Is it mandatory that I clean my dog’s ears and brush his teeth?
I know this may sound irresponsible of me somehow but I’m really not used to cleaning his ears or brushing his teeth. I only give him a bath when needed and since he is 8 months old, a shih-tzu, I give him these chew bones that clean his teeth and breath. Am I doing enough? I give him the best care I possibly can.
My parents have a dog that if my mom doesn’t keep its ears clean and the hair trimmed, the dog will get ear infections. It helps with overall health just like yours, and it is mandatory in some instances.
It would be good for his health, for his hygiene… if you don’t have time.. do it at least twice per month.
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No but every once in a while is good to clean your pet!
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you better or else he might look like you
jk jk lol
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No you dont! The best care you can is to clean him regularly and brush his teeth! How would you like not brushing yours?
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I’ve never heard of anyone cleaning the ears or especially brushing the teeth of their dog. The baths and the bones to chew should be fine.
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Well as his caretaker and owner, you do what you need to do when it needs to be done. If the teeth need brushing, you brush them, if he needs his ears cleaned you clean them.. Nails clipped you clip them. It’s all part of having a dog. Bones don’t do a great job of keeping the teeth clean.
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My parents have a dog that if my mom doesn’t keep its ears clean and the hair trimmed, the dog will get ear infections. It helps with overall health just like yours, and it is mandatory in some instances.
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Yes, especially for a Shih Tzu. Ear cleaning should be weekly regular. The long hair can cause ear infection, and would be painful for your dog, and a lot to deal with for you.
I suggest clipping the hair on the inside to prevent ear infections, and clean the inside of the ears weekly.
Brushing teeth will definitely prevent tooth decay and/or other dental diseases. The bones really won’t do much.
A groomer will do this for you everyweek if you don’t want to do it, and if it’s just those two things, it shouldn’t be that much.
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Shih Tzu owner.
It’s not mandatory, but it would be beneficial to your dog to do so
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Ugh…yes it’s pretty mandatory if you want to keep the dog in the best of health. Have the vet show you how to clean ears and teeth. It’s not hard and doesn’t even take up that much time!
EDIT: I can’t believe I got a thumbs down on this answer. Not attending to a dogs dental care leads to gum disease which leads to other nasty, life threatening diseases. Not cleaning ears can cause ear infections, especially in floppy eared dogs. Ever see a dog with an ear infection? It’s painful and irritating for them. Well worth your time to check the ears regularly and brush (or even use a washcloth) on the dog’s teeth, and a vet is a good place to ask for pointers. Sheesh…
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It’s not mandatory, but it is a good idea.
Cleaning ears regularly prevents ear infections and parasites.
Brushing teeth keeps gums healthy. If you don’t brush them, infection can set in which is bad for the teeth, but the infection can also spread to other parts of the body.
The old saying is true:
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
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Do you take him to a groomer? If so, then I would let them do all the dirty work there. And I do not brush my dog’s (two) teeth. I feed them the best kind of dog food on the market (in kibble form, not canned). They have a health bar (which is like a hard granola bar) for a snack and I only give them porkhide bones and pig ears to chew on. Their teeth are very clean and white.
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you don’t need to brush his teeth just by given him those chews for teeth and breath is good for him but you do need to clean the ear just use a baby wipe to clean them just the mid and out ear just like you clean your ears never use q-tip too danger for the dog
if you buy your dog bones to chew it helps their teeth to get clean, strong, and doll them too swith is a good thing
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i clean my dogs ears with baby wipes and it works and i give my dog teeth chews
I clean my dogs ears at least once a week and brush his teeth every other day. But I have been doing this since he was little and he’s use to it. The plus side is his Dr. always comments that his teeth and ears look great. The down side is that you have to get your dog accustom to the procedure. You can always schedule regular teeth cleanings with veterinarians that do that. It is costly though. You want to watch your dogs ears because ear health is important. If your dog is exposed to a dog with fleas, or contracts ear mites you want to be on top of that. The fact that you are asking for in put tells me you care very much for your baby. I hope you get plenty of good suggestions to help you aleave your concerns.
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Not mandatory but is is in his/her best interest. If your uncomfortable brushing his teeth and cleaning his ears you might talk with your groomer if you have one – I’m sure they can help you in this area…
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Well, to be fair, different dogs have different needs, some dogs, especially small breed dogs like yours, require plenty of attention in ear and teeth detail. It’s certainly not mandatory, especially if you take him to the groomers often, but I’m sure your dog would highly appreciate an ear cleaning at least once a week and a brushing, however, you can get one of them bones, Nylabone sells them, that have little bristles that promotes healthy gums and pearly whites, but they’re not as accurate as brushing manually. The best thing really is for you to call up your vet or do some of your own research to find out what your specific breed really needs on a daily or constant basis.
Personally, I suggest a brushing and cleaning every week regardless of breed.
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