We all love to give our pups some extra love and cuddles, but when your best friends breathe is smelly it tends to mess with the mood. I’m here to give you some tips and tricks for fresher breathe and an overall healthier pet. Whether your pup is one that will participate for a good brushing or they tend to struggle I have a few easy recipes to get your pup smelling fresh again.
If you are going the toothbrush route I have had the best luck with finger brushes. I highly recommend looking for these items on Amazon.com or Chewy.com , I have linked two brushes I have used before. I recommend getting a small finger brush, tooth brushes are a little more invasive so I have better luck navigating the mouth and convincing the pups to participate with these. If you are making a paste this is the best jar to keep it in the fridge and have easy access to your paste. If you think the spray method would work better for you I recommend pouring into something like this. Most of the ingredients for the paste and spray can be purchased at your local grocery store, but amazon pantry has a great selection of products if you can’t find some things.
You can skip ahead for the recipes, but before I begin I would just like to say that healthy teeth habits are something you will have to train your dog into. Just like with grooming, the younger you start the more willing they will be willing to participate. You can use the spray for daily use or in between brushing. To slowly introduce brushing you can try once a week for two minutes. Just like training them to sit and roll over treats after a tooth brushing will teach them this is a job they are supposed to perform.
If your pup is willing to let you brush their teeth then you can make this very simple paste recipe that will last in your fridge for up to one week. This recipe is all natural, healthy, and tasty for your pup. We will go herbal, using turmeric a natural teeth whitener, parsley an antibacterial agent and kelp to help with plaque removal. You will also add some baking soda for an abrasive to attach to the plaque. First step is to take coconut oil as a base, placing it into a warm mixing bowl, then adding a tablespoon of each ingredient and mixing it well until it forms a paste. The prep time is about five minutes and can be used daily. A quick tip if you have a picky pup is to add a teaspoon of beef or chicken bullion for flavoring. Adding the bullion will change the smell of the paste but it will still be effective.
Let’s be honest not all dogs are easily persuaded into letting foreign objects in their mouth, and we all like our fingers in tact. So if your pups are anything like mine you can make an effective teeth spray as well. These ingredients will not only be effective but prevent halitosis. You can get a small spray bottle and store this in your fridge for up to two weeks, and the best part is you can use it up to twice a day daily! So here’s what you will need:
1 cup distilled water
5 sprigs of fresh parsley
peppermint or spearmint leaves (your preference of strength) if fresh mint is unavailable I will use three to four drops of peppermint oil.
half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
quarter teaspoon peroxide
quarter teaspoon of baking soda
you will want to boil the water, baking soda and parsley sprigs and then allow the water to cool. Once it is cooled infuse the mint and add the peroxide, vinegar, and pour into spray container.
voila! A simple spray that will help with the smell and also help break down the plaque on your fur baby’s teeth!
Comment down below and let me know what method worked best for you. Tell me if you decided to make any switches in the recipes. The fun thing about making homemade pastes are the varieties of ingredients you can choose from. These are the ones I have found work the best for me and my pups but I love to hear from you guys too! Natural ingredients lead to longer lives and healthier pups.
Allie's Paw Spa & Sitting 