My dog has brown, stained teeth. What dental care options are there?

Question

My shih tzu- bichon frise mix dog is 8 years old. I have noticed that her teeth are very brown and stained, but she has never let me brush her teeth since she was a puppy. I'm worried this can lead to worse health problems but I don't know what to do about it. I have tried to get in there to brush but she only wants to eat the toothpaste. Thank you. - Kristen. Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 8 years and 5 months old | 17 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Silly girl, toothpaste isn't a treat! It can be very difficult to train a dog to allow their teeth to be brushed. I would venture to guess that the majority of vets don't brush their pet's teeth, either! The brown staining is plaque and tartar. Once the plaque sets in, there is no amount of brushing that will remove it. The only way to remove the plaque and thoroughly clean the teeth is to take Keltie in for a dental cleaning. This can be a scary idea since she will need to be under general anesthesia, but it can help her avoid many preventable diseases in the future, such as abscessed teeth, infection of the jaw bones, and shedding bacteria in the bloodstream that could cause infection of the heart valves. Here is a great article on dental care in pets. Once the plaque is removed after a dental cleaning, you can work on training Keltie to accept teeth brushing, or you can use products approved by the VOHC to delay additional plaque from forming. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=128

My dog has brown, stained teeth. What dental care options are there?

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