How to brush your wiener's toofs!

[Wienergal]

Boy, talk about timing!! Just two days after Farfie lost two teeth, I got a newsletter from the American Animal Hospital Association, and in it, instructions for brushing your dog's teeth! http://dachsie.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

For those who are as ignorant as I am about doggie dental care, here are their recommendations.

1. To introduce your pet to brushing, wrap gauze or a washcloth around your finger and use it like a toothbrush. Wipe each tooth from gumline to tip. Do this for one or two weeks, until your pet becomes comfortable with the procedure.

2. Progress to a soft toothbrush and plain water. After a week, add a small amount of dog toothpaste. NEVER use human toothpaste, because it can irritate the dog's stomach.

3. Begin by brushing the front teeth, then the upper and lower teeth in the back. Hold the toothbrush at a 45-degree anagle and move it in circles. Concentrate on the gumline, because that is where odor and infection begin.

Brusha brusha brusha!! http://dachsie.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

[WOTANSMUTTI]

Wienergal!
Farfel will think this is a NEW way to get at the chicken flavored pate that you are sooo nice to hold in his mouth tooth by tooth.

What will Miz Peaches Marie think about all this fuss? She'll prob. demand a water-pic.
Smiles (toothey dog grins)-Sonja

[Penny's Aunt]

Can't you just use the battery-operated one from the bathroom?

"Honey, where did my toothbrush go?"

"Ah... we'll be finished in a second, Dear. (Hold still & quit wiggling, Farfie!)"

[Mickamack]

I love this group! We are so FUNNY!!! http://dachsie.org/ubb/lol.gif

[wireweiners]

Wottansmutti, believe or not, there is a water pick for dogs. I have seen it in RC Steele. I've also seen electric doggy toothbrushes!

[WOTANSMUTTI]

What else can we invent for our spoiled doggies? Let's see:

A special warm,damp rug to scoot on...

TV s that make smells along with sounds and pictures interesting to dachsies...

Fridges that have all the lunchmeats on the bottom instead of vegis, and a "pull" to open the contraption if you are only 12" from the ground...



[This message has been edited by WOTANSMUTTI (edited May 13, 2000).]

[Wienergal]

Miss Peaches Marie is asking Santa for an escalator to carry her up to the sofa and an elevator for the bed. http://dachsie.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

[debpatdeb]

My little darling, Bergan, has been introduced to toothbrushing for a couple of months. The toothpaste is chicken flavored and all she wants to do is lick it off my finger. The doggie toothbrush didn't work...she just bit it. Now she bites my fingers, but at least I know what teeth I'm getting to. Should I not get a flavored kind of paste? Who's had luck? And honestly, does anyone have a dog that simply sits still and lets you brush?

[wireweiners]

Deb, you might try getting one of those things that slip over the end of your finger and have little bristles on the end. They are good for introducing your dog to tooth brushing. They will all chew on the brush at first. Just keep at it and eventually they will let you brush. There are also some mouthwashes that you can squirt in their mouth along to gum line to help kill bacteria.

A sofa escalator, my guys want one of those too, with wheels so they can push it to the kitchen counter when I am thawing meat.

[Wienergal]

Well, I've started with the washcloth-brushing approach, with predictable results: Farfel seems to think it's just another way in which I give him physical affection and he's fine with it; Peaches HATES it and keeps jerking her head away....

You all might be interested to know that, when we went for our annual checkup today, I asked my vet why both of my dogs have had dental problems, given the fact that they get hard chew toys and supreme diets. She said that the smaller dogs, including dachshunds, are more prone to dental disease than the larger ones.