February is National Pet Dental Health Month

"All Smiles!"
Photo by Kat Smith

“HISS! HISS! HISS! Noah, why in the catnip is our human trying to put a stick looking brush thingy in your mouth?”

“Garble, mumble, mumble, mumble, garble…. Well… garble… he is trying to clean my teeth from tartar, plaque, and other gunk in my mouth. He tries to keep my mouth clean by using a toothbrush, not a stick thingy brush but a real tooth brush made for dogs! They make them for cats too.”

“Oh, uh, meows, maybe it’s time for me to go hide again! I don’t want one of those things in my mouth! HISS! Meow...”

“Well, it’s not as bad as it looks to you. Barkingly, quite tasty! Paws, it beats the alternative by a long shot! WOOF! WOOF! I’d rather endure the annoyance of a human brushing your teeth than to have to go through what our humans first cat did!”

“Uh-oh! HISS! HISS! What’s that all about? Meows, purr…”

“As Dad told me, they adopted a pawsomely grand older Maine Coon cat who needed to be rescued. Prior to our humans adopting him, he hadn’t been fed the right foods nor was he taken to the Veterinarian regularly to have his exams and his teeth checked, he developed some purrty serious teeth problems.

WOOF! As I understand, barks, the cat developed serious teeth problems and a bad attitude. He became grumpy and had some of those cat hissy fits! He went from a sweet loving cat to one you really didn’t want to have around. Unfortunately, the humans didn’t know what was causing it until the Veterinarian mentioned the really bad and infected teeth. Paws, our humans decided to have the teeth removed as the Veterinarian highly recommended. Barks, within a short period of time, they noticed the cat was returning to his old self! Paws, I would rather have the humans take care of my teeth than to start feeling really bad or get really sick , or worse, from infections. Barkingly, it’s really like the same with humans. Bad teeth, you don’t feel good.”

“Meow. I love my beautiful smile with my most handsome cat-face. Maybe I will cooperate with our humans!”

“Barks, a great idea! Sit back, relax, and let the humans do their job! WOOF! Humans should NOT use human toothbrushes or toothpastes. A pet store has a good variety of dog/cat toothbrushes and toothpastes. Humans should use their fingers to gently touch the teeth and gum lines. After introducing the toothbrush to your pet, giving them a treat for good behavior, place some toothpaste on it and begin brushing. Be very gentle, not aggressive. Pay attention to your dog’s behavior taking cues and acting upon them. I do not like my teeth brushed by my human so he uses treats, dry dog food, and toys which are designed to keep my teeth cleaner. Barks, if you see anything concerning in your pets mouth, be pawsitive to bring it to the Veterinarians attention.

WOOF! Always chat with your Veterinarian before starting a new routine like teeth brushing. Barks!

February is dental month! Check with your Veterinarian for pawssible discounts in dental services this month! WOOF!”