We all know that baby girl is a beast. By a beast, I mean that my lovable ball of fur and energy is a whopping 96 lbs…of, again, fur and energy, so she can be a lot to handle at times. Arie is still only 2, so she has a lot of puppy left in her. Usually, I love this about her–We have wonderful walks, lots of play time, and even a few spontaneous dance parties (she likes to put her paws on my shoulders and dance!). While her energy level is great for our life, it can complicate a few tasks, like dental care.
Arie’s not crazy about dental care, but she does think soap is a delicious thing. I catch her stealing it if I accidentally leave it out, usually leading to a scene like this. I guess I can only hope those teeth are getting some attention from this misdeed!
That all being said, Arie is better than some at letting me brush her teeth. About once every two weeks, I can get that giant, wiggly body to hold still long enough for me scrub those pearly whites with her peanut butter toothpaste and canine toothbrush. I thought that I was doing a great job, given that some pet parents either can’t get their dogs to let them brush their teeth at all or don’t make oral care a priority. Even with my effort, Arie’s teeth still managed to get that yellow residue, even if on a small scale, and her gums looked a bit red in a few areas–I knew it was time for a cleaning.
Have you ever paid to have your dogs teeth cleaned? While not a massive expense, it did add a little over $100 to my vet bill after baby girl boarded there while I was out of the country. She came back with her teeth looking much cleaner and whiter. After seeing the difference the cleaning made, I knew I had to do a better job of caring for Arie’s teeth on a regular basis so that they wouldn’t start to look that bad again. I started doing a bit of research on the subject and came across some information in the Nutro Knowledge Network on the matter (please note: This post was written by a Nutro Knowledge Network Member and sponsored by the Nutro Company.)
Nutro is the company behind the ever-popular Greenies treats for dogs and cats. The company isn’t just about providing snacks that help clean your pet’s teeth–They also work to readily provide information for you on the subject of your pet’s oral health to help you be an informed pet parent as you care for your pets. While exploring the Greenies site, I came across the Pet Dental Health Quiz, which walks you through a few questions to help you figure out where you may want to up your care for your pet’s teeth. The quiz can be for cat parents or dog parents, so pick the one that works for you and have at it.
How’d you do? I found that Arie could definitely be getting better oral care, so I’m going to work to brush her teeth more often and let her gnaw on dental chews from Greenies a bit more often to help keep those teeth sparkling. You can join the Greenies Smart Treating program to save on your next batch of Greenies and to get more information on your pets’ oral health if you’d like to save a bit on dental chews and learn more.
I know that you all care a great deal about your pets and their teeth…any tips you want to share? I’d especially like to hear from those of you with cats, as Briseis and Jasper attempt to shred my arm with their back feet any time I go near a toothbrush for them.
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I’m going to wait to take the quiz, since I’m at work catching up on blog reading (shhhh….don’t tell.) My dogs eat raw and I’ve taken to refilling white bones for night time treats to get them into really chewing. The vet says their teeth aren’t bad although they do have a little tarter. We shall see at Sampson’s next vet appt. what she thinks. We did win a dental pack from My Brown Newfies so I really have no excuses.
Good to have you back Katherine!!
Oops, just realized the old website it showing up in that comment.
We try to give them lots of bones and Greenies to chew on as well as brushing their teeth several times a week. I also scale Bunny and Blueberry’s teeth once in a while. I’ve never had to worry about cats, though. We used to have two cats, but their teeth were always sparkling white! I’m not sure how they managed it!
96 lb. Puppy?
Haha, yes, Adam. She’s 2.5 years hold, but she still has all of the spirit and fun of a puppy.
Sounds like Sierra!