Cleaning Your Pets Teeth

Proper dental care is as important for pets as it is for humans, so it's absolutely imperative to train your pets so that they enjoy the idea of having their teeth cleaned as early as possible.  

If you turn teeth cleaning into a game, then your pet will be more likely to get used to the process without much trouble. To start establishing good habits, place a pet specific, flavored, non-sudsing toothpaste on your finger, and just let your pet taste it at first. It's important to shower your pet with praise while you clean his or her teeth so that your pet begins to associate teeth cleaning with something positive. 

Once your pet gets used to the toothpastes’ taste, you can begin massaging the teeth and gums all over with your finger, and clean a little more each day. After each cleaning, reward your pet with praise, a meal, or with some play time to insure your pet makes a positive association with teeth cleaning. 

After you master the finger technique, you may want to move on to a finger brush to make the cleaning more effective. Put the brush on your index finger and follow the same routine. 

Finally, when you and your pet are both ready, you can graduate to the toothbrush. Do the same thing you did before and remember the most important thing, train your pet to enjoy dental hygiene, make it fun! 

Article by Dr. Jeff Werber, DVM