[Dailydrool] National Dental Month

[Jennifer Martin]

It is that time again! February is National Dental Month. I think I missed
posting in 2020, due to 2 surgeries, but some of you may have noticed that
I take time to remind everyone about the importance of Dental health in
your beloved Bassets! I have always been somewhat OCD about cleaning teeth
since my second basset. Sweet Bismark was prone to developing tartar. This
would have resulted in professional teeth cleaning every 6 months.
Unfortunately, he and anesthesia really didn't get along. So, he would
throw up for about 2 days after being put under. So, I started brushing the
dogs' teeth back then. Budget was on Atopica for awhile. One of the side
effects is over growth of the gums. So, shortly after we moved to GA, he
had to go to a dental vet. He is the one that put us on the current
regiment that I follow to this day. At the time, he told me that Bugey
would have to have a professional cleaning with a specialist every 6
months! Seven years ago, that was a $600 cleaning! So, you better believe
that I followed his instructions, and Bugsey never needed another cleaning.

Here is how to avoid doing cleanings with the vet as much as possible:
1. Use Virbac CET toothpaste. It may seem expensive at $10 a tube, but I
have found that the tube lasts 3 months per dog. That is way cheaper than a
vet cleaning. Plus, it comes in lots of flavors. I personally prefer
vanilla mint. It works great for dogs with allergies, and it makes their
mouth smell slightly fresh. I have managed to get all but Elwood to
tolerate it. He was 7 when we adopted him. He prefered chicken.
2. Use a toddler toothbrush. There is no point in paying for an expensive
dog toothbrush. Use a human toddler toothbrush. This was recommended by the
National Association of Dental Vets. The handle is designed for the parent
to brush the child's teeth. The bristles are extra soft. The handle is
built up and easy to handle and the head of the toothbrush is smaller
because toddlers are smaller than adults.
3. Use the Oravet chews every day. Right now I am alternating between those
and some other brands. They seem expensive at first, but they really are
not that much more than other dental chews I have seen.

Notes: No, brushing the dog's teeth once a week is not enough. How would
your mouth feel if you brushed once a week? No, feeding kibble and dental
chews is not enough. It helps, but is not enough. Browyn's teeth were so
sparkly clean when the boys died, that I took a sabbatical from tooth
brushing. That was a huge mistake! She was doing so much chewing after the
boys died that I thought I could get away without brushing. I was still
giving a dental chew every day. Well, about a month ago, I looked at her
teeth, and the molars were absolutely covered in tartar. So, we are back to
brushing every day and using oravet chews. If you buy the oravets from the
vet, you can get a rebate on them. Just ask your vet for the form. If this
doesn't start knocking off the tartar enough I will start brushing the
teeth at night with Schmidt's Watermelon + Strawberry Kid's tooth + mouth
paste. If you go that route, please be sure to use a kid's toothpaste that
can be swallowed! It must be fluoride free and xylitol free! I will have to
explain how to introduce your dog to having it's teeth brushed tomorrow. I
have to get ready to jump in a pool!

Jennifer with Browyn the Fairy Princess
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.dailydrool.org/pipermail/dailydrool-dailydrool.org/attachments/20220202/d89fa440/attachment-0002.html>