Back to white
My eight year-old spaniel’s teeth are starting to discolour. I don’t want her gums to start receding and wondered what you might suggest to get things whiter than white again? I have tried brushing her teeth with paste but she runs a mile whenever I reach for the tube, and refuses to open her mouth when I, eventually, manage to catch her.
I have a lovely image of your tooth brushing adventure in my head and it certainly made me smile. I am sure you realise now that prevention is better than cure and your situation serves as a reminder to us all that tooth
Neil says:
brushing (and ear cleaning, nail clipping etc) should be started with compliant puppies when it can all be made into a fun game.
Now, with your dog’s teeth already affected by tartar
(and possibly also causing her some discomfort, hence her response), I am afraid a veterinary visit may be in order. Having her teeth professionally scaled and polished now might well prevent tooth loss in the future. Immediately after this is done, you should be able to start back gently with the brush and some flavoured toothpaste (human toothpaste is not suitable). There are a variety of potions that can be added to drinking water which claim to reduce tartar. They have variable efficacy.