How to clean your dog’s teeth properly is one of the skills that every dog owner should possess and master to ensure your fluffy-four legged friend is in good health.
Part of your responsibility as a dog owner is to take good care of your dog’s teeth. because frankly, your dog won’t do it for itself.
You can rely on your veterinarian to clean them during your scheduled visits while under anesthesia but this process is just too expensive. You don’t have to pay much money for something you can do yourself easily using natural ways.
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How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth; Why and How Often Should I Brush Them?
Taking good care of your dog’s teeth isn’t just a cosmetics issue. their teeth get plaque and tartar just like us. the main issue is that they aren’t concerned about it.
Here’s where you come in as a responsible pet owner.
Your dog doesn’t care if it has a perfect white smile and isn’t certainly aware of its stinking breath but without caring properly teeth can be weakened and gums can be inflamed and slowly develops painful, deadly periodontal disease.
Brushing every day is the optimum way to keep your dog’s teeth shiny but there is a slight problem here.
Dogs mainly hate when their owners touch their mouth and will run from the sight of a toothbrush. That’s why I offer you these natural ways you can use to keep your puppy’s teeth healthy and shiny
How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth; Cleaning a Dog’s Teeth Naturally
How to clean your dog’s teeth naturally has many methods that pet owners could use and all of them are totally safe for the dog’s health. Here are some of the most useful different methods you can use to keep your dog’s teeth safe and sound.;
Chew Toys
Chew toys are a great way for your pup to self clean its teeth.
Because of their crafty design – their nubs and grooves – most of them would release a massaging effect when chewed on.
If you ever watched a puppy with a chewing toy in his mouth you will see how much they enjoy that feeling
How they work is that when the dog chews on them, The massaging action scrubs food bits and the gooey, filmy plaque off your pup’s teeth and stimulates beneficial blood flow to his gums.
Healthy Treats
we all know that the fastest way to teach your furry angel a new trick or to make him do something is by using treats.
Unfortunately, most training treats are filled with carbs and sugar, they are not good for your friend’s dental health or their health in general.
Instead, you can use fruits and vegetables that are more healthy such as carrots and sliced apples. two birds with one stone kind of a situation, you can treat them and keep them healthy at the same time
Raw Bones
Raw bones are a natural toothbrush.
OK, for a dog nothing would make him happier than chewing on something, Dogs have a natural urge to chew and believe me, considering dental safety or not, it’s better for your dog to get busy chewing on a bone than to chew on your shoes or pillows.
I’m pretty sure every dog owner has suffered from the sight of your favorite fluffy friend in the whole world-devouring your favorite show just before a big date.
I got chills just from seeing this image in my head, oh the memories.
Back to what matters, Raw bones are an efficient way to clean your dog’s teeth. While chewing, the bone gently scrapes the enamel, buffing off plaque and loosening tartar.
In addition to these teeth cleaning power, the bone provides nourishment for your pup’s body. Remember cooked bones can easily splinter and cause intestinal damage. so please, avoid them.
Go to your local butcher and look for knucklebones or soup bones, Remember to pick size appropriate bones, a small chicken wing could choke a pit bull while a cow knuckle could be too much for a Yorkie.
Coconut Oil
We mentioned before that raw bones are referred to as nature toothbrush, now is the time for nature’s toothpaste, Coconut oil.
Coconut oil provides the mouth with antibacterial properties that make it ideal for dental health.
Unfortunately, most dogs hate the taste of coconut oil so you can trick them by mixing it with their favorite food until your fluffy pal gets used to it. You can also use coconut oil with parsley oil to help freshen up your dog’s breath.
Check Can You Brush Dog Teeth with Coconut Oil? article to know how to use coconut oil to clean your dog’s teeth with.
3 Natural Recipes to Make Toothpaste with Coconut Oil
We can’t discuss the question of ‘How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth naturally without mentioning the usage of coconut oil.
It is one of the ingredients that have more than one benefit for the dogs’ health; it helps with the dog’s digestion, strengthen the immune system response, promotes the joints flexibility, improves moisturizing the dog’s skin and the shine of its coat.
Coconut oil could be used with many other ingredients that will make your dog’s teeth clean with a fresh breath and clean mouth. Here are some of these recipes;
1# Coconut oil and Baking Soda
Using coconut oil with baking soda is a great way to start cleaning your dog’s teeth, you could use essential oil with it to give your dog fresh breath, with more beneficial elements to the dog’s overall health.
Add a little bit of baking soda to a half tablespoon of coconut oil and two drops of any essential oil(optional).
2# Coconut Oil & Tumeric
This homemade toothpaste could be made with a large quantity, and here are the ingredients you will need to make a handful of it;
- Unrefined virgin coconut oil, 1 cup
- Turmeric, a ½ teaspoon
- Organic kelp, a ½ teaspoon
- Dried parsley flakes, a ⅛ teaspoon
Directions
Heat the coconut oil to turn it in its oil base and, then add all the other ingredients to it. Store the homemade toothpaste in an airtight jar or container, the toothpaste could be used on a daily basis.
3#Coconut Oil with Mint, Parsley, Peppermint
You will need:
- Baking soda, 1 tbsp
- Coconut oil, 2 tbsp
- Kosher salt, a ½ teaspoon
- Water, 2 tbsp
- Fresh parsley, 3 sprigs
- Fresh peppermint, 3 leaves
- Or peppermint essential oil, 2 drops
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together by using a food processor or a coffee grinder and let them until they all blended together( the mixture may need more water, so don’t hesitate to add some if you see that it is drier than what it should be)
The toothpaste should be sandy in its texture and not like the soft smooth texture of toothpaste, after you get to this point of making the mixture sandy, put the mixture in a container with a fitted lid and enjoy using the toothpaste up to 3 weeks.
How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth; Using Bully Sticks or Meat Chews
In case you want to give your friend more than something to chew, bully sticks are a tasty, single-ingredient treat! Only made from high-protein beef muscle
They are ideal for your dog as they are digestible meaning that they break down easily in your dog’s stomach. They also don’t splinter like raw bones, so you don’t have to worry about broken off pieces causing any internal injuries.
These can satisfy their chewing instinct while helping clean your dog’s teeth by scraping off plaque and tartar. What could be better?
Make sure to keep an eye on your dog as some dogs may swallow large pieces. Also, don’t overuse them, as they are a higher calorie treat.
How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth; Simply Feed Them Good Food
Most of the popular diets out there are definitely not the most natural. they contain a whole lot of carbohydrates used as more of a filler than for nutrition.
Carbs are the main cause of bacteria that live in your dog’s mouth leading to plaque and tartar build-up unlike fresh natural food
That’s why Many pet parents who switch their furry family members to a raw diet report seeing a great improvement in their dog’s dental health, in addition to other beneficial health changes.
check out these natural diets and choose what is best suited for your dog.
How to Clean Your Dog’s Teeth; Water Additives
There are many great water additives on markets today. Go check your local pet store for them. you just drop a bit of liquid into your dog’s water bowl, as simple as that. Some dogs dislike the taste or smell. If water additives work for your dog, it’s one of the easiest methods to promote dental hygiene.
Hopefully, this list has given you some information on how to clean your dog’s teeth naturally and you can use it for your own pet/s.
If you’ve got your own tips, I’d love to hear them! Post them in the comments section below.
