Does anyone really brush their dog's teeth?

I do for my older rescues! My Chica had 5 teeth pulled when I got her from the rescue. She only eats "wet" food so brushing keeps the rest of the teeth healthy.

Hope this helps!

Vet student here; yes, I do brush my dog's teeth daily. Having worked in a practice that does several dental procedures on dogs and cats and having first-hand experience with bad periodontal disease cases, I cannot stress the importance of dental care! Dental plaque and tartar can be just as devastating in dogs and cats as in humans... bacteria trapped under the gums can enter the circulatory system and have really negative effects on the heart and kidneys. Even if every day seems overkill, it is recommended to brush your animals' teeth at least 3 times per week.

Besides, imagine if we didn't brush our teeth ever... nasty breath, scummy teeth, probably gingivitis and cavities. Same thing for them! If you start young and get them used to it, it's a piece of cake. I got my dog as a 2 year old rescue and had to introduce the toothbrush slowly -- it took a full week before I could brush his molars in the back. With patience and consistency, and of course lots of praise, he now sits still and even begins drooling with excitement when I reach for the tube of peanut butter-flavored toothpaste! :)

I used to brush my dogs teeth once or twice a month. But a friend of mine recently also had 5 of her dogs teeth pulled because all kinds of gunk was stuck in it for months (maybe years?). After that story, I think I'll try to brush my future dogs' teeth at least once a week.

Brushing is a serious pain in the arse, b/c my dog just slirps down the toothpaste within seconds of my attempts to brush his teeth. I've tried a few different methods, and nothing works for us...

I brush my dogs' teeth nightly, if I don't brush them for 2 or 3 days, their gums bleed. Since I started brushing them, they're teeth don't get much buildup as they used to. So it's very important to brush your dog's teeth daily or at least 3-4 days a week.

Of course! Food gets stuck in their teeth just like for humans, which leads to plaque and tartar buildup. I work in grooming and I brush most dogs' teeth with no problem. Brushing at least a few times per week prevents expensive dental procedures later on. Dog toothpaste is enzyme-based so you don't have to brush as thoroughly as you do for human teeth - the dog spreads it around his mouth with their tongue when he licks it and the enzymes break down food particles. Besides toothpaste, there are additional ways to keep a dog's teeth clean: dental chews and water additives.

We brush weekly. Best tip I got was from a vet tech who suggested using the little brushes that fit over your finger. Put the toothpaste on the palm of your hand and the brush. Dog gets busy licking your hand while your finger is in their brushing. Relatively painless.

I start brushing a dog's teeth while they are puppies to get them to accept the idea. At first you are just moving the finger-tip brush or toothbrush around their mouth uselessly, but gradually, the dogs accept actual brushing. Why bother? First, it helps to brush because the dog is used to you inspecting their mouth. You never know if your dog may have injured himself in his mouth if he wont let you look in there. Its also important to check your dog's gums and tongue if you suspect shock from an injury or bloat. If a dog isn't used to you inspecting his mouth, especially if he is in pain, he may react aggressively when you need to look in there urgently. Also, it does clean their teeth, even just superficially. To have a dog's teeth professionally cleaned means a lot of money especially due to anesthesia in larger breeds. Mine are 70 lbs and 135 lbs. I'd rather spend a few minutes cleaning their teeth a few times a week than spend thousands of dollars every few years having them put under anesthesia for dental treatment. I brush them every other day, gently, and alternate those days with days when they chew greenies or denta stix or similar. These guys also get buffalo bones, which are great chews that naturally clean the teeth and keep the gums in good health. And by the way, cats should have their teeth brushed too, for the same reasons. My cat was about 1 and a half when I got her and I SHOULD have started brushing her teeth, too. Her breath has always been fishy and now we suspect she has stomatitis. It's been treated, but it would have really helped if I had gotten her used to having me open her mouth to inspect it as now she must be sedated in order to check her for signs of infection.

I do, because I am one of the people who learned the hard (and expensive) way how expensive dental care is later in life. After having both of my dogs' teeth professionally cleaned, we now brush every week or two and I more regularly give teeth-cleaning treats. I used to think it was silly, but now I know how important it is! Moving forward, I will definitely start the regular brushes as a puppy and before the senior years.

My dear cocker died this month at the age of 21. I did not brush his teeth and wished I had because he had terrible bad breath and mouth infections the last year of his life. I used a water additive to manage the bad breath and tried antibiotics but he developed s severe ear infection from the antibiotics. I will do better with my 5 year old silky poo. Don't want her to have a painful, infected mouth.