.
- For the first time, smear your favorite toy with the composition so that it gets used to the new taste.
- Now, in a calm environment, apply a small amount of paste on the brush and start cleaning. To do this, it is enough to raise the bruises and gently hold the bristles along the surface of the posterior teeth. It is better not to touch the front ones (at least not for the first time), because they are too sensitive.
- Do not forget to praise the pet and give him a treat.
- You need to start by brushing several teeth, gradually increasing the area of impact.
- If your pet flatly refuses such a procedure, do not force it. Let him gnaw the synthetic bone.
The most popular pasta for your pet
This is undoubtedly 8 in 1 dog toothpaste. This is facilitated by the relatively low price (350 rubles per tubi, volume 92 g), as well as the optimal composition. Thanks to its unique components, the paste flawlessly cleans your pet's oral cavity, its teeth and gums, and also destroys all dangerous pathogenic bacteria, removes unpleasant odors and freshens your breath.
The composition meets all the requirements of veterinarians, all components are safe for the body of your pet. These are sodium bicarbonate, sorbitol, water, glycerin, sodium hexametaphosphate, keredzhinen, flavoring, potassium sorbate, propyl paraben. It is recommended that the first brushing is carried out without a brush, apply the composition to the finger and simply brush over the teeth and gums of the pet.
Oral Hygiene Liquid
To date, the choice of products to care for your pets has grown so much that you can already abandon the traditional cleansing pastes for teeth. If your pet flatly refuses to brush his teeth, try this option. Dental Fresh easily and effectively cleans teeth and freshens breath, removes plaque and stone, protects gums. Liquid toothpaste for dogs allows you to fully automate the procedure for brushing your teeth. The owner is required to add 1 teaspoon of the product per 225 ml daily to the pet’s drinking water. This procedure will allow you to maintain oral health. The composition includes stabilized chlorine dioxide - 0.1%, water - 99.9%.
Make pasta yourself
In fact, it is not at all necessary to buy an expensive means for cleaning and sanitizing the oral cavity. Do-it-yourself toothpaste for dogs is quite simple, and each of you can make it just the way your pet likes it.
- The best option that most dogs normally perceive is a mixture of white clay and spring water. A preservative is honey and water-based sage essential oil . You will need approximately 60 g of a mixture of clay and water, a teaspoon of honey and 2 drops of essential oil. You can add 5 drops of propolis. Such a mass will stand in the bathroom for 2-3 weeks, it is sweetish and dogs like it.
- If you need to whiten your teeth and remove plaque, veterinarians recommend using the following composition. Take half a teaspoon of chopped sea salt and two teaspoons of regular soda. Add half a teaspoon of white clay and the same amount of licorice powder. Add to this amount two teaspoons of glycerin and essential oil of orange or sweet mint (3-5 drops).
Judging by the reviews, not all dogs like home compositions, so if you try to make pasta for the first time, do not do too much. In general, the most positive reviews about liquid toothpaste. Those owners who come to the decision to take care of the pet’s teeth health when they have already grown up speak especially well of it and it is not possible to accustom it to the brush. If you take a puppy, then the experience of most owners suggests that it is best to take "8 in 1" pasta and gradually accustom your pet to it.