Dental Care
Proper dental care can add as much as five years to your dog's life. In addition, the quality of your dog's life will be much higher, especially in her later years. Proper dental care will also do wonders for eliminating doggy breath. Ideally, for the best dental care you should clean your dog's teeth every day and have his teeth professionally cleaned at least once a year.
If you try to examine your older dog's teeth for the first time, use caution. As a general rule, dogs don't like anyone messing around with the inside of their mouth. If there is a problem in there somewhere, and you poke at a tender spot with your fingers in the dog's mouth, the pooch may inadvertently bite down.
It is best to ease your dog into this routine. Even puppies will show their best squirming talents during a tooth brushing. Start by just using your finger tip by itself to gently rub doggy toothpaste onto the surfaces of your dog's teeth. Once your puppy seems okay with this (the toothpaste should taste good to him), start using a damp, soft cloth or a piece of damp gauze to apply the paste. From there you should begin using a regular dog toothbrush.
In addition to regular cleaning, take care to observe the dental health of your puppy. Though most problems won't show up until later in life, it is a good habit to get into from the start. Once a week, you should check to make sure none of your dog's teeth are loose. You should also look for discolorations of the teeth and gums, as well as lumps on its tongue. Any of these problems can be serious. Dental infections can quickly spread to other parts of your dog and can cause death.
