Pet grooming guide

If their owners ignore their dental care needs, dogs (especially smaller breeds) are just as prone to painful and unpleasant problems with their teeth as humans. Yellowing, splintering, tooth loss and gum disease can be common problems for many dogs (not to mention really horrible cases of bad doggie breath).  However, since you cannot really send Fido to the bathroom to clean his teeth every morning the same way you do the kids what is the best way to make sure his teeth stay clean and healthy?

Your dog does need to brush his teeth and of course you will have to do that for him. Dog toothbrushes are readily available at most pet supply stores as are various kinds of canine toothpaste — although simple baking soda is just as effective. Expect resistance at first since your dog will really have no idea what you are doing when cleaning his teeth.  Just like with any other repetitive task, most dogs get used to the idea over time.

Providing plenty of hard things for him to chew on and exercise his teeth is another easy way to attend to your dog’s dental health. You can even buy dog bones and biscuits that are formulated to help clean his teeth naturally and freshen his breath a little too. These too are usually sold right in the regular aisle at your local pet store. Regular bones work just as well though, so don’t feel the need to necessarily run out and buy some special item.

If you do notice that your dog is having a problem with his teeth (swollen, red, painful gums and a loss of appetite are major warning signs) a visit to the vet is called for since if left unchecked infected teeth and gum disease in dogs can spread beyond the mouth and cause problems elsewhere in the body, shortening his lifespan considerably.

How to clean your dog’s ears

Having their ears cleaned is one aspect of pet grooming that many dogs don’t enjoy which, unfortunately, can make it a tricky procedure to carry out. It is very important that you learn to make the experience one that your dog gets pleasure from.

1. First, get your dog into a position where it can’t squirm around too much. Dogs’ ears are very sensitive and you wouldn’t want him to move while you are working and cause damage. A good idea is to get a friend to help by holding onto the dog collar while you are working.
2. Squeeze plenty of the ear cleaner gently into the ear canal, until it starts to overflow. Then feel for the tube of cartilage beneath the ear and rub this to help spread out the ear cleaner. It should make a nice squelchy noise!
3. Massage the ears very gently for 30 to 45 seconds and then give him some space to shake his head to rid his ears of some of the wax, dirt and cleaner that has built up. The massage is something that most dogs love and they will press their head towards your hands to show how much they are enjoying it.
4. Clean cotton balls or medical kit gauze pads are ideal to use to carefully remove any fluid that did not come out when your dog shook his head. Be warned! There can be a lot of wax and dirt in dog ears and it can come in many different colours. If you start to get more than usual or it has turned a bloody or very bright colour then take him to see your vet as it may mean that he has developed an infection. Always use sterile, all natural cotton that is flexible and soft.

How to clean your dog’s teeth.

Taking care of your dog’s teeth on a regular basis at home and considerably reduce the number of times that they will need to be cleaned by a vet.

1. Before starting to clean your dog’s teeth it is important to be completely prepared with all the dog care equipment that is required.
2. There are 2 options for a toothbrush. One is a finger toothbrush that you can place over your finger and the other is a long handled, soft bristled specialist dog toothbrush. Generally they have an angled head to allow easier access. You can buy dog toothbrushes at any store that sells pet grooming supplies.
3. You will need to buy toothpaste that has been specifically made for dogs as they have special plaque controlling enzymes and some fluoride to help control bacteria. Do not use human toothpaste as it contains ingredients which are bad for dogs. Push the paste down between the bristles so that it spends maximum time next to the dog’s teeth.
4. Choose a calm, quiet time and sit in a position that will give you easy access to your dog’s teeth.
5. When you first start to brush his teeth just gently wipe at the teeth with some gauze, gradually moving on to the use of warm water and eventually, toothpaste.
6. Clean around the whole mouth, brushing each tooth in turn. Make sure that you don’t miss out the back dog teeth as this can be a problem area.
7. Dog teeth cleaning should be carried out once a per week as part of your pet grooming routine but still make sure that you visit the vet once a year to have them checked over and, if necessary, cleaned professionally.