How To Keep Husky Teeth Clean: 8 Tips & Cleaning Process

Knowing how to keep husky teeth clean is a vital skill to learn for all husky owners.

This will save you a lot of money and keep your husky happy and free from pain and other related problems resulting from poor hygiene.

This guide will take you through all the reasons why you should clean your husky’s teeth, how to clean them properly, and some tips for overall dental hygiene for your pup. Let’s get into it.

Reasons Why You Should Clean Your Husky’s Teeth

Before we get into methods for keeping your husky’s teeth clean in the first place, here are the 5 top reasons why cleaning is a good idea.

1. Prevents Serious Health Issues

You may not think dental problems are serious for dogs, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Poor dental hygiene quickly leads to periodontal disease, which is inflammation of the tissues and bones that surround the teeth.

This can increase the risk of severe health problems like heart, kidney, and liver disease later.

2. Saves Money

The simple fact is that looking after your husky’s teeth will save you a lot of money in the long run.

If their teeth are not cared for properly, they will likely need surgery later in life to remove them. Teeth removal can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to $4,000, depending on location.

Then there are costs relating to other health issues that develop due to poor dental hygiene, such as infections.

3. Keeps Their Breath Fresh

Another reason why you should clean your husky’s teeth regularly is to keep their breath smelling fresh.

This one is more for us humans than the dogs themselves, but if your husky loves affection, there’s nothing worse than having to put up with their stinky breath due to poor dental hygiene – and trust me, there’s a big difference between normal dog breath and dog breath due to a lack of teeth cleaning.

4. Minimizes Pain

Complications arising from poor dental hygiene can cause your pup much pain and discomfort, and it can sometimes be hard to tell if this is even happening.

As responsible husky owners, we should do everything in our power to keep them free from pain, especially in cases like this when we are to blame.

5. Encourages Them To Eat

Husky puppies are often put off their food during teething because of the pain it causes, and the same can happen to adult huskies if their teeth start to develop problems.

Some huskies can be stubborn regarding their food anyway, so if they have dental problems, you might find that your husky refuses to eat and starts to lose weight.

By keeping their teeth clean and healthy, you’ll avoid any problems like these relating to their teeth.

How Often Should You Clean Their Teeth?

In an ideal world, veterinarians recommend brushing your husky’s teeth daily, so if you can manage that, this is perfect.

If not, 2 or 3 times per week will make a big difference to their dental hygiene. The truth is that most people neglect this aspect of dog care, so any steps in this direction need to be encouraged.

How To Clean Your Husky’s Teeth

Okay, so we know how often to clean their teeth and the benefits, but how do you actually clean your husky’s teeth?

Start From A Young Age

Before we get into the steps for teeth cleaning, I wanted to mention starting teeth cleaning from a young age.

This is the best way to get your husky used to the cleaning process, so if you can start from a young age, you definitely should.

You should do this after their adult teeth have grown in, which usually happens at around eight months old.

Steps For Cleaning Husky Teeth

Cleaning a husky’s teeth is pretty simple, but you will need some items first.

These are dog toothbrushes and toothpaste, which can be bought in most pet stores or online.

Most dog toothbrushes fit onto your finger, making it easier to really get into their teeth properly. Dog toothpaste is also essential as it is suitable for dogs and doesn’t cause any problems if they swallow it.

Once you have these, follow the steps below to clean their teeth:

• Gently open your husky’s mouth by pinching the back corners. This might not be easy at first, but they’ll get used to it (starting from a young age helps massively!)
• Put toothpaste onto the toothbrush and start brushing their teeth thoroughly as you would your own from the back teeth, moving towards the front.
• Make sure all of the teeth are brushed, and that’s it!

There aren’t any special techniques for brushing your husky’s teeth, as it is much the same as brushing your teeth.

Just make sure you repeat this daily if possible, and your husky will get used to it in no time.

If you are going to give them a treat afterward, stick to dental treats.

8 Bonus Tips For Keeping Your Husky’s Teeth Clean

Teeth cleaning needs to be a part of your regular care routine for your husky, but there are other things you can implement alongside this to keep their teeth clean that require less effort as well.

Check out our tips below:

1. Dental Treats

Dental treats are an amazing way to promote better oral health for your husky.

These treats are designed specifically to fight bacteria and keep the teeth clean, and they can be offered daily to help to keep your husky’s teeth clean.

If you aren’t sure which treat to buy, we like the Whimzees dental chews, but you can find more options in our guide to husky treats.

2. Avoid Giving Them Non-Dog Treats

If you’re going to give your husky treats, dental treats or other dog treats are best.

I know how hard it can be to resist your husky begging, but it is much better for their teeth if you can avoid giving them human food or treats.

3. Feed A Balanced Diet With High-Quality Food

Ensure your husky is fed a well-balanced and nutritional diet with high-quality food designed with oral health in mind.

Foods containing lots of grains or by-products can stick to their teeth and cause plaque and tartar build-up, so they should be avoided.

4. Professional Cleaning

This option is not for everyone, and it isn’t necessary a lot of the time. Still, veterinarians might recommend professional cleaning if your husky is particularly prone to dental issues.

This is expensive and usually done once or twice per year, but it depends on your veterinarian’s recommendation.

5. Wait For Your Husky To Be Relaxed

Brushing your husky’s teeth when they are relaxed is much easier than when they are full of energy and easily distracted.

For me, this is usually in the evening after all of their exercise is complete, but for you, it could be in the morning before they’ve had a chance to wake up properly.

You can learn some easy tricks for tiring your husky out here.

6. Focus On The Outside Of The Teeth

Most of the plaque and tartar build-up on your husky’s teeth will be located on the outside, so make this area a priority when brushing.

If your husky is particularly stubborn and not in the mood, it’s much easier to clean the outside of the teeth instead.

7. Keep It Simple

When brushing your husky’s teeth, the main goal is to cover all the teeth’ surfaces with toothpaste.

Stick to brushing in straight lines, and avoid moving the toothbrush around too much, as it can cause irritation.

8. Look Out For Irritation

I’ve found that brushing every day, while beneficial and recommended, can sometimes cause unwanted irritation to their gums, especially when first starting.

This is why I recommend checking the gums before you start brushing for signs of irritation.

It’s perfectly fine to miss a brushing session to let their gums recover – don’t overdo it.

In Summary

If you don’t regularly clean your husky’s teeth or clean them at all, you need to start implementing it into your routine.

Keeping their teeth clean has many benefits for your husky and you as the owner, so don’t neglect it.