The question: how often do you brush your pet’s teeth?
The results:
66% say ‘Never!’
16% say once a week
16% say when they need it.
Okay, so seriously, brushing your pet’s teeth is ESSENTIAL! Dogs and cats also get cavities like we do, and most specialists recommend that you brush your dog’s teeth twice a week. With cats the same frequency is recommended, but definitely harder to achieve. Work it into a grooming program if you can!
Not brushing your dog’s teeth can cause bad breath, and this is usually indicative of periodontal disease (98% of bad breath in animals is caused by periodontal disease). If untreated it can lead to bacteria infection which can spread to other parts of your dog’s body through the bloodstream. Make sure that you check this out if your dog does have bad breath and you are not an active brusher.
Something else that you may not know is that you cannot use normal toothpaste on your pet. Why? It’s simple: it’s not meant to be eaten. Any school child knows that to make himself sick he just needs to eat a bit of toothpaste, and that’s what will happen to your dog. The reason? Your dog is definitely going to swallow whatever you put in his mouth! You can get special yummy toothpaste for your cat and dog at your local vet, grooming parlor or pet shop.
Cats, as we all know, are a difficult bunch and you are going to have to coerce your cat into thinking that brushing her teeth is fun. You have to ease her into the idea, rub her cheeks, use your finger instead of a brush, and always always stop before she gets grumpy. Dogs will love the attention, but cats will run away if they sense a tooth brushing coming their way! Turn it into a fun game or grooming and your cat might even look forward to the experience.
Be sure to vote in this week's poll!
