Does your dog have bad breath?
Is there noticeable tartar?
Do you hesitate to have your dog put to sleep just to get a cleaning that can run hundreds of dollars?
Have you been wanting to take care of your dog’s teeth but been overwhelmed with all the products out there, toothbrushes, pastes, water additives, food additives, Greenies? (Glutinous ”toothbrush” made of starch. Do they really work because they look like a big green toothbrush? or is this marketing?
Does your dog refuse to let you anywhere near his mouth anyway?

I tried ProLab, a green-ish powder sprinkled on their food for 90 days (and $90.!) and didn’t see a difference and also noticed their ads had images with dogs teeth before and after that looked suspiciously Photoshopped to me. 🛑 I do not endorse this product!

What to do…?

I began to research and there were so many products out there, some chemical, some organic, some herbal, some with actual disinfectants. I made a list of all the products and their ingredients then gave up because it was overwhelming and I didn’t find faith in any of the products. And I didn’t have money to waste experimenting.

It so happens my pup needs her teeth cleaned and I was thinking non-anesthetic, maybe more traumatic but cheaper, but then it can’t get under the gum line either, where decay can happen. I was stumped.

An answer…

Quite by accident, I had my choices narrowed down by my nutrition vet as she noticed my dog had a broken canine and a cracked molar and recommended I go to a dental specialist she suggested. At my visit with him, he came to the same conclusion and more and explained his findings.

I was given an estimate that bowled me over, because it did included some unexpected but greatly needed surgery/extractions in addition to a cleaning. The broken canine had to be removed and until he saw the extent of the crack in the molar using a Cone Scan while she was asleep, wouldn’t know the extent of the repair needed. I totally trust this doctor’s expertise, thus my fundraiser began. (See our dental journey and more about the doctor here).

to brush or not to brush…

As for brushing he doesn’t recommend any toothpastes or additives and says it comes down to brushing the teeth just with water to get rid of plaque. So we are on this journey of getting Mojo used to the toothbrush and I will keep you posted as to her progress in another post, but here’s where we’re at now:

Shaping her behavior…

Right before a meal, I have her sitting, and I say “brush” or “touch” , offering the brush, making sure she touches it with her mouth (she got that right away as she saw the treats) and then I give her a treat. I do this 3 times, using her food right before I feed her, so she associates the brush with something good. Now she eagerly chomps down and will put it totally in her mouth. Whew! So far, so good!

It is a “shaping” behavior, rewarding any reaction that is close to the behavior you want. That’s how dolphins are trained, etc. Every few days I will up the anti and increase the amount of time she is willing to engage with the brush. I may try a doggie paste if necessary to get her to accept the brush easier without traumatizing her.

🛑 Do NOT use human toothpaste!

Dr. Plotka’s (found on Amazon) are the best brushes I’ve ever used for myself and I got the children’s size for my pug, which might be too large, but the bristles are soft but very effective and comfortable on the gums. Doggie toothbrushes are super hard for some reason. Who wants that?! It should be as pleasant as possible. These toothbrushes I do recommend for humans, at least.