Labrador Retriever Dental Health
How To Brush Your Dog’s Teeth
An important part of Labrador Retriever dental health is learning how to correctly brush your dogs teeth. Chew toys and dried food will help to keep your dogs teeth healthy but from a year old or so brushing the teeth will help prevent plaque build up and problems with the gums.
There is lots of different doggie toothpaste on the market today so don’t be tempted to use human toothpaste as this will be harmful to your Lab.
Toothbrushes are also available though many owners prefer to use the finger brushes which simply slip over the end of the owners finger.
For the first few sessions it is wise not to use any kind of brush. Put a dab of toothpaste onto your finger and let your Lab taste it so she knows it isn’t unpleasant.
Stroke the outside of the dogs cheek and simply repeat the procedure a few times before moving onto the next stage.
The next stage in your Labrador Retriever dental health routine is to introduce the toothbrush itself. After putting a small amount of toothpaste onto the brush (or finger brush) gently brush a couple of teeth and the gums.
Use the brush in a circular manner but to begin with only worry about brushing a couple of teeth – the aim of the exercise is to let the dog become used to the brush.
Gradually increase the number of teeth brushed paying more attention to the outside of the teeth and the gums. When you are brushing all the teeth the routine shouldn’t take more than a minute.
Try to make sure the tooth brushing always happens at the same time and make the experience fun for your dog and there won’t be any problems.
One thing to pay attention too during your Labrador Retriever dental health sessions is to make sure that the rear teeth are thoroughly cleaned. With Labs it is the back teeth which attract most plaque so the owner should take special care when cleaning them.
Most dogs should react well to their regular tooth brushing as long as you make it fun and, of course, make a big fuss of your Lab when he sits quietly and behaves himself when having his teeth brushed.
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