Dog Community

Brushing Teeth

Posted : 8/8/2011 12:57:52 AM

Does anyone have a way of brushing a dog's teeth so that they can get the back lower teeth? I can get in and get the back top teeth, but I can't seem to keep their mouths open so that I can get that back bottom tooth?

Thanks a ton for the help!

Morag Bates

Posted : 8/9/2011 4:30:34 AM

I would like to know about this, also I suppose you have to start when your dog is just a little puppy so that he/she becomes accustomed to it happening.

Xebby

Posted : 8/9/2011 11:47:23 AM

I don't brush my dog's teeth, I have always given raw meatly bones and they do a beautiful job of keeping my dog's mouth sparking. I would get the bones from a butcher, especialy during hunting season. They have to be raw and a rather large sized like a nice femer bone filled with good tastey, healthy marrow. Raw chicken necks also do the job nicely.

nigguysmom

Posted : 8/9/2011 12:04:57 PM

The bones are great, but around my house not always a good option, so I still think that brushing is something that needs to happen for my guys. I had heard of people doing teeth cleaning without putting the dogs to sleep but I don't know who they do it. I'm sure they would have to have a way to gently keep the mouth open. Ideas?

Cita

Posted : 8/9/2011 8:32:42 PM

I open Rascal's mouth, making sure there is a nice BIG goop of toothpaste on the brush, slide the toothbrush in between his cheek and his teeth (such that the toothbrush bristles are facing his teeth), then gently close his mouth and hold it closed while wiggling the toothbrush around to clean his back teeth. It doesn't get the inside of the teeth, by the tongue, but the outside usually needs it more anyway.

My dentist once told me that we humans ought to brush our teeth with our mouths closed because that way our cheeks are looser and we get a better angle for cleaning the back teeth. Seemed to make sense, so I've been trying the same with Rascal. To be honest, I think a lot of the "brushing" comes from him trying to get the toothbrush out of his mouth while still licking up the toothpaste ;)

Krissim Klaw

Posted : 8/16/2011 3:22:23 PM

Cita
To be honest, I think a lot of the "brushing" comes from him trying to get the toothbrush out of his mouth while still licking up the toothpaste ;)

Lawls ditto with Kirby. It is a nightly battle between me trying to actually get some of the stuff on his teeth and brush versus him trying to lick all the toothpaste off. He is probably perplexed why I insist an rubbing the tasty stuff on his teeth instead of just letting him lick and eat it up properly. He also tends to want to chew so I use that to my advantage when cleaning his back teeth and let him gnaw on the bristles.

samshine

Posted : 8/16/2011 7:47:23 PM

Do you use those flavored pet toothpastes? I find that when I do the dogs invariably start to lick. If they are licking then their jaw is moving up and down and I can get to those lower teeth. Aim for the target area and scrub, it's a little tricky because you have a moving target but with practice you can cover the area pretty well. Oh, and you need to hold just the upper jaw to make this work.