Top tips to improve your dog’s oral health

Prevention is better than a cure and these simple steps will help you improve your dog’s oral health and reduce the risk of tooth and gum disease.

• Brushing your dog’s teeth is the ‘gold standard’ of dental care because it is the most effective way to remove plaque. Always use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed for pets as some of the ingredients in human toothpaste are toxic to dogs.
• If you find it difficult to brush your dogs’s teeth, you can use a water additive, like Vet Aquadent, which is simply added to drinking water to reduce plaque formation and freshen breath.
• You can also use an oral rinse, like Hexarinse, once a day in your dogs’s mouth. Hexarinse contains chlorhexidine which is a well-known anti-plaque agent.  It will help to reduce the level of bacteria and remove food debris.
• Adjust your dog’s diet. Wet food diets provide no abrasive action against the teeth but dry food kibble, like HPM is more abrasive and can help to prevent plaque build-up.
• If your dog will tolerate it, look inside his or her mouth regularly to check for signs such as red, sore-looking gums or brown staining on the teeth. If you have any concerns, consult your veterinary surgeon.