Brushing Your Dog's Teeth

From LoveToKnow Dogs

Did you know that brushing your dog's teeth can add years to his life? In the spirit of National Pet Dental Health Month, LoveToKnow Dogs presents a conversation with Alicia Leithauser, president of Keep It Clean, a manufacturer of dental cleaning kits designed just for pets.

Keep It Clean Pet Dental Kits

Interview: Brushing Your Dog's Teeth

Alicia, just how important is brushing your dog's teeth?

Brushing your dog's teeth is one of the most important things you can do to extend your pet's life. Research from the American Veterinary Dental Society has found that more than eighty percent of dogs and seventy percent of cats develop periodontal disease by the age of three.

What are the health consequences of not brushing your dog's teeth?

While often resulting in the loss of teeth, the infection caused by periodontal disease can also enter the bloodstream and infect internal organs, such as the heart, lungs and kidneys, causing serious complications.

Won't feeding your dog hard kibble and dog bones clean away tartar and other debris?

While this is a better question for your veterinarian, we do not believe there is a food or snack that can truly clean a dog's teeth the way toothpaste and a toothbrush can.

Is brushing your dog's teeth at home enough to keep dental disease at bay?

Regular, at-home teeth-brushing can help ensure a healthy pet by reducing the occurrence of preventable oral diseases, but it should be done as part of a regimen that also includes regular visits to your veterinarian for more thorough teeth cleaning.

Is there a proper way to brush a dog's teeth?

In our kits we recommend you follow these steps to clean your dog's teeth.

  • First, pick a convenient time during the day when you and your dog will be relaxed.
  • Then let your dog taste a small amount of Keep It Clean toothpaste from your finger. Do NOT use human toothpaste as it foams and may cause digestion problems for animals.
  • Once your dog accepts the toothpaste, apply it with a Keep It Clean toothbrush or a Keep It Clean finger brush using slow, circular strokes along the teeth and gum line.
  • Brush only a few teeth at first, then gradually work up to brushing the entire mouth during a session.
  • Stop each session before your dog begins to fuss and make sure to praise your dog for cooperating.

Tell us about the Keep It Clean all-in-one pet dental kit.

The Complete Dental Pet Kit is the first product to include everything a pet owner needs to keep his or her dog or cat's teeth clean between visits to the veterinarian, and makes cleaning your pet's teeth as simple as possible.

Each kit contains a variety of brushes to fit the needs of all size breeds of cats and dogs. Everything is inside a portable, compact, durable plastic case to make storage easy so your toothbrush doesn't get mixed up with Fido's!

The kit includes an ergonomic toothbrush with two heads, one large and one small, to accommodate all pet sizes, and is made with very soft bristles that will not irritate sensitive gums. The long, non-slip handle and tapered heads are ergonomically designed for easy manipulation and to reach all parts of the mouth. You don't want to slip and scare or hurt your pet when brushing his teeth and turn it into a negative experience. That's why we felt it was very important to make the handle easy to control.

The baby brush, made with super fine, soft .006 DuPont Tynex bristles, is ideal for younger pets and smaller breeds. A long handle and small head make it easy to move around inside the mouth.

For hard-to-reach places, the finger brush slips over your index finger to gently remove plaque and food debris while massaging sensitive gums. This finger brush is also dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up.

The fillet mignon-flavored toothpaste, available in a 2.5 ounce tube approved for air travel, is designed to entice your pet and make brushing the teeth a pleasurable and anticipated experience. The toothpaste is dual enzymatic and hypo-allergenic, so it is safe to swallow, and helps eliminate bacteria, debris, and bad breath.

We have included easy-to-understand cleaning instructions in every kit to make brushing your dog's teeth as easy as possible. Also included inside each kit is a sticker to place inside a window to alert emergency personnel to pets inside the home, a form to order stamps with your pet's photo and a discount on pet insurance.

Where can our readers find Keep It Clean pet dental kits?

The Complete Dental Pet Kit will be available to consumers March 2007 for $19.99 by calling (866) 305-2559 or visiting our website, which will be live in the next few weeks. It will also be in a variety of retail locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Thank you Alicia for helping us understand why we should brush our pets' teeth. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I think the most important thing is to make brushing pleasurable for your dog. If you can clean and massage the gums and teeth to remove plaque, then it has been a success!

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