February is Dental Month, so at Happy Tails Pet Supplies we figure it is a great time to remind all of us that oral care is an important part of our pets lives. It can impact their quality of life as well as how long they live.
Although a quality/healthy diet is important, along with having good chews/toys that help massage the gums and rub against the teeth, providing your pet with daily oral care is one of the best things you can do and it may take a minute or two at most out of your day!
Doing "something daily" is the best care in the interest of stopping the build up of bacteria and plaque, just like it is for a human. Sometimes it is not just what we see on the surface of the teeth, but we need to take care of the gum/under the gumline.
Here are a few quick tips to consider:
-Brushing with a high quality enzymatic toothpaste is the best. Using a toothbrush or finger brush is ideal, but we have a toothpaste that can help even if they lick it off your finger or you put a dab on their lip...it will do much of the work for ya.
-Choose a great dental chew, water additive, powder additive for food...any one of these by themselves can improve the oral health of your pet and slow down the build-up of plaque. Often, people that don't want to use the toothpaste daily, will use it throughout the week, but pick one of these other choices to use daily.
-Give toys/edible treats that allow your pet to chew. Not only does it help by rubbing/massaging the gums and teeth, it helps your pet release energy. Which one of us would not appreciate that each day?! It keeps them calmer overall, can exercise their brain a bit, and gives us time to do those other things in life.
-Remember, your vet can help with cleanings, etc. as well as there are pet dental specialists. There are not many of the latter in the country, but we have had to work with one locally many times and they are great. Ask Ken or Tiffany (owners) for details if interested.
At Happy Tails Pet Supplies we love to see people realize the importance of oral care for your pet and we have many products for you to consider. Come visit us and let us help you decide what works best for your lifestyle.
Ken and Tiffany