# how do you brush teeth on a dog



## april (Dec 11, 2006)

i have a 6 year old pug who doesnt want his teeth to be clean and i was wondering if anybody can tell me how to clean the teeth.


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## Buddy (Nov 22, 2006)

ok this is very hard to memorize so try to remember this buy a dog toothbrush and dog toothpast and then open ur dogs mouth then this is the hard pard put the tothpast on the toothbrush and brush the teeth remember brush the teeth remember that its the hardest part lol


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## ilovemychihuahua (Oct 8, 2006)

Vets are professinals. So, I would see if vets know how to brush a dogs teethe.


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## Buddy (Nov 22, 2006)

lol i brushed buddys teeth before


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## ilovemychihuahua (Oct 8, 2006)

meow, meow,meow.


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## Meghan&Pedro (Nov 6, 2006)

I like to start off really slow with adult dogs - most dogs don't like the idea of it at first.

I start off by putting a little bit of the flavored toothpaste on my fingers, and massaging just a tooth or two - a little on the gums - just so that the dog gets used to my fingers being in their mouth and associates it with the yummy taste of the dog toothpaste (At my store we well Beef, Chicken and Peanut Butter)

After a few tries with the finger on one of two teeth, I start to move around the mouth more - massaging the gums also.

After I've done this a few times (on a few different days over the span of a week or two - I find the shorter the better, and I make up for that by doing it more frequently) I get out my finger-toothbrush (A little rubber finger cover that brushes the teeth and massages the gums quite well!) and start to brush his teeth with that.

I don't ever use the toothbrushes - I find that they don't do any better of a job, and cause a lot more fuss 

Meghan


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## Annabellelee3 (Nov 12, 2006)

we never use toothbrushes on our dogs teeth and their teeth just stay clean and you know why bcause we give them lots of bones that are googd for them and their teeth just stay clean is that weird or not and by the way pugs are one of my favourite breeds and they are also very very very cool i just love pugs!!! You Rule!


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## blackgavotte (Sep 28, 2006)

I think that if you will use a combination of Mehgan's finger brush, and the large soup bones for chewing, you will be able to get those teeth cleaner. 

Pugs, and indeed all brachycephalic breeds, usually have a harder time accepting people messing around with their mouths. The shortness of their noses makes breathing a bit intense at the best of times, but when we put fingers, brushes, etc into their mouths, and especially since that means we are pushing up the jowls and lips, adding to the congestion of the whole face, they can get really upset. 

Also, often these breeds have a crowded mouth to begin with. Have the vet check her out. By age 6 many of these breeds actually need a good cleaning by the vet to start off. 

One other tip. I have a friend who breeds paps, and minpins. She did her own little private double-blind type study about 6 years ago. She absolutely insists that the Iams tartar control biscuits really worked like miracles ! She tried other brands, and swears by the Iams ones. I wouldn't know, but knowing her, she is probably right.


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## Snowshoe (Nov 17, 2006)

We give our pup lots of natural bones. Cooked bones often splinter, as they are softer. 

We also bought a special paste that our vet recommended, and we put that on her teeth twice a week, and her teeth are very very white. 

Nyla bones are great for doggy dental hygene.


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## britishbandit (Dec 11, 2006)

I use gauze. Just wrap a strip around your finger and rub across teeth and gums. It picks up a lot, is gentle, and dogs seem to be more tolerant of it than having a brush in their mouths.


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## Lokum (Jan 5, 2007)

also we started brushing teeth  our vet offer to buy baby toothpaste and baby brush we bought them from the market so easy you hold its head and brush  but be sure mine doesnt like much too even if she adores eating tasting something different


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## MarleyGirl (Nov 28, 2006)

I actually had the vet show me how to brush my dog's teeth and it was VERY helpful. First of all, like most people have already said on here, I bought a toothbrush and some toothpaste( she loves poultry flavor!). What he told me was that most dogs have a hard time allowing someone to open ther mouths and keep them open. Its a huge dominant issue with them. Some dogs wont mind it at all but most will not enjoy it unless they have been trained that way as a pup. We started our little girl off young so brushing her teeth about 3x week is a treat for her. She does tricks for me the whole time as long as I keep on brushing!! I imagine with a older dog it would be a little harder. Anyhow, try holding his/her mouth shut and lifting thier lips up with yoour left hand while brushing with your right hand. Your dog may feel much more comfortable doing it this way. Meghan and Pedro hit the nail on the head when they said take it slowly, start them in little sessions and make it more of a happy time rather then something they hate. *Good luck!*

p.s. I know alot of people have mentioned bone chewing, unless your are sure the bone is not going to splinter BE CAREFUL! Also rawhides, which alot of people reccomend for a teeth cleaning solution can be extremely harmful to your pup. Stay away from rawhides!!!

Keep us posted and let us know what worked out for you, its always nice to hear feedback from the people asking the questions


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