WHY ANIMALS NOT BRUSHING TEETH?
To begin with , let me tell you a small story that sparked me to write this article. One fine morning a small girl came to my clinic with her pup for vaccination. She was curiously seeing around my clinic and my table. May be it is fascinating her. She is about to ask me something. I initiated the conversation with a formal question, Hi dear, what is ur name!! she replied, Am Pooja, with a cute smile, she asked me, Doctor, why animals not brushing teeth , do I need to brush my Pappu daily??
Though I coudnt explain her scientifically ,I answered her question and gave some idea about how to brush her Pappu.
Let us discuss dental care of pets.
Do Animals Need To Brush Teeth??
We all know how important is brushing teeth every day. It is our daily routine. Brush brush brush three times a day is our kid rhymes. Same way the oral health of our pets also important.
Generally animals don’t need to brush. The major reason why animals don’t need dental care is their diet. Many animal species spend a lot of time chewing their food, mostly fibre rich which cleans their teeth naturally. Animals also chew on sticks , bones , wood and grasses , and this helps them to clean their teeth after big meals.
Since animal’s diet don’t include much of acids or sugars, no need to worry about cavities and dental caries as we do. Another reason is that animals have a shorter life span than us , so they don’t attain that age when they need dentures.
Nature always has a way to take care itself and tats the reason why animals can keep their teeth health eventhough they don’t brush teeth at all.
Pet Dental Care
Pets do need dental care. Many dogs show signs of gum disease as they grow older. Normal dogs breath isn’t fresh smelling. However old dogs need proper mouth care, bad breath is first sign of dental problem.
Signs of oral disease:
• Bad breath
• Gum bleeding
• Loose teeth
• Oral ulcers
• Loss of appetite
• Excessive drooling
These are the alarming signs that you need to take him to a vet. To avoid these problem cleaning teeth of ur pet is necessary.
Brushing
Never use toothbrush and toothpaste that we use for dogs. Our tooth paste is an irritant and they need a brush with very soft bristles.
• First, familiarize your pet with having her teeth brushed. Massage her cheeks, gums and tooth for 30-60 secs twice daily for a week.
• When your dog seems comfortable being massaged this way, put a little bit of dog-formulated toothpaste and water on her lips to get her used to the taste.
• Next, introduce a toothbrush designed especially for dogs-it should be smaller than ours and have softer bristles.
• Finally, apply the toothpaste to her teeth for gentle brushing. Remember brushing too hard can hurt his gum.
• Place the brush at a 45-degree angle to the teeth and clean in small, circular motions. Work on one area of your dog’s mouth at a time, lifting her lip as necessary. The side of the tooth that touches the cheek usually has the most tartar, and giving a final downward stroke can help to remove it. If your dog doesn’t like to touch the inner surface of the teeth , just leave it don’t fight for it.
Once you get the technique, go for brushing twice a week.
DR.B.DEEPIKA, M.V.SC,
Government Veterinary Assistant Surgeon
Srirangam
Tamilnadu
