Does anyone know of an easy way to brush your dogs teeth?

I give my dog a daily treat that’s suppose to clean the teath when he chews on it. On a weekly basis, his teeth gets brushed with a toothbrush and beef flavored pet toothpaste. Raw hide treats also help with tartar and plaque

I use the small side of the dog tooth brush or a child-size brush. I also use a dog tooth scaler, once a month tartar control squeeze bottles and I’ve recently taken to making my own tartar spray with Chlorahexidine.

I have one dog that hates having his teeth brush. I keep small freeze-dried treats next to me while I embrace him to do the cleanings.

Between cleaning, I make the twist rawhides I give to my dogs as tasty as possible for him…as he also isn’t fond of chewing rawhides. I dip them in meat broths for him, will rub on a bit of peanut butter, or will rub it over real meat to encourage him to chew.

@SpatzieLover Do you find the tartar control sprays work? Yeah, he sounds like your second dog. He really hates getting his teeth brushed. He has a sensitive stomach so rawhides are not good for him. I’ve tried several different chews that are suppose to clean his teeth but either he doesn’t like them or he eats them and then vomits them out, or he gets the runs.

Rawhide treats and Greenies dental chews. They also only get dry food except on a few special occasions.

Milk bones will help control tartar also, just not as well as the chews/treats designed for dental care.

I use a combination of traditional dog tooth brushing products and a fresh soup bone weekly .

Yep, mine is also sensitive to certain chews/foods so he plain ol’ will not eat/chew them. He does only get crunchy dog food so you’d think that would help…but not so much.

As far as I can tell, the tartar control (the monthly squeeze bottle) works quite well. The sprays you buy at the store are expensive (and the bottles tend to leak). I buy a gallon for the same price as one small bottle, then make the spray ( I have it in a 4oz spray bottle)...which I use once a day.

His gums are healthier, the tartar scrapes off easier, and he bleeds less. He doesn’t get sick from any of the tartar products.

@blueiiznh Yes, soup bones are helpful. This particular dog won’t chew them long enough to get the benefits :(

@WestRiverrat Yeah, I tried the greenies. He loves them but they dont’ love him back. I also only give him dry food except for one egg and cheese one day a week.
His teeth are pretty good but on his last visit the vet said he was developing gingivitis and lately his breath has been horrible. So I’ve started to brush his teeth daily vice once a week but he really hates it and I wonder if I’m doing it wrong.

@Pandora I doubt you’re doing it wrong…he just isn’t pleased with the process. Small treats can make it more bearable. Just give extra praise and belly rubs while you’re brushing.

@Pandora cut out the cheese, that’s probably giving the dog the bad breath…better to give him denta treats fortified with calcium and vitamins.

A warm wet washcloth with dog toothpaste smeared on it. My dog registers the softness of the cloth as non threatening and the rubbing doesn’t bug him because it makes no scrubby noises and there’s no tool he wants to inspect or bulge out his eyes over.

My fiancee bought a little squirt bottle of “Plaque Blast” to use in between cleanings and it works!

I highly recommend Greenies. We give them to both of our dog and our cat and the vet always comments on the condition of their teeth.
It’s like a chew toy for them. They just gnaw on them til they’re gone and then you give them another one whenever.

Edit: Oops, just saw @WestRiverrat ‘s response as well as @Pandora ‘s reply.

My dog also can’t eat Greenies…Nope. That leads to puking

@njnyjobs He’s been having it for years and it has never really effected his breath. But I know not having his teeth professionally cleaned the last 2 years no doubt is a problem. But I’m afraid I may lose him if he goes under again. He’s 11 now. He is building some tartar on the back teeth and his gums are swollen a bit but when I try to get his back teeth they bleed.
@Neizvestnaya That sounds pretty good. I never considered that he may just be freaked out by the noise the brush makes against his teeth. At least it will allow me to massage his gums. I’ll give the Plaque blast a try. Thanks.
@SpatzieLover Yeah, kind of makes you wonder about these products your dog is suppose to be able to digest!

@SpatzieLover @Pandora I guess my animals have stomachs like steel. We also don’t let them chew on it every day. Just once or twice a week during the evening while we’re watching tv or whatever. Then we take it away again. It’s not supposed to be a cookie.

@Pandora: My doggie is a Pom and they get icky teeth like no one’s business but he seems to like the cloth, almost like it’s a massage rather than an invasion of his yap.

I just found this web site about greenies not being for every dog.

Here you go

My sister uses Kong dog toys, their dog has sensitive digestion and can’t handle the dental chews. The dog likes to chew on them, which helps keep the teeth clean, especially when they put a dog treat inside the kong.

At Petsmart or maybe any of the pet supply places you could get a toy that looks like a braided ball of fine yarn with a braided handle loop. Multi colored and it is like floss when they bite and chew on it. And they are a pretty fun toy for them. The drawback is there may be pieces of the yarn scattered on the floor where they were chomping on it.

On my old dog who has a history of teeth problems (despite having a raw meaty bone every day of her life for the last 13 years), I use a rinse called Hexarinse (active ingredients Chlorhexidine gluconate). I have it in a small perfume type squirt bottle and give her a shot on both sides each night before bed.

My other dogs respond well to the raw meaty bone a day solution. The 13 year old akita I just lost had sparkling white teeth. And my 4 year old dingo mix has good teeth too. I do brush them once a week or so though. They have their own brush for on the electric toothbrush and after a couple of times they don’t seem to mind at all.

I would suggest real raw bones rather than rawhides or greenies or any processed, compacted, glued together imitation bone.

Be thankful you have a dog instead of a cat!

Yeah, I bet they can be more difficult at brushing time. :)

@Pandora Yes, I have permanent scars to prove it.

I just let their teeth be…but I do check them frequently ;)