Puppy Dental Care and Best Dental Treats for Puppies

Bringing a puppy home comes with a lot of responsibility. You’re juggling training, getting their nutrition on track, regular vet checks, and vaccinations, and building a forever bond with your new furry friend. And with their mouth of tiny teeth still coming in, dental care might not have even crossed your mind (or yet, made it on your radar of important to-dos). But having a solid dental care routine at the puppy stage is just as important as the other responsibilities. You see, maintaining good oral hygiene from the start helps avoid common dental diseases down the road.

Here are some tips on how to properly care for your pup’s dental health and what you should do to ensure good dental hygiene.

Regular Brushing

It seems a little silly to start bruising your pup’s teeth when they’ve just started coming in, but it’s a good place to start to not only make sure that your pup’s teeth are clean but to also let your pup get used to brushing.

Ideally, you want to brush their teeth 3x a week. Whether you have an 8-week old puppy or an older pup, you want to gradually introduce them to the concept of brushing. Start by feeling around their mouth with your bare fingers. Then apply a bit of toothpaste (ones made specifically for puppies) on your fingers, and let your pup lick it. Now, you can move up to applying a bit of toothbrush on your fingers and brushing their teeth in circular motions. Once you’re set with this, you can move up to brushing your little one’s teeth with a toothpaste and toothbrush.

If you find it strenuous to brush your pup’s teeth with toothpaste and toothbrush 2-3x a week, you can opt for dental wipes to keep their teeth clean and reward them with dental treats to keep plaque and tartar buildup at bay. But at the end of every brushing session, make sure to have healthy treats handy to reward your pup for good behavior.

Set Boundaries On What Your Pup Can Chew On

Just like babies, puppies love to get their teeth into everything. At around 8 - 12 weeks, as the first set of teeth start coming in, your pup will feel a bit of discomfort and pain. So they’ll gravitate towards anything including your furniture and belongings to sink their teeth into to relieve the pain. When this happens, it’s important to redirect them away from your furniture, belongings, or anything other than safe chew toys and dental treats. Because chewing and swallowing anything other than safe chew toys and dental treats can lead to broken teeth, swollen gums, and other serious health risks.

Feed a Healthy, Dental-Friendly Diet

Giving your pup high-quality, natural food, and treats that are packed with nutrients and enzymes is the best way to ensure the healthy development of strong teeth, bones, and muscles. Natural food and treats ensure that no harmful ingredients enter your pup’s body as preservatives and chemicals do.

At this stage, you’ll be going through a lot of treats as well, with training and teething. Giving your pup a chewy, long-lasting treat will help breakdown the plaque and tartar buildup, ease the discomfort during the teething stage and keep him/her occupied for hours while you tend to your chores and work.

On the other hand, dental treats are also a great alternative to daily brushing. When your pup gnaws on long-lasting chews, the hard texture will scrape away against the surface, getting out all the gunk, plaque, and/or tartar stuck to the gums. However, you want to make sure that the treats are just hard enough to chew, but melt when they start chewing. Otherwise, as you see frequently with bully sticks, it can result in broken teeth, and/or swollen gums, damaging your pup’s dental hygiene.

Dogsee Chew has a variety of dental treats specifically made for puppies. From hard bars to puffed treats, everything is specifically designed to keep up with your pups’ lifestyle and growing needs. These treats are made from cow and yak milk cheese, and the rich cheesy flavor helps freshen their breath so when you’re being bombarded with kisses, you’ll be smelling fresh breath only! Not to mention that they contain special enzymes that really get in between the crevices, and breakdown the formation of plaque and tartar.

And if you have a pup with a sensitive stomach, Dogsee Chew has that covered too. All of the treats are free of common allergens such as grain/gluten so your pup won’t be experiencing indigestion or stomach sensitivities on these treats ever. And guess what, these treats do more than just maintain your pups oral health, they help aid weight management, maintain a healthy gut, boost their immunity - they provide your pup with all the nutrients and benefits they need to lead a long, healthy life by your side.

Whether your pup just has teeth coming in or already has their adult chompers, it's never too early to get your pup on a dental care routine so you can maintain their oral hygiene from the get-go. Your pup, you, and your wallet will be thanking you later.