Dogs are just like us when it comes to dental care. Adequate care has to be taken to prevent your dog’s teeth to deteriorate. Daily brushing of your dog’s teeth keeps their teeth healthy, strong, and free from tartar and plaque. Many varieties of toothpaste are available in the market you can even make your homemade dog toothpaste also.
It is a shocking fact that only 25% of people care about their dog’s teeth. Many of the vets also say that poor diet and carelessness in cleaning their teeth can cause serious complications in them. That can even lead to surgery for distractions of the spoiled tooth. So, the best method is to maintain your dog teeth before such conditions arise. Always remember that it is not recommended to use human toothpaste for dogs.
Reasons to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth
Brushing the teeth of your dog can be assumed as an exercise. Many of the dogs are strong physically but somehow fail in their later stage if they witness problems in their teeth and gums. Taking good care of their teeth at an early stage can avoid such problems. Many dogs that do not have teeth brushed witness periodontal disease and finally witness pain leading to loss of their teeth.
In case your dog is not ready for the brushing process, make them comfortable gradually. Start by massaging their gums lightly and make them calm. In case your dog does not like the taste of particular toothpaste try some other. The main aim is to train them for brushing their teeth regularly.
Reasons Why Homemade Dog Toothpaste is Better
There are varieties of toothpaste available for dogs with several different flavors to choose from. But many of the experts say that such toothpaste contains several additional chemicals and additives that might not be good enough for your dogs. The best way is to find an easy recipe for dog toothpaste to make it on your own. The advantages of using such toothpaste will make you aware of what ingredients your dog is about to consume.
Here are some of the excellent ways to make your homemade toothpaste for your lovely dog –
Recipe: 1 – The Regular One
Ingredients :
- 2 spoons of baking soda ( Sodium bicarbonate)
- 1 cube of reduced salt chicken cube
- Cinnamon, 2 spoons
- 2 spoons of coconut cream or oil, and water
Procedure :
Start by warming coconut oil or coconut milk and water in a saucepan. After that dissolve the stock chicken cube in it and mix it well. The reduced salt cube of chicken cubes will avoid the unnecessary amount of salt in your dog’s diet. After this add 2 spoons of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda in the mixture. Baking soda acts as an efficient abrasive substance to tackle the leftover food and fight against building up the plague in your dog’s teeth.
In the end, add some cinnamon and coconut oil or coconut milk as a provider for fresh breath. Mix the mixture well to obtain a thick paste. Use the paste regularly on your dog teeth for the best results.
Recipe: 2 – The breath Freshener
Ingredients:
- 6 finely crushed mint leaves
- 1 cube of reduced salt chicken cube
- Half a spoon of kelp or seaweed
- 2 spoons of fresh coconut oil, and water.
Procedure :
Warm the coconut oil till it is pliable. When you observe that the oil is warm enough add stock cube chicken to it. Mix the solution well, add cinnamon and mint leaves and kelp and mix well to obtain a thick paste. Store the paste in a suitable container; use it regularly to clean your dog’s teeth.
Recipe: 3 – Using Lemon and Yeast
This is also one of the best ways to make homemade dog toothpaste enzymatic. The procedure is very simple and quite easy to prepare. Lemon can fight against bad breath and also helps in the whitening of their teeth. You have to just put the zest of lemon, salt, and yeast in a bowl and stir it up well to obtain a thick paste. Brush your dog’s teeth using the paste for at least twice or thrice a week for excellent results.
Some Commonly Asked Questions You Should Know In Details
What can I use to brush my dog’s teeth at home?
If you witness an awful smell from your dog’s mouth. Do not worry there are plenty of ways to make a simple yet useful homemade doggie toothpaste. Such homemade dog toothpaste is quite easy to make and also saves you from buying expensive store-bought toothpaste. Here is one of the natural ways to make efficient toothpaste for your lovely dogs.
Toothpaste Using Turmeric, kelp, and Parsley :
This toothpaste is made by using the base like coconut oil, turmeric acts as a tooth whitener while parsley helps to fight germs. Steps to make this amazing toothpaste are as follows –
1. Make the coconut oil soft in a container by using hot water in a mixing bowl
2. Now mix the parsley, kelp, and turmeric and stir the mixture well
3. Store the mixture in a fridge and use it whenever you need by warming up a little
The process will not take more than 5 minutes and will keep your dog’s teeth safe and strong.
Can you use baking soda and water to brush your dog’s teeth?
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is one of the common ingredients in our kitchen. Everyone is aware of its cleaning and baking properties. Many of the people themselves use baking soda to clean their teeth. Many of the companies also use baking soda as its components while making their toothpaste.
Using baking soda can effectively clean your dog’s teeth in relatively less time. Making of such paste is also a very simple process :
1. Take 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a bowl
2. Now add 1 tablespoon of water and stir the mixture well to obtain a thick paste
3. Dip the toothpaste of your dog in the paste and apply on the teeth of your dog in a regular manner
4. After that offer your dog cool and fresh water to rinse his mouth, they might not spit or rinse like us but that is not a problem.
Using the paste regularly will not only make your dog’s teeth whiter but will also remove bad breath.
What is the best toothpaste available for our dogs?
We all are aware that your dog’s teeth regularly are important for the health of your dogs. Many varieties of toothpaste are available in the market that can fulfill your needs. It’s your wish to pick one that suits you the best. Some admired ones are –
Overall Best :
Overall best is one of the finest toothpaste in this category and also recommended by the Vet nary oral health council (VHOC). It can remove the plague and provide a fresh breath to your dogs. In case your dog dislikes using a toothbrush, do not worry. The main advantage of using this toothpaste is that it can also be applied with a soft reusable applicator.
Best All Natural :
Many of the dogs do not spit up the residual paste after they brush, for them, the best all-natural toothpaste is a good option. It is one of the finest super safe toothpaste that uses natural ingredients, which are internally safe for your dogs. They come in two flavors one is the vanilla and tea tree oil while the other is cucumber mint.
Arm & Hammer :
It is also one of the best toothpaste and is formulated with baking soda. Baking soda acts as a best deodorizer, hence performs well while dealing with your dog mouths. They come in two flavors one of which is vanilla ginger while the other is chicken.
Some Tips You May Before Selecting Toothpaste for Your Dog –
- The toothpaste you choose should have the ability to fight against tarter
- Should be composed of safe ingredients
- Should provide enamel protection
Apart from this readymade toothpaste, there are many homemade ways to make efficient toothpaste at your home also.
Can I brush my dog’s teeth by using coconut oil?
Using coconut oil genuinely is a very affordable and natural way to brush the teeth of your dogs. Coconut oil can provide excellent benefits to your dog’s health. For example, it will help your dogs in –
- Improving the texture of their coat
- Avoid dry skin conditions
- Better immune response
- Digestion
- Stability in their joints
Coconut oil also acts as one of the important ingredients in natural dog toothpaste recipes due to the excellent benefits they offer. They can easily be mix with turmeric or baking soda to obtain a perfect paste.
Advantages of Using Coconut Oil :
You will surely witness amazing changes by using coconut oil on your dog’s teeth regularly. Some of the noticeable are –
- Improvement in their breath
- Gums become cleaner and healthier
- Taste of the oil is usually liked by the dogs
- Immunity against dental disease
Make sure you consult with your vet before using coconut oil as a brushing ingredient for your dog.
The Final Touch
Keeping your dog’s teeth fit and fine is important for its overall health. Helping them to keep their mouth fit will help them naturally improve their diet and growth. Brushing your dog’s teeth is as essential like taking them for a walk. If your dog’s teeth are kept unclean it might lead to spread the infection throughout its body.
Whether you use readymade or homemade dog toothpaste, you have to just train your dog to brush his teeth regularly. Also, remember that you should use a fine brush and a proper angle to brush their teeth for the best results.