Protect Those Pearly Whites: 3 Tips To Help Your Puppy Develop Healthy Teeth
Posted on: 31 March 2016
If you have a new puppy, you're going to be spending a lot of time bonding with it. You're also going to be taking care of its needs. Part of that care should include oral hygiene care. Like humans, puppies can develop cavities, gum disease and dental infections. To prevent those problems, it's important that you start taking care of your puppy's teeth as soon as possible. Here are three tips that will help keep your puppy's teeth healthy.
Touch Its Mouth and Muzzle
Your puppy won't be used to having its mouth and muzzle touched, which will make it difficult for you to clean its teeth. You can aid the process by teaching your puppy to accept having its mouth and muzzle touched on a regular basis. While your puppy is relaxing on your lap, use your finger to open its mouth. Rub your finger along its gums and look inside its mouth.
If your puppy resists having your finger in its mouth, try placing a small amount of peanut butter on your fingertip. Be sure to look inside your puppy's mouth while you're rubbing its gums. Familiarizing yourself with what your puppy's mouth looks like will help you identify problems that might develop.
Offer Chew Toys
Your puppy is going to want to chew on everything it can find while it's teething. You can help the process by providing your puppy with lots of chew toys. The best type of chew toys for your puppy's developing teeth are the hard rubber type with ridges that can stimulate the gums. To prevent mouth infections, you should thoroughly clean your puppy's chew toys once a week. To do this, you can simply place them in the dishwasher and run them through a cycle of hot water.
Stick with Kibble
When it comes to mealtime, it's important that you stick to the kibble. While moist food may be easier for your puppy to chew, it's also easier for the food to get stuck in between your puppy's teeth. Not only that, but moist food doesn't encourage chewing, which is something your puppy needs for its developing teeth and gums.
To keep your puppy's teeth strong and healthy, provide kibble at every meal. If you'd like, you can offer a small amount of moist food a few times a week as a treat. Simply mix a small amount of moist food with the kibble. Your puppy will receive the dental advantages of crunchy food and the enjoyment of moist food in one meal.
Your puppy depends on you for all of its needs. The tips provided here will help you take care of your puppy's dental needs. To ensure healthy teeth and gums, be sure to take your puppy to the vet for regular pet dental services.
Share