How important is it to clean my dog's teeth? and how often?

I need professional advice

How important is it to clean my dog's teeth? and how often?
VERY IMPORTANT! I WOULD SAY TWICE A DAY, IF POSSIBLE.
Reply:It's very important that you clean your dogs teeth.





Plaque builds up and their teeth can decay, which can lead to serious heath issues. Like heart problems.





It isnt practical for someone to tell you to clean them twice a day, because most people cant... It isnt as easy to brush a dogs teeth as it is to brush your own.





Try doing it at least twice a week if you cant do it once every other day.





Also, there are special dog tooth brushes and tooth paste you should use.





You can find them at any pet store, and maybe even a Wal*Mart or Target.





It might also be good to take your dog to the vets to get them cleaned every few months.
Reply:It's actually really important to clean your dogs teeth. Many people are ignorant to the fact that a lot of dogs have or are going to have gingivitis. Most adult dogs already have symptoms and the owners are just unaware.





If you have a small dog this is what I do for mine: I give him a toothbrush as a toy with DOGGY mint toothpaste. He loves it and brushes his own teeth by gnawing on the bristles for me. This gets the back where I could never get in my life and he does it daily himself.





Now if you have a big dog you can either brush it for him at least once a week (think about how nasty it is with us going a day without brushing). You can go with the toothbrush or the finger brush. There is also a liquid that you can add to their drinking water to get the tartar off or to help it. There are some rawhides that help in the process and are special so they would be found in some vet clinics.





Either way your dog should be getting his/her teeth cleaned. If it gets too bad over the years then consider a dental cleaning just like we do to get the caked tartar off ^_^
Reply:It really depends on your dog. I've had 12 year old dogs who never even had their teeth brushed and they were in great shape. But some breeds are more prone to tooth and gum problems, especially the small breeds it seems. Those dogs need their teeth brushed 2 - 3 times a week with dog toothpaste. Brushing their teeth regularly and feeding them dry food should cut down on the number of times a dog will need their teeth cleaned at the vet office.



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