My dog hates having his teeth brushed. The vet says his teeth look fine, but I wouldn't want my dog's teeth in my mouth!
What signs can I look for that I should be brushing my dog's teeth more often?
I normally tell dog owners doing it as often as you can is better then not at all. If your dog only allows you do it it twice a week, that is fine. Daily is ideal. It will make a difference in the long run and will probably save you from having to do full dentals at your veterinarian in the future. Make sure you use a dog-friendly toothpaste!
Plaque is made up of bacteria, food particles and salvia. This builds up on the teeth throughout the day. Ideally you should brush your dogs teeth after every meal. At the very least you should brush your dogs teeth every other day- in this time the plaque that was building up on your dogs teeth, starts to harden and then turns into tartar. Once the plaque hardens it can not simply be brushed away- tartar can only be removed with a professional dental cleaning.
If you are having trouble brushing your dogs teeth:
1) get pet friendly tooth paste -poultry or beef flavor
2) use a finger tooth brush
3) wrap a piece of gauze around your finger instead of using a tooth brush.
They recommend brushing your dogs teeth at least 3 days a week to eliminate bad odor. Make sure you dog is in a calm mood and in a relaxed environment to alleviate any stress if they do not like their teeth brushed.
I brush my dogs teeth 5-6 times a week. The more you can do it, the better.
As long as your dog is calm and relaxed, you should aim to brush their teeth 3 times a week. The best thing for your dog is to set a routine, that way you can work up from 3 times a week to once a day. The more times the better.
Daily if you can, but at least 3 times a wee to help prevent tartar buildup and to keep nasty bacteria out of the mouth, also giving them things like elk horns with help scrape the buildup off naturally
It is recommended to brush dogs teeth daily. This is a tall order. To make it easier on yourself find a paste that your dog enjoys tasting and place his toothbrush and toothpaste in a place you will see it everyday (bed side table). Typically smaller dogs have more dental issues so you should be more regimented if you have a small breed. There are other ways to keep dental hygiene maintained such as dental bones (greenies, virbac), water additive (tropiclean), and high grade food.