Dog Oral Hygiene. A Guarantee Of Health And Well-Being

Dog oral hygiene. Clean teeth, healthy gums and pleasant breath are essential health and wellness requirements for us, dogs and cats.

The difference is that our four-legged friends’ hygiene and oral health depend on our commitment to caring for their mouths.

Plaque and tartar: the number one enemies of the general health of our dogs and cats

Plaque, tartar and halitosis (bad breath) are an ‘everyday problem‘ for us, but also for our animal friends.

Plaque, which is constantly deposited on the surface of teeth, is a concentration of more than 300 different types of bacteria, capable of reproducing and surviving on sugars provided by food.

When not quickly removed, these bacteria are fearsome enemies for the health and wellbeing of our four-legged friends‘ mouths.

Not to be underestimated are the large quantities of volatile sulphur compounds that these bacteria release, which are responsible for bad breath.

If not periodically removed, plaque begins to calcify into tartar, a kind of cement so hard that it can no longer be removed by simple brushing. Thanks to its rough surface, tartar encourages bacteria to adhere to the surface of the teeth, further aggravating their damaging action.

And that’s not all. In the long run, a dirty and neglected oral cavity can compromise general health due to the systematic spread of plaque bacteria to distant vital organs such as the kidneys, heart, liver and lungs.

What is the best solution? Certified quality oral hygiene

Despite the above considerations, only one-third of animals suffering from oral problems receive the appropriate treatment, and even fewer dogs and cats have ‘good habits‘ of daily oral hygiene. In this situation, it is desirable to make all owners aware of the importance of paying attention to their animal friends' oral cavities.

You start by agreeing with your trusted vet on long-term prevention and care plans to assess the correct development of the dental apparatus, get your dog or cat puppy used to handle its mouth and assess its oral health status right from the start. The veterinary visit will also be an excellent opportunity to discuss the daily “home care” the owners perform within the home.

Combined with the routine prevention of tooth cleaning and polishing by the “trusted dentist“, daily tooth brushing, carried out with specific brushes and kinds of toothpaste specially designed for dogs and cats, is, in fact, the “best medicine” for the health and wellbeing of our animals‘ mouths.

Brushing your dog’s teeth daily to prevent dental disease is essential.

Dental disease is a severe problem in dogs, leading to pain, infection, and even death. Brushing your dog’s teeth daily can help keep their teeth and gums healthy and prevent these problems.

Here are some tips for brushing your dog’s teeth:

• Start brushing your dog’s teeth when they are a puppy so they get used to it.
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and dog toothpaste.
• Brush your dog’s teeth for two minutes twice a day.
• Be gentle, and don’t force your dog to open its mouth.
• If your dog resists brushing, try using a finger toothbrush or dental treats.
• If you have any questions, ask your veterinarian for help.

These tips can help keep your dog’s teeth and gums healthy for many years.

‘looking’… beyond the toothbrush

Don’t worry, though. Even if we do our best, we cannot schedule our family friend’s toothbrush every day. There are, in fact, many ‘toothbrush substitute friends’ who can support the effects of even occasional brushing. Accurate ‘oral health premiums’ based on vegetable components with proven anti-plaque and anti-tartar action are now available among these.

One of these is a particular brown seaweed, A.N. ProDen (Ascophyllum nodosum), which, when administered orally, is absorbed into the gastro-intestinal tract and, by concentrating in the saliva, inhibits the growth of plaque bacteria, reduces tartar deposition and thus maintains healthy breath.

One thing is sure. The time we devote to the hygiene and care of our dogs’ and cats’ oral cavities will be amply rewarded by the well-being and good quality of life that we ensure for them.

Hygiene and mouth care are timeless good habits that change lives, as much for us as for our pets. In the past and still, we have consistently used these products for our dogs, which we believe are the best, from the companies: ‘ProDen PlaqueOff‘, ‘Vet’s Best‘ and an excellent Italian company ‘Innovet‘.

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