Dental Care

About once a month, we try to scrape the tartar off the dogs' teeth. This requires a team effort. Kelli holds the dogs lips open and I, equipped with my magnifier visor and dental tools, quickly scrape the tartar off the teeth at the gum line before the dog protests. Most of the tartar accumulates on the outside of the tooth where we can get to it. If we clean their teeth on a regular basis, we can postpone professional cleanings by up to a year or two. We've learned that if our dog's gums go from healthy pink to red we need to react quickly or risk losing a tooth or worse. We don't like putting the dogs to sleep for teeth cleaning so this preventive care helps reduce the trauma of anesthesia. Here, Elliott says he doesn't want to be next.

It is amazing the chunks of tartar that build up if you don't keep their teeth clean or even if you do. Kelli follows up the cleanings by brushing their teeth regularly with enzymatic dog toothpaste in yummy poultry flavor.

As you would expect, the dogs hate it, but they tolerate my occasional clumsy poke into their gums. And they are highly rewarded with treats afterwards.

Winston still has his baby teeth and his teeth are perfect, but we have started going through the motions by pretending to clean his teeth so he will get used to us working in his mouth. Winston really hates it and repeatedly asks for my dental hygiene license.

After we were done, Winston looked so handsome we decided to take a couple of pictures.