ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD West Highland terrier Buttons knows what's good for him, and makes sure his teeth get brushed every day.

Surprisingly Doreen and Jim Ottaway's veteran pooch enjoys having his canines cleaned. So much so, he has developed a little ceremony which takes place at their home in Castle Lane, Devizes, every morning.

Mrs Ottaway said: "When we make our coffee at around 11am, he takes it as a signal to drag his towel from the kitchen, through the lounge and into the conservatory.

"He then sits waiting patiently until Jim gets out the toothbrush and toothpaste.

"He has always been very amenable about having things done to him and he seems to know it is good for him."

Both toothbrush and toothpaste are specifically designed for pets.

The paste is non-foaming and tastes pleasant to animals.

Local vet, Chris Hamblet from the Estcourt House veterinary centre, confirmed that Buttons' daily routine was doing him good.

He said: "A couple of years ago, Buttons had to have two teeth out because they were rotten.

"We advised Mr and Mrs Ottaway he should have his teeth brushed regularly.

"Now they are in very good condition because they are cleaned every day."

Mr Hamblet said that 30 per cent of his practice's surgery work was dental, mainly the removal of rotting teeth and concretions of dental plaque.

He said failure to remove the plaque led to teeth rotting and infection spreading to the gums, resulting in blood poisoning and threatening the lives of dogs and cats.

He added: "We try to encourage owners to feed their pets hard food that does not stick to their teeth. There is also food available that is designed to clean the teeth."