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The Puppy Guide >> Puppy FAQs >> How can I stop my puppy developing gum disease?
How can I stop my puppy developing gum disease?
Gum disease is very common in adult dogs, with around 1 in 3 developing the disease. Puppies who are fed a tinned diet are more likely to suffer as the food is more 'mushy' and gets in between their teeth.
There are two main ways to help prevent your puppy developing gum disease.
Firstly you should clean your puppy's teeth regularly. This should be done once or twice a week, with toothpaste designed specifically for dogs. Dogs do not spit and human toothpaste is not designed to be swallowed. Doggie toothpaste also comes in tasty flavours such as beef. If you start cleaning your pup's teeth while he is very young he should get used to it and not mind you doing it.
The second way to help keep your puppy's teeth in good health is to make sure he regularly has an oral food designed specifically to clean his teeth. You can find food like this in pet stores and they come in different sizes to suit the size of your puppy or dog. It can also help to feed your dog a dry food and giving him plenty of hard bones to chew on.
If your dog has bad breath he may be suffering from a disease which is the result of plaque build up and it could become serious if left untreated. If your dog has bad breath of a lot of tartar on his teeth you should seek advice from your veterinary surgeon.
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