Dental care is an important part of caring for your pet.

Just like humans, dogs have teeth that can cause problems if they are not cared for with a proper dental routine. You may have already noticed, but dogs can suffer from bad breath just like humans can.

Your vet is an important part of this dental care. Ask your vet to show you how to brush your pets' teeth properly. Your vet knows how to brush their teeth properly so your beloved pet doesn't get gum disease or any of the other conditions associated with poor oral hygiene.

You are going to need to spend some time finding the right toothbrush for your dog. You can use a child's toothbrush ñ but it is recommended that you rather buy a special toothbrush for your pet. It will make brushing easier and will be worth the money.

To buy a toothbrush you can visit your vet or local pet supply store. You might be surprised to see how many variations of pet toothbrushes and toothpaste's there are. Rather ask for help if you are not sure about what kind to get. There are some rules for choosing the best brush for your dog. You need to make sure that the bristles are soft so they don't damage the dog's gums. You also need to make sure you choose the right sized brush (just make sure its' not too big or too small for your dogs mouth). Lastly check that the handle is big enough for you to comfortably get a grip on the toothbrush.

You cannot use human toothpaste on your dog. Rather use a special high quality toothpaste with ingredients specially formulated for dogs. You need to spend some time choosing your toothpaste too. Cheaper brands might use ingredients that are harmful to your pet, and there are some common ingredients can make your pet sick. Read the labels carefully and check that the toothpaste does not contain salt, detergents or enzymes as these are dangerous for your pet. There is a huge choice at most pet supply store's so ask for help and read the labels carefully.

Brushing your dogs' teeth for the first time can be difficult; especially if they are not used to it. This can be avoided by starting when they are puppies ñ but if it's too late for that don't worry. The key is to be gentle, speak in a soft voice and do not force the dog. He must learn that it is not a big deal. Start from the back of the mouth and work your way forward in small circular motions.

If your dog really does not want to allow you to brush his teeth without a fight you can use a towel first. Try rubbing his teeth so he gets used to the sensation as well as your fingers in his mouth. Speak encouragingly and softly; you can even sing a little tune to calm him down. After a few patient weeks the dog should allow you to brush his teeth without any hassles.

You should be brushing your dogs' teeth daily; but if you can't manage that ñ once every second day should be fine. It's important that you start too see your dogs mouth as your own. By doing this you will ensure that your dogs' teeth will last well into old age; and of course his dog breath will improve.

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Does your dog's breath stink?

Unfortunately, routine dental cleanings at your vet can be both expensive and dangerous...

Gum Disease can lead to

• Heart Disease
• Kidney Failure
• Liver Disease
  

It's shame that most dog owners don't realize that dental hygiene is as important for their dogs as it is for themselves. Teeth that have been neglected are subject to several types of mouth disease just like their human friends.

We know that if we don't brush our teeth, plague will build up and eventually cause tooth decay. The same thing happens to dogs. When plaque builds up and hardens, it becomes a coarse brown substance called tartar. As tartar accumulates, it can work its way under the gums and cause painful infections and gum disease. This goes on in the mouths of dogs just as it does in people. You brush your teeth every day, probably three times, but your dog depends upon you for his dental hygiene. Before jumping into any conclusions, if you are going the do it your self route, please just make sure about dosing the ingredients your going to be using, you don't want to upset your pups stomach or cause your dog any diarrhea for adding too much of any odor masking ingredient.

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If you were for any reason unable to brush your dogs teeth, your can use any of the best dog dental sprays listed below.

1- Zesty Paws Dental Spray for Dogs

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What you might not realize, is that bad smell is likely a sign of dental disease, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 70%-80% of pets show signs of dental issues by age of 3.

The premium pet dental spray works at enzymatic level so you can be sure that it quickly eliminates the root cause of bad pet breath, periodontal disease plus plaque and tartar build up.

Effective

• Works at the enzymatic level, quickly eliminating the ROOT CAUSE of bad pet breath

Safe

• 100% Hypoallergenic
• Neem Oil-free
• Non-Toxic
• Alcohol-free

Easy To Use

• Just add 3-5 sprays into your pet's water bowl AND 2-3 sprays along their gums and teeth (both sides). PETS LOVE THE TASTE so it's easy to apply.

Key Features:

• Ingredients: Purified water, Aloe Vera extract, peppermint, spearmint, glycerin, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, baking soda, and stevia.
• Works at an enzymatic level to deal with the root cause of dental problems and bad breath.
• Can be used directly in your dog's mouth, added to their water or both.
• Non-toxic and alcohol free

Brand: Pets Are Kids Too Shop On Amazon

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2- Leba III Pet Dental Spray

Key Features:

• Ingredients: Mints, roses, ethyl alcohol, distilled water
• Works on the enzymes to change mouth chemistry
• Requires 1 – 2 sprays twice a day depending on the weight of your pet
• Can also be used for cats

Band: Leba III Buy on Amazon

This is an excellent product for keeping your dogs mouth healthier. I personally have used this product on my dog. Scruffy suffers from stomach issues which affected her breath, after her operation the bad breath didn't really go away and this product helped so much. Using the Leba III Pet dental spray will always keep your best friend from having expensive dental cleanings.

However, to get maximum results theres a way to use the Leba III Pet Dental Spray. If you don't follow the directions exactly, it will severely impact the effectiveness of this product."Give your pet no water or food or anything that could dilute Leba III, 30mins before and 30mins after treatment. Prevent grooming after treatment so that Leba III will remain in the mouth." Example: If you want to spray your pet's teeth at 9am, take away the food and water at 8:30am and don't put them back out until 9:30am.

I would highly recommend this product for any cat or dog with severe dental issues, or for just once-a-day use for dental maintenance.

3- TruDog Dog Dental Spray

If you ever wondered why this product exists, well, TruDog was born out of love for the owner's cherished Great Dane, who suffered a health issue and needed more dietary nutrition than conventional pet foods offered.

TruDog Dental Spray is the easiest solution to keeping your dogs mouth healthy and clean round the clock. It's easy and effective when it comes to cleaning your dogs teeth and gums. With just a few sprays a day you can promote normal periodontal health and keep teeth nice and shiny!

Key Features:

• Ingredients: distilled water, grapefruit seed extract, peppermint oil, grape seed extract, grain alcohol, rosemary oil, thyme oil and neem oil
• Reduces plaque, controls tartar, kills bacteria
• Promotes tooth and gum health
• Greatly improves breath
• Should be used one to two times a day

Brand: TruDog

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4- PetzLife Peppermint Oral Care Gel

Key Features:

• Ingredients: Distilled Water, Grain Alcohol, Peppermint Oil, Grape Fruit Seed Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Thyme Oil, Neem Oil.
• Helps to remove plaque and tartar
• Helps to control bacteria
• Freshen breath
• Peppermint flavor
• 100% All Natural

Brand: PetzLife

FOR BEST RESULTS, WITHHOLD FOOD AND WATER FOR AT LEAST A HALF HOUR AFTER APPLICATION.

Petzlife Peppermint Oral Care Gel is an all-natural solution for your dogs oral care needs. It is guaranteed to break down plaque and tartar and works under the gum line to help heal gum tissue. Petzlife Peppermint will also kill the bacteria that causes bad breath. While reading the product reviews, I came across an interesting one about this product, am just going to paste the review as is:

"We have 10x Rough Collies (Lassie) in our remote kennel, and 3 in the house. Tartar buildup can and does kill a dog - the bacteria will work it's way from the mouth down to the heart and soon there's nothing you can do. We lost a champion to this, and I've never forgiven myself. Anyway, you'll either have to brush every day or take them to vet for tooth cleaning/anesthesia every 30 days or so.

We've been using this for 10 years, and if used every 1-2 days, their teeth will remain pure white with no buildup. Not to mention good breath. If you get any buildup at all, it amazingly just pops off without painful scraping at all.
Don't monkey around and forget to spray it on then post bad reviews - that's not their fault. Do it religiously and frequently and you'll do your dogs a worldly favor. At dog shows all the top breeders use it for all breeds. It just works!"

All of the ingredients in Oral Care Gel are perfectly safe for your pet (and for people, too!): there are no side effects. The main ingredient - grapefruit seed extract - is one of the safest and most effective dental products ever produced.

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5- Bodhi Dog Large Natural Dog Breath Freshener

Key Features:

• Ingredients: distilled water, spearmint extract, cinnamon, natural honey, cloves, aloe vera, and naturally based minerals
• Gentle, improves breath and oral health in general
• Prevents plaque buildup and controls tartar
• Contains only 100% natural, safe ingredients
• Should be applied liberally once a day

Brand: Bodhi Dog | Shop on Amazon

This dog breath spray is alcohol-free! An all natural, alcohol-free dog dental freshener that promotes healthy teeth and gums using natural effective ingredients such as the famous baking soda and spearmint. If your dog has an issue with the taste of their toothpaste, the Bodhi Dog Natural Breath Freshener has a mild and slightly sweet taste, and because its alcohol free it can be used daily with no problems of any kind. If you are thinking of using an oral spray on your dog everyday, thats the one. Using the Bodhi Dog is simple, all you have to do is spray it into your dogs mouth, again it can be used daily.

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Final Words

If you aren’t taking care of your dog’s teeth right now, don’t feel bad…

You’re not alone! According to The American Animal Health Association, almost two out of three of pet owners don’t provide basic dental care recommended by their veterinarians. Considering four out of five dogs over the age of 4 already have some sort of periodontal disease, it's imperative to be proactive when it comes to the health of your dog's teeth.

Points to remember:
Use recommended dosage and apply the spray or gel to into the pet’s mouth, directly on the gumline if possible to speed up results.

Gel Tips:  Apply gel onto fingers and wipe onto the animals teeth and gums. Even wiping on the outside of your animals lips will do the trick as they will naturally want to lick it off. For cats, you may dab gel on top of their paw as they will lick it off as well.

Spray Tips:  For best results, hold animals lip up and spray directly onto the gum line. Do not worry if you cannot spray gum line directly as the product will still work with the saliva as the animal licks it around.

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