You can keep your Cocker Spaniel\u2019s teeth healthy well into her senior years with regular dental care that includes the following:<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Brushing her teeth. Brush at the dog\u2019s gum line on the outside of her teeth, top and bottom, twice a week. Use toothpaste made for dogs; human toothpastes contain fluoride, which is not meant to be swallowed.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Provide tartar and plaque removing chews. Look for treats and chews that have the \u201caccepted\u201d seal of approval by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC).
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Schedule regular, annual veterinary teeth cleanings. This is the only way to completely keep your Cocker\u2019s tartar and plaque buildup in check.
\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Consider a more dental friendly food. It was long recommended that hard kibble foods be fed to dogs to clean tartar and plaque from teeth. Hard kibbles work in cleaning a dog\u2019s teeth only if the dog chews her food. Many dogs will crunch a few kibbles and then swallow the rest of their dinner whole. Prescription dental foods and biscuits are made so that the dog must chew them thoroughly before swallowing and may be of increased benefit to your Cocker; otherwise, there is little difference between soft foods and hard kibble when it comes to cleaning teeth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"