To keep a Cocker Spaniel’s teeth healthy should be not much of a brainer because she tends to have good, strong teeth and is about average when it comes to her susceptibility to dental disease. This does not mean you can be lackadaisical when it comes to her dental care, however! Soft plaque build up and hardens into tartar, causing gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) to progress into an infection of the gums and bone around a dog’s teeth.

Regular Dental Care for Prevention

You can keep your Cocker Spaniel’s teeth healthy well into her senior years with regular dental care that includes the following:

•    Brushing her teeth. Brush at the dog’s 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.
•    Provide tartar and plaque removing chews. Look for treats and chews that have the “accepted” seal of approval by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC).
•    Schedule regular, annual veterinary teeth cleanings. This is the only way to completely keep your Cocker’s tartar and plaque buildup in check.
•    Consider 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’s 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.