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Home > Pet Pointers > General Pet Care Articles > Pets Can Learn New Dental Health Regimen

Pets Can Learn New Dental Health Regimen

Pets Can Learn New Dental Health Regimen

You can “teach a old dog new tricks” when it comes to pet dental care, but it may take some patience. The same goes for cat dental hygiene. Of course, the earlier you start the routine with pets, the more likely you will succeed with preventative dental maintenance. You can bet an older pet will have a firm opinion about this new tooth brushing idea at its onset and it will not be favorable. Patience, determination, and perseverance will be key. Since older pets may not take kindly to this tooth brushing idea, a slow and steady transition will be required to introduce them to the process. Here are some suggestions for trying to make the introduction to improved pet dental health easier with your cat or dog and you.

  • Start by letting your pet look at the products you intend to use and give them time to smell the toothbrush, toothpaste, or other dental cleaners you plan to use.
  • Get at eye level with your pet by sitting on the floor. Try to associate the process with commands like, “Let’s brush your teeth.” Touch the brush to your pet’s teeth while doing this.
  • Take the brush away while giving positive reinforcement to your pet. Using phrases like, "Good girl" or "Good Job" helps your pet understand that she is acting appropriately.
  • Keep repeating the same command (Let’s brush your teeth) for less confusion. Again, touch the pet’s teeth with the toothbrush and give praise. You want your cat or dog to see the toothbrush as not dangerous and enjoy the attention and praise she receives during the process.
  • Repeat the command again but this time brush one tooth instead of just touching the brush to your pet's teeth. Take the brush away and follow up with praise.
  • Repeat this step at least five more times in different areas of the mouth and then stop for the day. Be sure you praise your pet thoroughly after each brushing session and offer a treat at the conclusion of the training.
  • Continue these training steps once a day for several days until your pet has started to accept the cleaning regimen. At this point the goal is not to clean teeth but simply get your pet used to the activity.
  • After several days of conditioning and practice, begin actually cleaning the teeth but only do one quarter of the teeth. Do another quarter the next day and so on. Be aware that it may be several weeks before the entire mouth can be done in one cleaning. There will also be setbacks and days when your cat or dog is not in the mood for this cleaning process. That’s why patience, determination, and perseverance will be the key to success.

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