Are Dog Teeth And Human Teeth The Same?
Adult dogs have 42 teeth, 10 more than humans, but their teeth and gum care should be treated like our own.
Like humans, dogs start life with a set of ‘milk’ teeth, also called deciduous teeth. They go through a teething process at around 6 months old. This can cause painful gums and chewy behaviour!
Hopefully, this is a quick process for your puppy and once the adult teeth have all pushed through the gums you can start to introduce toothbrushing.
Should you be brushing your dog’s teeth?
YES! Daily!
Like with many training processes, handling your dog’s mouth, gums and teeth should be included as part of their daily routine from a young age and always make brushing an easy, fun and rewarding activity.
It’s important to know that human toothpaste, which contains fluoride, is not suitable for dogs as they are not able to spit it out and is therefore toxic to them. Use a dog-specific toothpaste, toothbrush or finger brush.
Be cautious with so-called ‘dental chews’ as feeding too many of these can cause weight gain. Formulated dental diets are a great way of maintaining good oral health for your dog, as well as avoiding a wet food diet unless you clean your pup’s teeth daily.
If you’re concerned that your dog’s mouth isn’t as healthy as it should be, then book an appointment to see your vet or veterinary nurse:
Look out for:
- bad breath
- dribbling
- facial swelling
- pawing at the mouth
- face rubbing
- reduced appetite
- blood in their water bowl
Through our pets app, VisioCare myBuddy we always provide the best guidance we can to help you with issues that affect your pets, whether cats, dogs, rats, rabbits or reptiles. However, we would always recommend you call your vet or get in touch via the VisioCare myBuddy app.