Did you know that keeping your dog’s teeth and gums healthy can have an impact on your dog’s overall health? Gum disease and too much plaque build up can have a negative impact on your dog’s organs and digestive health. Dog’s need to have their teeth cleaned just like us humans do in order to keep them healthy and decay free. If your dog’s teeth get especially bad or you notice any cavities or decay, you may need to take your dog to a vet for teeth cleaning.
Luckily, I’ve always kept up with Echo and Gracie’s dental health so neither one has ever required a teeth cleaning at the vet. To keep my two pup’s teeth healthy, I brush their teeth and give them plenty to chew on. Feeding your dog dry food does not help with keeping their teeth plaque free. This is a big myth that has been going around for many years. Think about it- would just eating hard food keep your teeth healthy? No! You have to brush them too. The same goes for dogs. Brushing your dog’s teeth at least several times a week (preferably every day if you can) is an important part of keeping your dog healthy throughout their lifetime.
One of Echo and Gracie’s favorite dental treats are Whimzees! Whimzees are all natural dog treats without any artificial colors or preservatives. They get their red, brown, and green colors from natural extracts that are healthy for your dog. They make their treats with ingredients that will help your dog’s dental health and the shape of their treats help to remove plaque. Both of my dogs love the flavor of the Whimzees dental treats too. Check out their natural ingredients here.
Do you have any questions about keeping your dog’s teeth and gums healthy? Ask in the comments below!
Thanks for reading,
Katie, Gracie, and Echo
Dental health is very important. My previous dog broke a tooth on a raw recreational bone so with my new pup Gusto, I am sticking to dental treats, bully sticks, brushing and water additives. You are right to point out that kibble does not clean the teeth…a marketing tactic for sure.
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Ever since my sister gave me her senior cocker spaniel who had incredibly bad breath, I have brushed my dog’s teeth every day. They still need dental cleanings, but at least they have had good breath. It’s well worth the few minutes a day!
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Thanks so much for these great suggestions. I’ve had very little luck so far with dental chews and such. So I will check this out.
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You should try them out! My dogs really like them
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Absolutely dental health is important and one of the things that can have effect on the whole body. We have discovered the sweet combination of tooth brushing and raw meaty bones; has been working great.
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Yes! That is a great combo. Everyone is always especially impressed with Gracie’s teeth. 10 years old and never had a dental cleaning from the vet, but her teeth are white and healthy!
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Thanks for sharing such an important topic! Yes, dogs need good dental care. I started brushing Chloe’s when she was a puppy. At first I used my finger, then worked up to a finger brush and now a toothbrush. It’s one of her favorite times of day! She even lets me know when it’s time to brush her teeth each evening if I haven’t done it! Hope to see you at the BlogPaws conference! I still enjoy the photos I took of you and your husky last year!
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Echo and Yoshi love having their teeth brushed too. Gracie isn’t a fan, but she allows me to do it without too much of a fight LOL.
We will be there! I am thinking with both Echo and Yoshi. Yoshi is working on socialization, but he is doing fabulous so I think it might be a good experience for him. If not, I know he will have a blast at the daycare. He loves doggy daycare.
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I brush Mr. N’s teeth. Do you have a toothpaste you like? Mr. N isn’t picky about flavors although he did not like the vanilla one.
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Echo and Yoshi like the vanilla, but I also have a peanut butter that they like as well. I always look for dog toothpaste that has the enzymes that break down plaque in it. Sometimes it can be hard to get every tooth really well, and so the enzymes will also help with the plaque.
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Thanks for sharing such an important topic! Yes, just like humans, dogs need their teeth brushed! I started brushing Chloe’s when she was a puppy. At first I used my finger, then worked up to a finger brush and now a toothbrush. It’s one of her favorite times of day! She even lets me know when it’s time to brush her teeth each evening if I haven’t done it! Hope to see you at the BlogPaws conference! I still enjoy the photos I took of you and your husky last year!
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There can never be too much written about dog dental health, because sadly it’s often ignored. Unfortunately I can’t get near my dogs to brush their teeth so they have had dental surgery. Not the route I’m thrilled about but it’s all part of keeping them healthy. Thanks for talking about such an important topic.
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Indeed such an important topic! When teeth go bad, gums go bad, when gums go bad our entire health can be affected – dogs and humans! I need to check out these treats!! For my dogs that is BOL!
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You bet dental health is so important, brushing our dogs teeth is imperative as that can lead to better health overall. My Bella loves Whimzees too =) Hoping to meeting you at BlogPaws!
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Whimzees look cool – I’ll have to try them out! Have you ever tried the additives to water that clean teeth?
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I have! I didn’t see as good of results with those as I have with brushing teeth and giving treats like Whimzees to chew on.
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Our Yuki loves this exact brand of dental treats as well!! They truly are great.
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