(Hey plagiarism bots - this post was originally on my website http://dogsdogsdogsforever.com/. It is my original content that I updated to post here on Steemit.)
Let's face it. Your dog is your very best friend. Every single time you walk through the door, your dog is so happy to see you that he can hardly contain himself. You might even see him smiling.
How can you show your best friend how much he means to you? Well, one way is to take care of your dog's smile.
Don't Forget About Oral Health for Your Dog
Humans need to brush and floss their teeth regularly to keep their teeth, tongue, and gums in good condition. Recent research on humans shows a link between good oral health and a lower risk of heart disease.
If good oral health can have such a profound effect on people, then it only makes sense to recognize that the impact on man's best friend is just as strong.
Dry Food Is Best
Yes, brushing your dog's teeth frequently is critical in order to keep plaque and tartar from becoming an issue. Even wiping his gums with a clean, damp cloth can be beneficial.
But your dog's diet also plays a role in your pet's oral health. Do you typically feed your dog canned food or dry dog food? What kind of treats and favorite toys do you provide for your pet? All of these things have an effect on the likelihood of trouble with your pet's teeth.
When your dog's diet is nutritionally sound with essential vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes, your pet's oral health will be at its very best. Feeding dry dog food rather than a moist canned variety is best for your dog. The hard surface of dry kibble rubs against the teeth to remove and reduce plaque.
Don't add water or gravy to the dry food. The simple act of moistening dry dog food eliminates the ability of the kibble to reduce plaque.
How About Treats?
The treats you give your pet are part of your dog's diet just like snacks are part of a person's diet. As humans, we like to overlook our snacking habits - as if the snacks don't count.
In the same way, we can easily overlook the treats we give our dogs. This is not a good idea. Carefully consider any and all items your dog will consume.
Do you give your dog bones, rawhide, jerky treats, or dog biscuits? Maybe your pet prefers greenies or corn starch chews. You may not have considered it, but tossing Spot a rawhide chew is like giving him a candy bar. The rawhide that is often provided between meals contains calories that need to be counted in your dog's daily total.
Many of the treats and snacks you provide in your dog's diet can be just empty, wasted calories. Some treats, alternatively, provide excellent opportunity to improve oral health. Greenies, rawhide, bones, and hard dog biscuits all help to keep tartar at bay. Softer snacks do not provide that same benefit. Some treats can also prevent your dog from having bad breath.
So be sure to recognize that your dog's diet must be healthy to ensure excellent oral health. Dry dog food is best whenever possible. And don't forget to select treats that will enhance your dog's diet instead of damaging it. Consciously monitoring your dog's diet will positively influence your best friend's oral health.
Are you watching out for your dog's oral health?
To find out more about me, check out my #introduceyourself post - Lazy Bum? Teacher? Tour Director? Writer? Which Is It, Kate?
I love the dog with the big set of choppers. I don't have a dog but I have grand-dogs galore and dog nephews. Great info. Thanks.
Thanks, Joanne. Grand-dogs are the next best thing to having your own. Glad you enjoyed it.
Your picture of the dog spooning his dry food into his mouth made me laugh.
Now... is the advice the same with CATS? We're house sitting at the moment and the pet is a pussy cat. We've been supplied with dry pellets and tins of wet fish-based cat food. As it happens, the moggie likes the dry food better anyway. We hear her crunching her way through the dry food, often in preference to the wet stuff. But your post made me wonder.
Gary
I don't know about cats, Gary, but I can't imagine the fight that would ensue if someone tried to brush a cat's teeth. I don't have cats now, but did in the past, and their teeth never seemed to get plaque like the dog's teeth. And my cats ate very little dry food. They were persnickety and wanted boiled fish.
Dogs have a wet nose to collect more of the tiny droplets of smelling chemicals in the air.
Thanks for the doggie info. And thanks for reading.
Your Post Has Been Featured on @Resteemable!
Feature any Steemit post using resteemit.com!
How It Works:
1. Take Any Steemit URL
2. Erase
https://3. Type
reGet Featured Instantly � Featured Posts are voted every 2.4hrs
Join the Curation Team Here | Vote Resteemable for Witness
I love this! I don't have a dog but I suppose I really should brush Mister's teeth. He eats dry food though and dry treats (sometimes soft ones but mostly the dry ones).
Now, if I could just train him to brush his own teeth...
Yeah, I'd like it if the dogs could brush their own teeth. A lot of people take their dogs in once a year for the vet to take the plaque off. But then, the dog has to go under anesthesia. Yuck!
Wow. I had no idea that dogs could benefit from our hygiene practices. My dog passed away when I was young. Still love it till this day. This post reminded me of it. I'll do right by my next bestfriend. We'll both brash our teeth twice a day. Awesome post.
No we do not brush our dog's teeth. They have evolved over the years without brushing so don't wanna alter nature's balance. Though right now my dog's breath has a foul odor due to a teeth that is getting a bit dark. (a cavity or something perhaps) I was thinking that probably they still also feel toothache just like us human beings that could make us squirm in pain whenever we feel it. Thanks for this informative post. I love dogs, I love cats! ^_^
Hi Kate,
I don't have a dog. Once, when I was at a dentist, I wondered what people did to maintain their dog's dental health. I think I asked someone (I don't recall if it was a dentist or another professional), about how dogs' teeth are brushed.
I mean...they have to open their mouths, and you have to put a foreign object in there.
I suppose if the dog trusted you and knows what you're going to do, it's fine.
What you said about dry over wet food was interesting. I would'ved guessed that wet would be better.
Awesome info. I miss my dog though he died of old age so I can't complain.