Puppy Dentistry

Taking an active role in the care of your pet’s dental hygiene gets your puppy used to having their mouth handled. This can assist greatly in future oral medications and mouth checks at the vet.

Some breeds unfortunately are more prone to dental disease than others. At our clinic we spend 2 or 3 times as long discussing dental disease with owners of small dogs than owners of large dogs. Generally smaller dogs have more dental issues. Speak with us about dental checks for your pet.

Q: are there any short-cuts?

A: To brush your dog’s teeth, you need commitment to time and commitment to accessibility. Let’s face it – sometimes LIFE gets in the way!

Here are some dental aids that can assist in keeping your dog’s teeth healthy:

hills science diet dry

A super premium diet designed for your puppy will have all the nutritional requirements your puppy needs – ensuring they have the majority of their diet in a dry kibble will help with the cleaning of their teeth.

smoked pig ears

Any type of rawhide or smoked chew can be great for your dog to chew – BUT! If you do give them as a chew treat, remember – this counts as food! Pigs ears especially are very fatty. We do not recommend these as a daily cleaning aid and suggest you monitor your dog while chewing.

Bad chew toys

  • rocks
  • tennis balls
  • sticks
  • lastic bottles

I’ll just give my puppy bones to chew…….

Here’s some reasons why it’s a bad idea to

“knick knack, paddy whack…give a dog a bone..”

  • Broken teeth
  • Mouth or tongue injuries
  • Bone stuck in mouth, jaw, esophagus, windpipe
  • Bone gets stuck in stomach, intestines
  • Constipation due to bone fragments
  • Severe bleeding
  • Peritonitis

In some instances, your Vet may still recommend bone chewing if all else fails. Please, listen to their instruction on what size bone is best to let your dog chew. Bones are useful but the risks may outweigh the benefits. Speak to your Vet about the way to feed bones, if at all.

Ideally, with regular teeth brushing, good nutrition and self cleaning by chewing – you can expect your dog to maintain a dental grade of between 1-2 during their adult life!

Tasmanian Animal Hospitals will check your puppy’s teeth at their routine puppy vaccinations to ensure there are no teeth issues. At the time of your puppy’s desexing, we provide a dental examination to ensure all deciduous teeth have fallen out.

Your puppy’s mouth at a glance

tooth calendar

Your puppy’s first teeth appeared somewhere between five and eight weeks. Puppies grow a total of 28 teeth, which are known as baby teeth, or deciduous teeth.

The first teeth that fall out are the incisors, followed by pre-molars and canines.

Teething

Your puppy’s teething process may occur for several months, on and off. This can be an uncomfortable time. They increase their biting and chewing and test out different objects and textures to relieve the discomfort. Your favourite shoes never looked SO good!

Between 3 and 7 months, a puppy starts to lose their deciduous teeth. By 7 to 8 months, the full set of adult teeth should have grown into place.

Dental grading

Grade 0: No plaque or gingivitis – a happy mouth

Grade 1: Mild plaque on teeth

Grade 2: Mild to Moderate tartar on teeth and some gingivitis present

Grade 3: Heavy tartar and onset of periodontal disease. Oral pain is likely

Grade 4: Severe tartar, periodontal disease, tooth loss occurring or imminent

A happy & healthy mouth does not have:

  • Bad breath (halitosis)
  • Reluctance to chew
  • Red and/or puffy gums
  • Bleeding gums
  • Tartar/calculus (hard coating on teeth that is usually brown or yellow)
  • Missing and/or loose teeth

Brushing should be every day. Ask us for a demonstration.

Your puppy needs dental care too! And it’s easier than you might think……

Dental care for pets is very similar to dental care for humans. Dental care starts with teeth brushing.

If you never brushed your teeth, would your breath smell bad? How would this make you feel?

Q: why brush?

A: Teeth brushing for pets can be fun, especially if started at an early age and NOW is the perfect time to include it in your puppy’s routine.

Teeth brushing can help prevent and control painful periodontal disease, reduce bad breath and help avoid other health risks as your dog ages.

By brushing your dog’s teeth daily, you can reduce the frequency required for professional teeth cleaning and related services.

  • Have a POSITIVE attitude! If you think you can do it, then you will!
  • Keep reasonable expectations. It takes TIME and PATIENCE to create a habit. ENJOY this time with your puppy!
  • NB: Brushing is not for every pet. If your puppy is growling or very nervous it is best to back off.

What do I need & how do I do it?

1: BUILD A ROUTINE every day where your pet gets a cuddle and a reward. After a few weeks start gently lifting the lips and touching the gum. Go at your pet’s pace. If they start to get stressed, stop and start again tomorrow. TAKES SEVERAL WEEKS.

2: SELECT a canine toothpaste. We recommend Dentipet. Dentipet has the combination of an excellent product AND variable yummy flavours! Slowly get your pet used to the taste then start gently massaging it into the gums with your finger. Once again go at your pets pace. TAKES 2- 4 WEEKS.

3: PICK an appropriate tooth brush. There are many options available. We suggest a ‘finger brush’ which fits over your finger and has soft bristles. Gently brush with paste into your pet’s gum. Go at your pets pace . It is often better to start with one tooth and build up to brushing all the teeth over several weeks.Gently brush teeth in an oval pattern over the area of the gum margin as well as the space between the teeth. Brush for 30 seconds on the outside of the upper and lower teeth. Brushing should be every day! ASK US TO DEMONSTRATE.

NEVER use your toothpaste! Ingestion of human tooth pastes can be harmful for pets!