Brushing your dog’s and cat’s teeth
Written by Samantha |
Taking care of your dog's or cat's teeth is an important part of the daily grooming routine. You can contribute to oral health in various ways, such as giving special chews, treats or food that helps take care of the teeth. You can also add special agents to the drinking water. However, one of the most effective methods is to brush your dog or cat's teeth. This mainly concerns the outside of the teeth. The inside of the teeth is cleaned by the tongue of the animal. In cats, brushing only the upper teeth and molars may be sufficient. Because of the small size of the mouth, there is often relatively little space left to also brush the lower teeth. In addition, the shape of the cat's teeth ensures that the lower teeth and molars are normally also somewhat cleaned when opening and closing the mouth.
Brushing your dog’s and cat’s teeth
Brushing teeth may sound like a challenge, but most of the time, your pet will tolerate it once they get used to it. It’s easier when you start taking care of the teeth of your four-legged friend from an early age. Make it a fun occasion by spoiling your pet with a game or walk as a reward.
Tips for brushing teeth
You can brush your teeth using a toothbrush specially designed for animals. In addition, there are also attachments with a brush for your finger. A good starter set is the C.E.T. Dental care set. You can also brush your pet’s teeth with gauze that you wrap around your finger. To achieve optimal results with brushing, you can use toothpaste. However, toothpaste that people use is not suitable for animals. This is because there is fluoride in the human version of toothpaste. This can be harmful to your animal’s stomach.
Pet toothpaste
Special toothpaste has been developed for pets that can be used safely and are not harmful if the animal swallows them. A tasty flavour is often added to this, such as liver or chicken flavour. An example of toothpaste for animals is the C.E.T. toothpaste from Virbac. This toothpaste contains a so-called C.E.T. Dual Enzyme System. This activates and stimulates the immune system. This can help to stop the formation of new plaque. The best effect can be achieved if you brush your pet’s teeth every day with pet toothpaste.
