How to Brush a Small Dog's Tongue
Medium
5 - 10 Minutes
1 Week
Need regular grooming services?
Introduction
Your small dog's tongue may be tiny, but it sees much of the world, including his special way of greeting other dogs. Despite popular myth, your dog's tongue is not an incredibly clean place. Your little guy's tongue is filled with odor-causing bacteria along with natural flora, which is healthy for his mouth. Every now and then, brushing your small dog's tongue is necessary to assist in maintaining good oral health as well as giving your dog a chance for better breath. Include tongue brushing in your dog’s oral health routine for a fresher mouth and healthier dog.Â
Dog's Perspective
Many dogs love licking. Small dogs often tend to lick in excess. In order to make brushing your dog's tongue exciting and rewarding, you're going to need to make this task of licking fun. Don't be afraid to use food items to entice your little guy to get tongue brushing done and over with.
The Tongue Cleaner Method
Effective
0 Votes
Step
1
Tongue Cleaner
Check your local pet store for a dog tongue cleaner or scraper. These products have rubber bristles and scrapers to remove bacteria from the tongue, keeping it clean and freshening your small dog's bad breath.
Step
2
Apply gel or paste
Your dog's tongue cleaner may come with a gel or paste. Or you can use dog toothpaste on your oral tongue cleaner. Using either, spread it across the entire length and width of the tongue cleaner.
Step
3
Let your dog lick
Once your oral tongue cleaner has the gel or tasty toothpaste applied, let your small dog lick the oral tongue brush clean.
Step
4
Angle and time
For at least one minute, let your little guy lick the brush. Change the angle of the brush every few moments, so he is forced to change the angle of his tongue as well. Let him lick for as long as he is interested but for at least one minute.
Step
5
Wash and rinse
Always rinse the brush when your small dog is finished with his tongue brushing. Keeping the tongue brush clean will help retain its health benefits and keep it free of bacteria.
Step
6
Treat
Give your little guy a treat and lots of verbal praise once you are finished with his tongue brushing.
The Dog Toothbrush Method
Effective
0 Votes
Step
1
Apply dog-friendly toothpaste
Apply a small amount of dog toothpaste to your small dog’s little toothbrush. Avoid using human toothpaste. Your dog’s toothpaste will be safe for him and should have a flavor your dog will love. Use only a small amount and push much of it down into the bristles of the dog toothbrush, so it is not on top of the brush as it would be for tooth brushing.
Step
2
Entice your dog
Show your dog the toothbrush and let him sniff and explore. He should be interested in the paste hidden below the bristles.
Step
3
Licking the bush
Let your little guy lick the toothbrush with the paste. As he licks it, begin to brush his tongue with small back and forth motions.
Step
4
Brush the tongue
As your little guy licks the toothbrush, move the brush around from front to back and side to side as your small dog allows. Angle the bush to get as many areas as possible.
Step
5
Keep licking
For as long as your little dog is interested, let him lick the toothbrush. Eventually, the paste will be gone, but he will still be removing harmful bacteria from his tongue by moving his tongue along the rough bristles.
Caution & Considerations
- Oral health is important for your small dog because his oral health affects his overall health.
- Be sure to include brushing your dog's tongue in with your teeth brushing routine every now and then.
- You can use a small dog toothbrush, a small human toothbrush, or you can look for a dog tongue brush.
- A brush specifically made to brush your dog's tongue has bristles as well as scrapers to effectively remove bacteria from your little guy's tongue.
- A dog tongue brush allows your little guy to brush his tongue by simply licking the rough surface.
- Get your little guy involved in the brushing process and have him brush his tongue on a dog tongue brush or a rough surface to clean his tongue by licking instead of you opening his mouth and trying to brush his tongue manually.
- Though you may use food on a dog toothbrush to get him to brush his tongue, do not ever use human toothpaste for any of your dog's oral health needs.
- Turn tongue brushing into a fun task for your dog. There are a lot of unpleasant grooming tasks. This doesn't have to be one. Your little guy just needs to spend a bit of time licking a rough surface or a brush to remove bacteria every so often.
Conclusion
Get back to sweet puppy kisses with a healthy mouth for your little dog. Bond together over a fun time licking something tasty while doing some oral health maintenance. Brushing your small dog's tongue doesn't have to be a big task. Make it easy with simple techniques.
