FEBRUARY IS PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

                                       Here are some good tips for helping you to keep your dogs teeth healthy.

                                            Preventing dental disease

Plaque is the gooey stuff that forms on everyone's teeth between brushings. It is a mixture of bacteria, minerals from saliva, and gummy food particles. Soft at first, plaque gradually hardens and turns brown. The hardened material is usually called tartar. As more forms, it gets up under the gums, carrying infection. In time, the teeth loosen and become painful. Eventually they fall out. There are many dog foods that are made especially to promote good dental health in your pet. It is recommended to start by having your dog’s teeth cleaned professionally by your vet and then begin a daily or weekly routine for brushing your pet’s teeth.

Brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis. Many groomers offer this service during routine grooming for a small additional fee. If you want to do this at home, just remember to buy toothpaste made especially for pets. Your dog cannot tolerate human toothpaste; they cannot digest it and many of the chemicals are harmful to your dog’s health. In smaller breeds human toothpaste can even be deadly.

Chew toys also help keep the teeth clean. Please AVOID the use of “greenies” as they can also be harmful to your dog, and have proved to be deadly in some dogs.Greeniescontain a high amount of corn starch which can stay lodged like glue in your dog’s intestinal tract and cause a deadly obstruction.

We do not recommend giving your dog rawhide chew treats.  These can cause the same problems as the “Greenies”.  Also, rawhide treats are often contaminated with salmonella or other bacteria that can kill your dog.

Thank you, Sue Henschel for the information.