Benefits and Types of Dog Dental Chews

Dogs can suffer from periodontal (gum) disease just like people, and it’s not something to ignore. Dental problems in dogs can lead to loss of appetite and broken or lost teeth, and it may even damage other organs if bacteria get into the bloodstream through diseased gums.

Professional cleanings and brushing your dog's teeth are great ways to maintain oral health. Dog dental treats and special diets also may provide some oral benefits, but using them comes with precautions.

The Benefits of Dog Dental Treats

Just as with humans, dogs can suffer from oral problems like:

• Bad breath

• Build-up of saliva, bacteria, and food on teeth (plaque)

• A hard yellow or brown residue on teeth (tartar)

• Swollen, bleeding, or irritated gums

• Pain

Improving your pet's teeth and gum health. Dogs that chew actively have less plaque build-up. And some types of dog dental treats and diets can reduce plaque by nearly 70%. How do they do this? Simply the mechanical action of chewing can make a difference. In one study, increasing the diameter of kibble by 50% led to a 42% reduction in tartar. In the same study, coating the products with a substance called polyphosphate further reduced tartar by 55%.

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) is an organization that evaluates pet products to see if they meet standards for reducing plaque or tartar. Approved foods, treats, and chews must reduce plaque or tartar by at least 10% to achieve the VOHC seal of approval. If a chemical anti-plaque agent is used, it needs to reduce plaque or tartar by at least 20%. To see which products have received the VOHC seal of approval, visit their website.

Reducing bad breath in dogs. It is not uncommon for a dog’s breath to be slightly unpleasant. This is often the result of bacteria build-up in the mouth and can be a sign that your dog needs better dental or gum care. However, it’s not a bad idea to check with your vet to make sure bad breath is not a sign of an underlying medical problem.

In addition to professional cleaning and regular tooth brushing, certain dog treats are also formulated to help improve breath. Hard chew toys may also help. Ask your veterinarian what's best for your pet.

Types of Dog Dental Treats and Diets

A wide variety of dog dental treats and diets make claims of reducing plaque and tartar or improving breath. Some have voluntarily been tested and have received the VOHC seal of approval. Most are available in stores, but some you can only purchase through veterinarians. Here are the main types:

• Rawhide chews. Made from the hides of cows or horses, rawhide chews can reduce plaque and tartar. They come in different sizes and shapes.

• Dental chews, bones, and biscuits. Greenies®, Del Monte Tartar Check® Dog Biscuits, Bright Bites, OraVet® Dental Hygiene Chews, and Vetradent Dog Chews are examples of edible products approved by the VOHC and can be purchased through your veterinarian.

• Dog dental diets. Some dog food formulations help reduce plaque and tartar. They do this in a variety of ways. Some are made into larger kibble or a texture that resists crumbling, which creates a scrubbing action. Others have a special coating that helps prevent bacteria, reduce plaque, or discourage the formation of tartar. Ask your vet about these and special dental diets available only through the veterinary market.

• Dog chew toys. Although not edible, chew toys such as Kong® toys, Plaque Attackers®, or Gumabones® may be a good choice, especially for dogs that chew through edible treats too quickly.

Taking Precautions with Dental Dog Treats

Not all dental dog treats are created equal. Some are more effective or safe than others. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you’re choosing a dental treat for your dog:

Make the right match. Match the treat or toy to your dog’s size, preferences, or personality. For example, aggressive chewers may need a product that is more firm.

Limit edible treats. Depending on the type of edible treat, it may go down too fast to be of much benefit to your dog’s teeth. These treats can also quickly add lots of calories. The general rule is the smaller the dog, the fewer the treats. Ask your vet if you have questions about this.

Avoid hard bones and pigs’ ears. If your dog has diseased teeth, they are likely to break them on hard chews, hard plastic bones, sterilized beef bones, or cow hooves. Fresh bones with meat and cartilage may be easier on the teeth, but should be used with caution because of the risk of bacterial contamination or ingestion of sharp bone fragments by aggressive chewers. Take them away after a few hours, as they become hard and dried out.

Although pigs’ ears are often a favorite of dogs, studies have not shown them to offer any dental benefits. They are also sometimes contaminated with bacteria.

Be careful with compressed chews. Edible treats such as rawhide chews can help with dental health. But some dogs, especially aggressive chewers, consume them too quickly or may swallow pieces whole. This can cause choking or blockages. These products may also be contaminated or cause stomach irritation. Watch your dog while they are consuming these products. If your dog swallows a large chunk, contact your vet. And watch for signs of intestinal upset. Be sure to limit how much your dog - especially a smaller dog - consumes at one time.

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Guide to Brushing Your Pet's Teeth

If you are not paying attention to your pet’s teeth every day, you are neglecting one of the most critical contributors to their overall well-being: home dental care. Help promote oral health with daily brushing.

One of the best weapons in the fight against pet periodontal disease is actually a very simple tool: a toothbrush. Some pet owners giggle, groan or roll their eyes when their veterinarian tells them they should be brushing their pets' teeth. The idea of sticking a bristled brush into the mouth of a dog or cat does seem kind of comical — or a huge hassle. And daily? Who has the time?

Well, suppose you didn't brush your own teeth for several years. Can you imagine how much plaque and tartar would build up on your teeth? Periodontal disease can lead to pain, tooth loss, and bacteria in the mouth can spread to internal organs, which can spell trouble for your pet's health.

One way to help fend off dental disease is to brush your pet’s teeth on a regular basis. While there are a lot of tricks we can teach our pets, brushing their own teeth is not one of them, so that task falls to owners. Take heart, however, because although it may sound like a daunting task, brushing your pet’s teeth is not as hard as you might think.

First Things First

As a member of your family, your pet deserves to receive the same attention to her teeth as you give to your kids’ teeth. Ideally, then, you want to begin dental care when your pet is a youngster.

Starting with a clean slate is also important. If the plaque that builds up on your pet’s teeth is not removed within about 24 to 36 hours after eating, it can harden into tartar. When that happens, your pet needs professional attention to remove it. Before you begin brushing, ask your veterinarian to examine the condition of your pet’s teeth. If necessary, your veterinarian may recommend a professional dental cleaning.

Just as people do, pets should have regular professional cleanings. However, brushing your pet’s teeth at home can also help keep periodontal disease at bay.

Let the Brushing Begin

Veterinarians recommend brushing your pet’s teeth every day. All you need are a toothbrush and pet-friendly toothpaste. Look for a soft-bristled toothbrush with small-diameter nylon bristles. The toothbrush should also be sized appropriately to fit your pet’s mouth. Toothbrushes can be purchased at pet stores, but some of these can be large. For a pet with a smaller mouth, you might try a human pediatric toothbrush, a finger brush or a toothbrush developed specifically for cats, which also works well for small dogs.

It is important to use toothpaste made specifically for animals. Human toothpaste can contain xylitol, a sugar substitute that is toxic to dogs. Even if your toothpaste isn't sugar-free, it can contain foaming agents that can cause stomach upset if swallowed. Plus, you’ll find that toothpaste for pets comes in flavors that appeal to animals, such as beef or chicken.

Teaching your pet to accept toothbrushing should be a gradual process. You may want to start by letting your pet lick the toothpaste off your finger and then graduate to sliding your finger with the toothpaste into your pet’s mouth. Next, substitute a toothbrush for your finger and repeat the same procedure. Each step can be performed on a different day. Make sure to praise your pet at each step, so they associate toothbrushing with a positive experience.

Don't Give Up

Brushing your pet’s teeth may seem like a challenge at first. However, after a few weeks of working with your pet, you will find that brushing their teeth becomes as routine as brushing your own. In the end, helping to protect your pet’s health is worth it.

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What is National Pet Dental Health Month about?

Celebrated every February, National Pet Dental Health Month was created by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to highlight how important oral health is to overall health, happiness and wellbeing of your pet.

If you don’t brush your pet’s teeth every day, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that only 2% of dog owners brush their dog’s teeth on the daily despite recommendations from veterinarians across the US to do so. As a result, supplemental dog dental chews that are proven effective in fighting plaque and controlling tartar become an important part of a dog’s daily routine along with routine dental cleanings.

When Do Dental Problems Start?

According to US Veterinarians, periodontal disease, a gum disease caused by plaque and tartar buildup, is the most common dental condition for dogs, with 80% exhibiting evidence of the disease by age 3.

Related article: Periodontal Disease and Treatment

How to Prevent Dental Health Issues in Dogs

When it comes to dental health care in dogs, offense is the best defense. Brushing your dog’s teeth and providing a daily dog dental chew are great ways to reduce plaque and tartar accumulation.

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Common Ear Problems in Dogs

The discomfort that comes when you have an earache hardly needs explanation, but imagine for a minute that your ear — inflamed and filled with water or wax — can’t be cleaned or improved by your own hand. You can't voice your pain or your need for help, either. All you can do is shake your head back and forth over and over until someone notices, diagnoses the problem and administers what is necessary to nurse you back to health. So is the life of your beloved dog when they come down with an ear problem of some kind, and ear problems are extraordinarily common in dogs.

Learn more about the most common types of ear problems in dogs, and how pet parents can help bring relief to their dogs.

Airborne Allergies

Most canine ear problems stem from an allergy of some type. The two most prevalent are airborne and food allergies.

As with humans, airborne allergies often occur seasonally, which means that a dog with allergies may be more prone to ear infections anytime from April to September, depending on the allergen (like pollen or grass) that’s causing the reaction.

There are many products available to combat these allergies, but the simplest things owners can do are to bathe their dogs regularly (avoid getting soap or water in their ears) and, if possible, remove the allergen from their environment. This also means it may be important to walk your dog on concrete/the sidewalk if they are allergic to grass or keeping your dog indoors as much as possible during allergy season if it is a pollen allergy.

You may also discuss giving your dog antihistamines with your veterinarian (who can prescribe the appropriate medication and dose). Do not try to give your pet an antihistamine without consulting your pet's veterinarian.

Food Allergies

Food allergies will affect dogs as long as the offending ingredient is a part of their diet and can continue to be bothersome for weeks after consumption. The most common types of food allergies include beef, chicken, eggs, and dairy. For treatment, a vet or veterinary nutritionist will likely recommend dietary treatment in conjunction with corticosteroids (steroids to help decrease inflammation and itching) or other pharmaceutical treatments to keep the dog comfortable.

Dietary treatments for food allergies include a novel protein diet (feeding your dog a protein they haven’t eaten before, like kangaroo, deer or some types of fish) or a hydrolyzed diet, which neutralizes allergens by shrinking down the protein source in a specific food so that a dog’s body can no longer recognize them. These diets should be discussed with a veterinarian prior to starting, as most are prescription-based and there are specific protocols pet owners will need to follow in order to rule out a food allergy in their dogs.

Bacterial Infections

Most of the bacterial infections that affect a dog’s skin and their ear canals are strains of staph, but they are not the same type that infects humans, so owners shouldn’t worry about them being contagious. There are antibiotic and non-antibiotic treatments for bacterial infections, with the latter being used in chronic cases to prevent resistance.

Non-antibiotic treatments include shampoos with chlorhexidine as well as common bleach, both of which kill the bacteria on the skin, but it’s recommended you try these remedies in consultation with your vet (and avoid using any shampoos inside of your dog’s ear canal). Once treated properly, the infection should clear up within two to three weeks.

Yeast Infections

Almost all cases of yeast infections in dogs stem from an allergy, as allergies produce an excess of oil on a dog’s skin, including in their ears, creating an environment in which yeast can thrive and multiply. Yeast infections can be treated by a combination of systemic and topical anti-fungal medications. Like their bacterial counterparts, yeast infections will clear up in about two to three weeks once properly treated.

Mites

These microscopic insects can drive small animals crazy. Although they’re not the largest source of ear problems in dogs, they can be particularly troublesome for cats, and dogs who live with cats are much more susceptible to ear mites.

Ear mites can be treated by anti-parasitic medications applied either systemically or to the ear canal directly. Secondary infections of the ear canals with bacteria or yeast are common in patients with ear mites, so these may need to be addressed with topical medications and ear cleansers as well.

Foreign Objects

Fortunately, cases of foreign objects getting lodged in a dog’s ear canal are pretty rare. A very small number of canine ear problems are related to foreign objects, and when they are, the objects are fairly small, including plant debris, a fly or dried ear medication.

If you suspect your dog has an ear problem or has something stuck in their ear, bring your pup to your veterinarian for a thorough otic exam. Your veterinarian will use specific tools, like an otoscope, to look at your dog’s entire ear canal and ear drum and properly diagnose the issue. Never use cotton swabs in your dog’s ear, as these can worsen the problem by breaking inside the ear canal, rupturing your dog’s eardrum or pushing the foreign object (or wax) further into the ear canal and against the eardrum.

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Potty Train Your Puppy

When deciding how to potty train a puppy, or a newly adopted dog, you have two options— train them to relieve themselves outdoors, or inside your home on a pee pad and then transition them to the outdoors. We’ll take you through both options and give you tips to incorporate crate potty training into your plan.

How to Train a Puppy to Pee Outside

Your puppy can tell you they have to relieve themselves if you teach them a “potty cue.” Potty cues begin by showing your pet how to signal they want to go outdoors. From there, your puppy will associate the feeling of peeing with being outside of your home. Here’s how to get started!

Step 1: Teach your puppy the potty cue

Have your puppy sit by the door you want them to signal at or exit from. When your pet barks, open the door and let them out. Rather not teach your pup to bark? Try a bell. When your pet rings the bell, open the door and take them outside. Remember, the potty cue is just for going potty, don’t let your puppy play too much outside after doing their business - otherwise, they will associate the cue with getting to play outside, not just going potty.

What to do if you need to change the potty cue

So you taught your puppy to bark when they need to go to the bathroom, but now they bark nonstop. You can try teaching them a new cue like sitting at the door. You could even place a rug by the door, and train your puppy to know that when they sit on the rug, you open the door. From here, repeat steps two and three to complete your pet’s retraining.

Step 2: Determine a set potty area

Put your puppy on a leash and walk them out to the part of the yard you want your dog to relieve themselves at. Don’t continue walking. Instead, wait for your pet to relieve themselves. When your puppy does, reward them with treats and verbal praise. This will make peeing outside a positive experience. If they don’t go, take your puppy back in the house and repeat. They will catch on fast.

Step 3: Use a crate when you’re not home

When you aren’t home with your pet, confine them to an area, such as a crate. This helps limit accidents in your bedroom, living room, or any other areas when you aren’t there to hear or see the cue.

The Indoors-to-Outdoors Method

If you don’t have a yard, or your puppy is in the process of completing their shots, it may be best to begin potty training indoors and then transition your pet to the outdoors. To begin training your dog to relieve themselves in the correct place indoors, you’ll need to learn how to potty train a puppy on pads, or how to get started with crate potty training.

How to potty train a puppy on pads

Determine a confined area to begin house training—like the bathroom or the laundry room (ideally somewhere with easy to clean floors in case of accidents!). Whichever area you decide, make sure it’s puppy-proofed and remove any harmful products. Next, set up the space by covering the floor with pee pads and placing your pet’s bed in a corner of the room.

To help you get started with a routine, here are some steps you can follow:

STEP 1: Change pee pads often but place a small piece of the soiled pad on top of the clean pad in the area you want your puppy to pee. The scent reminds your puppy that this area is the bathroom.

STEP 2: Remove the pee pads closest to your pet’s bed once your puppy is peeing in the same area.

STEP 3: Continue removing the pee pads until you have removed all but one or two sheets.

When you have consistent success with your puppy only using one or two pee pads, you can gradually expand the area they have access to. If accidents begin to occur, reduce the area. For pet parents who plan to transition their puppy to an indoor or patio grass “potty,” migrate the papers near this spot. Now, you’re ready to teach your puppy a potty cue so they can relieve themselves outdoors.

Crate potty training

Before you begin crate potty training, you need the right size containment. Keep in mind your pet only needs enough space to stand up, turn around, and lie down. Any more room will encourage them to relieve themselves in one corner and sleep in another. Some crates come with dividers so you can adjust the size as they grow.

To get your puppy used to their crate, toss a treat in and allow them to go inside and come back out. Praise your puppy each time they enter. Work your way up to your pet spending 10 minutes in their crate and then longer once they’re comfortable. When your puppy associates their crate as their living space, crate potty training begins.

Instead of soiling the area where they sleep and eat, they’ll let you know they need to go. Like other potty training methods, developing a routine is key. Within fifteen minutes of eating, drinking or playing, your puppy should have the opportunity to relieve themselves. For more tips on crate potty training, check out our crate training guide.

How Long Does it Take to Potty Train a Puppy?

There is no defined timeframe when it comes to how to potty train a puppy. There are many factors that come into play, with consistency being the most important. Be sure to reward your puppy when they follow their training plan.

Dealing with accidents

Accidents will happen no matter how much you try to prevent them. It’s a matter of determining the cause and reinforcing positive behavior. Recognizing when your pet is stressed or what continually triggers accidents will help you come up with corrective measures. For cleaning up messes, be sure to give the soiled area a good cleaning. Pet-safe stain removers and odor removers are good cleaning products to have on hand.

Keep in mind that even a house-trained puppy will have accidents when out and about. To limit this behavior, keep your puppy’s schedule as consistent as possible. If you’re going on a trip or visiting friends, take your puppy on a long walk with lots of opportunities to empty their bladder beforehand. Bringing toys is another useful technique, as they can help keep your pet focused on an activity.

Potty training a puppy takes time and commitment, so don’t lose your patience. When you feel your pet is straying off course, return to the basics. Whichever method you choose, stick to it and develop a routine. With positive reinforcement, your pet will begin to recognize when they are showing good behavior. Stay prepared by shopping all the potty training supplies you’ll need!

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