Dental care for dogs
Dental care for your dog: for the right bite
It is of course no secret that your four-legged friend should receive a lot of attention and high-quality food. Since teeth can become quite sensitive due to food residues or even incorrect food and other external factors, dental care for dogs should not be neglected. As with us, this can result in plaque and periodontitis. About 80 percent of all dogs have dental problems, but only a little less than a quarter of all dog owners notice the problem.
And this can have serious consequences for your animal: the bacteria that colonise the gums can lead to toothache, tooth loss and refusal to eat, and consequently can even trigger deficiency symptoms. Inflammation may also occur throughout the body. Yellowish-brown discolorations and residue on the teeth as well as an unpleasant smell from your dog’s mouth are considered warning signs for poor dental hygiene.
Dogs and dental care: it’s all about chewing
Proper dental care for dogs consists primarily of chewing bones, dental sticks or other chewing products such as flavoured braided ropes developed specifically for this purpose. Chewing these products pretty much cleans the surface of the teeth of your dog, reliably removing plaque and tartar. These chewable products, a large selection of which is available at Maxi Zoo, come in different flavours. They turn dental care from an unpleasant chore to a really tasty pastime for your pet. When choosing one of these chewable products, pay attention not only to the taste, but also ensure that it does not contain sugar.
With products specifically developed for dental care in dogs, you can be sure that you are doing something good for your animal family member. After all, fresh pork or poultry bones, to name just two examples, can be a hazard for your dog because they have a habit of splintering easily.
In addition to delicious snacks and tooth-cleaning toys for dogs, there is also special tooth-care dog feed. The larger pieces do not crumble immediately when biting. Instead, due to their special consistency, they rub abrasively along the surface of the teeth, removing plaque.
Brushing your dog’s teeth: how it’s done
Apart from with bones and special chewable items, you can also ensure that your dog’s teeth stay clean by brushing its teeth. There have long been toothbrushes and toothpastes especially adapted to dog jaws that come in dog-friendly, meat-like flavours. However, your four-legged friend should ideally become accustomed to getting its teeth brushed while still a puppy – otherwise your pet may find this procedure rather unpleasant.
It is entirely possible that no suitable toothbrush exists for the size of your dog’s mouth. In this case, practical alternatives are available, such as a finger toothbrush, tooth care pads or a tooth-cleaning cloth. You will find a large selection of different dental care products for dogs at the Maxi Zoo online shop.