Clean Mouth, Clean Pet

​     We humans are supposed to brush our teeth for a minimum of two minutes twice a day. We are also supposed to go to our dentist for a check-up twice a year, that is right, every 6 months with full dental cleaning, x-rays, and more even though we are also doing twice a day brushing.
     When did your pet last have a full veterinary dental cleaning? When was the last time your pet’s  teeth were brushed? If it was last night or this morning GREAT! You can stop reading this right now. Go enjoy your day!
     However, if you are like most of us and can’t quite remember the last time your pet’s teeth were cleaned or you last brushed them or helped them in some way take care of their oral health, then please let’s explore your options together.
     Our pet’s mouths are truly a gateway to the rest of their overall health. A mouth can be a snapshot of what else is going on with them.
     I am going to focus on preventive dental care and the importance of it. So for the sake of understanding what I want you to focus on, we are going to pretend that your pet’s mouth is on the cleaner side, and does not have a gross, yucky, painful mouth.
    My goal is to get you to brush your cat or dog’s teeth for up to 30 seconds every day. That is ideal. However, we are going to start very slow. First you must use only a pet- safe toothpaste. Human toothpaste is not usually safe for our pets. In fact, some ingredients like xylitol can actually harm them. We have all kinds of pet tooth brushes, most with angled heads and extra-long handles to help get into the back part of your pet’s mouth. We also have small finger brushes that you can give a try and even cat specific ones with smaller, round heads with staggered bristles, to get into those hard to reach areas of a cat’s mouth.
     When first introducing tooth brushing to your pet, I want you to start slow. Just put some of the toothpaste on your finger and see if your pet will lick it off.  Do this one to two times a day for a few days. Most dogs love the toothpaste and even some cats do too.
     Once your pet has accepted the toothpaste you can move on to putting a small amount on a toothbrush and again, letting your pet lick it off of the toothbrush. Do NOT try to brush your pet’s teeth yet. Let them get used to this idea and the new fun toys (toothbrush and paste) you are encouraging them to play with. Make this a fun experience. I always praise my dogs and my cats when they do something I need or want them to do, such as licking the toothpaste. I am also not above rewarding that behavior with a treat.
           This can be a slow process for some cats and dogs and it is important you make it fun and be consistent with this because it is truly the gateway to the rest of their body and we want it to be as healthy as it can be.
               If you have tried brushing and it truly is not working, we have other options for you to try such as a dental diet (only 20% of the diet needs to be this special dental food in order to get results), we have dental hygiene treats and even a sprinkle on food additive.
          Please stop by today and pick up a dental hygiene product that is right for your pet!