Sunday, October 22, 2023

Brushing My Dog's Teeth, Is That Strange?

 

Can you believe I brush my pup's teeth once a day? Does that sound crazy? The veterinarian told me to do that to save Bounce's remaining teeth. Before I adopted Bounce I would never have imagined brushing a dog's teeth. No one I know does that. My friend has a German Shepherd (Alsatian for you European friends) and says her dog would not let her do that.

According to veterinarians small dogs have more tooth problems than larger dogs. Bounce is a 14 pound ChiWeenieCorgi. ChihuahuaDachsundCorgi. Before I adopted Bounce from the shelter, he was neutered by the shelter and several teeth were pulled. He was five then and is almost eleven now, and a couple years ago had to have a couple more teeth pulled, poor guy! He still has plenty of teeth I am happy to report.

Ever since then I use chicken flavor dog toothpaste and brush his teeth once a day. He doesn't mind it, yum, chicken flavor. My sons told me I am a saint for doing that. But I want Bounce to keep the rest of his teeth.

Do you brush your pup's teeth?

17 comments:

Christine said...

That's interesting! Lucky pup.

Jeanie said...

Not weird at all. Smart. I don't brush Lizzie's teeth -- I don't think she'd let me! But she does let me kind of massage them with my finger so I might try the cat toothpaste on the finger for starters. She does get tartar.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Terra - probably much needed ... in December 2010 I wrote about Shanghai Zoo - which had had a toothbrush made to clean its hippopotami's teeth ... true apparently ... so I guess so - but good for you - cheers and here's to more years for Bounce. Cheers Hilary

Salty Pumpkin Studio said...

Wow, that is a lot of brushing. I'm surprised your dog allows it.
I've seen folks brushing, but not every day.

Inger said...

Fortunately, Faith is a strong chewer and she's never had any teeth problems. I admire you for taking such good care of little Bounce. So glad you found each other.

Tabor said...

Don't have a pup, but I do know people who brush their dog's teeth. Good for you!

Sandi said...

Chicken flavored toothpaste.

I have to say, that would make an intiguing blog name!

You are a Saint for doing this. I have never heard of such a thing, but bless you. 💙🐶

Jennifer said...

I don't brush my dogs' teeth, but only because they both do lots of chewing on hard toys, eat hard kibble, and we get them dental treats. Usually their teeth look pretty good. But it's a great idea to brush Bounce's teeth, and it will make a big difference in his health and comfort as he ages. So many little dogs have terrible (or no!) teeth when they get old.

Bounce is lucky to have you!

Emma Springfield said...

I don't brush my son's dog's teeth nor does he. I have read that a dog owner should however. What a nice thing for you to do.

Betsy said...

Believe it or not I do have the same toothpaste and a toothbrush for Zoey but she hates it. I haven't tried for a few months so maybe I'll use your post as a reminder to try again. She is a Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier mix and about 10 lbs so is also fairly small.
Blessings,
Betsy

Margaret D said...

Well good on you and does you dog smile after you have done the deed, I wonder.
It's a good thing to do and we never did it to our dogs when we had them.

diamondc said...

Terra: Poor baby having to have teeth removed, I have never heard about small dogs having problems, have had small dogs all my life maybe just certain breeds, I think the chicken flavor would be a great taste for that sweet baby to enjoy.
Just curious, was it hard the first few times brushing?
Have a great week.

Catherine

Sam said...

We tried that with one of our dogs once that had developed a tooth problem, but she never took well enough to the process to make it effective. You and your dog are very fortunate to be able to make this work because it will make a huge difference in the animal's remaining years. Way to go.

Debby said...

No its not strange. We've brushed our dog's teeth but Laydee just won't allow it. For other dogs, if you start them when they are puppies, you can continue on. It saves on expensive dental procedures at the Vet.

Back2OurSmallCorner said...


Lucky Bounce for having such a caring human to care for him and his teeth. I'm sure he will be able to hold on to the rest of his teeth for much longer with all the extra effort you are putting in x

Lowcarb team member said...

One of our sons has a dog and always cleans it's teeth :)

All the best Jan

Rachel said...

Good job! Not strange at all! We (mostly my husband) brushes our dog's teeth too! He doesn't do it every day, but probably 4-5 times a week. He's been doing it ever since we got her as a puppy, and she LOVES it! I have some videos of her rolling over into his lap so he can brush her teeth. It's so cute!