How to clean your pet’s teeth

Keeping your pet's teeth healthy can be challenging, but if you can do it effectively it will make a big difference. Here’s what we find works best:

Start soft

Start with your pet’s own soft cloth. Apply something your pet likes the taste of (Vegemite or anchovy paste, for example) and gently open your pet’s mouth, rubbing the cloth on their teeth. Don’t worry about trying to clean them the first time. Just getting the pet used to you opening its mouth is the aim in the first week. Give the pet a treat when finished.

Over a two-week period, use the cloth to work your way around the outside of the teeth at the front and back of the mouth. Always give a little treat and a big cuddle as a reward for co-operation.

Introduce a brush

Once your pet has accepted the cloth, you can change to a soft child’s toothbrush.

You can also use a pet toothpaste product. Never use human tooth paste as pets hate the taste, and it’s too high in foaming agents and fluoride for them. Pet toothpaste comes in a wide range of flavours including malt, biscuit, chicken, beef and prawn. Daily brushing is ideal, but any amount of brushing will help!

If you notice bad breath, red gums or difficulty eating, book a dental check-up with our team at Mosman Vet.