Keeping Your Pet's Teeth Clean Naturally

There is no question that certain breeds are more prone to having bad teeth than others. However, should you initiate a simple, yet effective at-home teeth cleaning routine with your pet, ensure your feeding a canine species appropriate diet and initiating chew time, no matter what breed he/she is, you can significantly increase the chances of having a pet with a nice set of pearly whites for years to come.

What many people don't understand is that most pets will keep their teeth cleaned by themselves by simply "chewing". This is why having rubber toys, knotted ropes and natural bones and chews are of great importance to your pet. Initiating "chew time", especially after meals are key. Despite the belief that feeding your dog moist/wet foods will "rot" your dog's teeth out is simply a myth. Realistically, it's certain poor ingredients in your pet's food that will damage your dog's teeth; not the consistency of dry vs. moist. For example, if you were eating lots of hard candy all the time, this would than keep your teeth clean more than eating fresh vegetables and lean proteins?  There is no question that foods with too many starchy carbohydrates and sugars are the culprit of bad teeth as they will create a layer of "film" over the teeth.  This is mainly the issue of which dogs face today as they are not removing this film from their teeth by chewing and not having at-home cleanings by you regularly.  Obviously, this combination will create a disaster in your pet's mouth over time.

Because wild carnivores eat mainly soft protein meats, they then enjoy chewing on the bones of their prey; keeping their oral hygiene in check naturally. With the significant lack of processed foods, carbohydrates and sugars found in their natural diets, it helps the health of their teeth tremendously. However, what do you do when you have a pet that does not entertain the idea of chewing?

I have come across some pets throughout the years that simply aren't interested or really don't know what to do with a chew toy. This may be because initially, as a puppy, they weren't really given toys or chews and didn't fully develop the skills of what to do with it. It's as they "lose" that natural instinct of what to do if it does not become part of their regular routine in the early years of their development. To some that are re-homed (adopted) and not familiar with the history of the pet, it leaves the new owner wondering why their new pet doesn't like a chew toy. This is when you need to take the time to help initiate chewing and reinforcing the instinct to chew again by picking something that your dog would really enjoy, such as a bully stick. Sometimes having a natural chew that has much flavor is much better than a tasteless toy. However, there are some cases of dogs putting their nose up and refusing to chew anything. If that is the case, a thorough check of your dog's mouth is highly recommended. Sometimes, many owners neglect to regularly check the dog's mouth who may have some or several rotting teeth, missing, cracked and/or loose teeth, thus making chewing on anything hard a bothersome to your pet, for obvious reasons.

For dogs that have a decent set of choppers, make it a habit to help them keep their teeth clean by wiping the teeth regularly with a dry washcloth from front to back, ensuring to get along the gum line as well. By helping remove any residues left behind from meals that your pet may have missed by a toy or bone, will help your pet have a nice set of teeth for years to come. My suggestion is to make it a point to incorporate this essential, at home teeth cleaning routine at night time, after you have brushed your own teeth before going to bed.