Dental and Periodontal (gum) Diseases are the most commonly reported health issues in English Toy Terriers (see the 2022 Breed Health Survey), and one of the most preventable.
Checking your dog’s mouth regularly as part of a regular Health Check and maintaining good oral hygiene for your English Toy Terrier is essential for their overall well-being. Here’s our guide to good oral hygiene for English Toy Terriers:
- Inspect your dog’s mouth regularly
- Training your dog to let you brush their teeth
- How to brush your dog’s teeth – at least twice a week with a canine toothpaste
- Clean their mouth and gums in between brushes
- Food, chews and supplements to help with oral hygiene
- Annual check-up with your vet
Regular brushing of your dog’s teeth and caring for their gums can prevent your dog from having to live in pain, from dental decay and tooth loss, gum disease, and life-threatening infections that can cause other very serious health issues including heart, liver, and kidney disease.
1. Inspect your dog’s mouth to look for common dental issues
Being pro-active in inspecting your dog’s mouth means you can deal with any issues early. The video from the PDSA shows how to train your dog to feel comfortable having their mouth handled, and how to inspect your dog’s mouth.
Remember – be patient and empathetic with your dog when training and handling them and go at a pace that they are happy with and take your time helping them to become comfortable with the process.
(top)
Common dental issues to look out for include:
Bad Breath
If your dog has bad breath, there is something that needs to be addressed in their mouth as it is a likely sign of tooth decay or gum disease. Regular brushing (at least twice weekly) and cleaning the gums should improve and hopefully clear up the problem but they do not then seek professional veterinary advice.
Plaque and Tartar
Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth that can be removed easily by brushing regularly. However, if plaque is not brushed away regularly, it hardens and becomes tartar (dental calculus) which has a rough surface making it even easier for more plaque to build up. Please note that tartar also forms under the gum line where we cannot see it. Both plaque and tartar are full of bacteria that attack your dog’s teeth and gums and can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and serious infections.
Early-stage Gum Disease – Gingivitis
Gingivitis is an early stage of Periodontal (Gum) Disease and is characterized by red, swollen or inflamed gums. It might be as subtle as a red line along the gum line where the gums meet the teeth, or a more obvious swelling and redness of the gums. Gingivitis can be reversed. Treatments may include daily brushing at home, professional cleaning by your vet, and the use of anti-septic mouthwashes and regular gum cleaning.
Periodontal (Gum) Disease:
Periodontal Disease can cause pain, tooth decay, tooth loss, shrinking gums, infection, and has been linked to systemic health issues. Symptoms include loss of appetite or a reluctance to bite and/or chew, a preference to chew on one side of the mouth, excessive drooling, bleeding gums, bad breath, and loose or loss of teeth. Seek professional veterinary advice if your dog is affected by Periodontal Disease as soon as possible.
Abscesses and infections
Abscesses are caused by infection and signs of an abscess include swelling (of the gum but in extreme cases of the face), redness & inflammation around a specific tooth, pus or discharge, and bleeding. Your dog may also show signs of difficulty eating, go off their food, or have bad breath. Seek veterinary help immediately if you suspect your dog has an abscess – abscesses need to be treated urgently to prevent infection spreading to the jawbone or bloodstream leading to more serious health issues.
Oral Tumours
Oral Tumours are not common in English Toy Terriers but worth mentioning here. They generally look like lumps or bumps which can be on the tongue, gums, lips or roof of the mouth. They can be smooth or bumpy, firm or soft. Colour and texture also vary. If you see anything that might be a tumour, seek advice from a professional vet immediately.
(top)
2. Train your dog to have their teeth brushed
Most dogs need to be trained before they will co-operate with having their teeth brushed. It’s a process that takes time and patience but well worth the effort. Start this as early as possible with your dog, ideally when they still have their puppy teeth, so you have time for them to be happy with teeth brushing by the time their adult teeth come out. See the video below on how to train a dog to become comfortable with having their teeth brushed.
(top)
3. How to brush your dog’s teeth
Ideally, you should brush your dog’s teeth daily. We recommend a minimum of twice a week for an English toy Terrier. Make sure you train your dog, so they are comfortable having their teeth cleaned – see the video in the previous section. You will need:
- A small (child size) soft toothbrush or soft finger brush
- Canine toothpaste – do not use human toothpaste as it is poisonous for dogs
When brushing, be gentle – do not use too much force or pressure as this could be painful and cause bleeding. Focus on the outside of the teeth – you do not need to brush the tongue-side of their teeth.
A note on toothbrushes: a finger brush or a child-size toothbrush will do the job. Ultrasonic canine toothbrushes are also an option albeit an expensive one. Dogs can also be trained to have their teeth cleaned with human sonic technology toothbrushes but please make sure you have a separate toothbrush head for your dog and do not share with them!
(top)
4. Cleaning your dog’s mouth & Gums in between brushes
Clean inside your dog’s mouth and around the gums with a canine oral care solution in between brushes. Look for a canine oral rinse solution that contains Chlorhexidine which has antimicrobial properties that help to decrease the bacteria in your dog’s mouth and disrupt the plaque formation process. Chlorhexidine is one of the few canine oral care ingredients that has scientific backing for canine dental benefits.
The best way to do this is using a cotton swab or a soft cloth dipped in a suitable anti-bacterial solution to wipe around the gums and along the gum line. It takes less than a minute and is very easy to incorporate into a daily routine.
(top)
5. Food, chews and supplements to help with your dog’s oral hygiene
A good, balanced diet and specially selected supplements and chews can help with oral hygiene, but do not replace the need to brush your dog’s teeth.
Diet
A good quality, balanced diet is the foundation to good health whether it’s teeth or any other aspect of your dog’s health. Chewing an occasional raw bone (avoid bones that are from weight-bearing parts of an animal) or raw chicken wings (frozen to kill bacteria and then defrosted) can also help to clean your dog’s teeth, or dried natural treats such as tripe sticks that your dog has to strip with their teeth.
Supplements
There are a huge variety of supplements available to aid good oral health, but again, they should be used as part of a broader oral care regime that includes regular brushing. One of the most common and effective is seaweed (specifically a type of brown seaweed called Ascophyllum Nodosum), added to your dog’s food daily in a powdered form.
Seaweed helps prevent tartar buildup on a dog’s teeth because it contains natural enzymes and polysaccharides that break down plaque. Seaweed also has antibacterial properties that help reduce harmful bacteria in the mouth while promoting beneficial bacteria and the compounds in seaweed can loosen hardened tartar, making it easier for it to break off naturally or be removed through chewing or brushing.
Chews
Chews (both edible and non-edible) can help to clean your dog’s teeth, but they do not replace the need to brush regularly. Always supervise your dog when they have a chew.
Edible chews that are popular with English Toy Terriers include:
- Raw bones (not from a weight-bearing part of an animal)
- Greenies Dental Chews
- Dried Bully Sticks
- De-hydrated Sweet Potato Strips
There are also many synthetic, non-edible chew toys available on the market including:
- KONG Dental Stick – can be stuffed with treats and helps scrub teeth
- Nylabone Dental Chews – tough but gentle on teeth
- Benebone Dental Chews – shaped for easy chewing and infused with real flavours.
Never leave your dog unsupervised with a chew.
(top)
6. Annual check-up with your vet
As part of any dog’s regular maintenance, your English Toy Terrier should have an annual vet check which will include an oral exam by your vet who will recommend any required treatment or action as appropriate.
Dental care is one the essential grooming tasks required to ensure your dog’s health and well-being along with a regular health check, nail care, ear cleaning and coat-care and bathing.
(top)