5 Paw-some Tips for Healthier Pet Teeth
February is Pet Dental Health Month and every year we like to share tips and tricks for keeping your pet’s teeth healthy. Dental conditions are common among both dogs and cats, especially after the age of 3. It’s important to maintain healthy teeth and gums because poor oral hygiene can lead to larger issues in the kidneys, liver, and heart. Your pet’s teeth should be examined by your vet at least once a year to ensure that you catch any issues early.
Before we get into some tips on keeping your pet’s teeth clean – here are some signs of periodontal disease in your pets:
- Stinky breath (like really, really stinky)
- Broken or loose teeth
- Baby teeth that never fell out
- Teeth that are discolored or covered in tartar
- Abnormal chewing, drooling, or dropping food from the mouth
- Reduced appetite
- Pain in or around the mouth
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Swelling in the areas surrounding the mouth
If you notice any of these changes in your pet, we recommend seeing your vet.
The best way to prevent dental issues is to keep your pet’s teeth clean. This is often easier said than done, so we’re going to share our best tips and tricks:
1. Calming® for Brushing: Brushing your pet’s teeth is the best way to keep them clean. In a perfect world, we would brush their teeth daily, but that’s not always possible. It is recommended that you brush your pet’s teeth at least 1-2 times per week to avoid complications. Dogs are often okay with brushing, but cats can be a little more difficult. Try giving your pet Calming® 30 minutes prior to brushing to help them relax.
2. Make it Yummy: Pet toothpaste isn’t like human toothpaste – we want to make it yummy for them! For cats, try adding liquid cat treats to the brush and for dogs try our Busy Butter™ (bonus: there are calming ingredients to help make brushing even easier!)
3. Probiotics: Aside from keeping teeth clean, it’s important to help keep your pet’s gut healthy. The gut is an important part of your fur-baby’s immune system, so maintaining a healthy microbiome is important for overall health. Try Daily Probiotic for Dogs and Cats. Bonus: probiotics can help with stinky breath!
4. Dental Chew Toys: Both dogs and cats can benefit from dental chew toys.
5. Breath Bites: Breath Bites feature natural deodorizers, including spirulina and champignon mushroom extract to suppress odor-causing chemicals in the stomach. These tasty chicken liver-flavored chews support healthy GI function to keep your pup’s breath smelling fresh.
If you’ve never cleaned your pet’s teeth – don’t worry! There’s no time like the present, and we hope you take this Pet Dental Health Month as an opportunity to start a new routine. If you do, tag us on Instagram @petnaturals, we would love to see all those pearly whites!