My dog hates brushing. How can I clean his teeth effectively?

The best method to keep her teeth in shape would be to brush her teeth at least every other day after having the teeth cleaned professionally at your veterinarian's office (under anesthesia). Yorkies are notorious for extremely bad teeth, so chewies will not do the job. Once the teeth are shiny bright and white after the professional cleaning , it is easy to just apply the enzymatic tooth paste on your dog's teeth and then brush , or not even brush as the enzymes will remove the bacterial film on the teeth.

Yorkies notoriously have extremely bad teeth and brushing at this stage will very likely not any difference in the condition of Tabias' teeth. He will need a veterinary exam and likely a professional dental cleaning first before any brushing his teeth at home will help prevent or slow down tartar accumulation on his teeth. The bad breath is a sign of bacterial growth under the gum line and in tartar on your dog's teeth. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian for a dental exam.

Both help fight tartar formation on your dog's teeth. Both do a fairly good job of slowing the process down, however neither brushing or Greenies treats will eliminate or remove the tartar that has already built up on a dog's teeth. In an ideal world you would be brushing Bella's teeth daily and giving her dental chews (like greenies). The downside of brushing is really just the time it takes and getting your dog comfortable with the act of tooth brushing. The downsides of greenies and similar treats is that some dogs just don't chew on them enough to get the effect of the tartar control and instead swallow big chunks in their enthusiasm at getting a treat. Additionally if weight control becomes an issue as Bella gets older, extra treats mean extra calories. You're in a great position with Bella being so young to start getting her used to regular tooth brushing while she is still teething and may enjoy the act of brushing on her teeth and gums as her adult teeth come in. I recommend using a commercial toothpaste that is labeled pet safe (can be found at a local pet store, online, and many veterinarians have samples for patients to try) and a toothbrush that is appropriate for your dogs mouth (Bella will probably need a small brush since she is a little dog). Ask your vet if they have any instructional information for how to slowly introduce brushing into your routine. Also with dental chews always make sure you follow the charts and give the right size treat for your size dog (my 6.5 chihuahua once ate a Greenie that was for a much larger dog and did get a little loose stool for about a day... lesson learned). I hope this was helpful!

No problem! Maltese do have a tendency to get a lot of tartar, so it's best to brush her teeth every day if she will let you - you can get special dog toothpaste (don't use the human kind!) and a soft baby toothbrush that will be gentle on her gums. Providing things to chew on like cow or pig ears, rawhide chews, or dental sticks can also be helpful.

Hello, you'll likely need to scale the tartar accumulation off of his back teeth so that you can have an easier time keeping them clean. Ideally, after their teeth have been scaled, brushing their teeth and using dental treats may help keep their teeth clean and white the longest. As in humans, dogs should have a dental exam at least every 6-12 months with a scaling and polishing as needed. Brushing daily and dental chews such as OraVet have worked the best for my clients in the past. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Brushing teeth is definitely the best way to avoid periodontal disease in the future but unfortunately if the tartar has already build up can be hard/not possible to remove it completely just with brushing. Tartar is rock hard and if you don't see any improvement, the next step would be a professional dental hygiene session (descale and polish). Your veterinarian will provide this service. Leo will need to be under anesthesia (they won't keep the mouth open for us while descaling and polishing!) during the procedure. In the meantime and after the procedure please continue with the brushing! Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.

These are good treats for your dog, but they won't clean his teeth well. You can use dental specific treats for him to clean his teeth, and I also recommend brushing his teeth. You will need to use a dog specific toothpaste, as human toothpastes are not safe for dogs. You can get the toothpaste and a toothbrush for him from a pet store. Just like in humans, dogs need regular dental care as well, and I would have him seen by the vet for a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing.