PetSugar

Quick Tip: Carrots for Clean Teeth

PetSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:00:01 -0800

In the spirit of National Pet Dental Health Month, try a different approach to cleaning a pet's teeth – feed him a carrot instead! Although not meant to eliminate the need to get teeth cleaned professionally or do it yourself, a raw carrot can also help scrub away plaque. Who knew?!

North had never tried a carrot so I was excited to test this out. I washed it off and offered it to him. In typical North fashion (with no trepidation), he snatched the yum right out of my hand and brought it to his bed . . . and I followed to observe. He started out licking and nibbling on it before eventually gnawing off small pieces and eating them. I didn't have any full-sized carrots in my fridge so I gave him a baby carrot and he seemed to get the idea that he was supposed to break off pieces but, as with any edible bone or toy, monitor your pet to make sure he's not biting off more than he can chew (or not chewing at all). I think a larger carrot may work better or even a frozen one – I think it was the gnawing that helped his teeth the most! To learn the other benefits, read more.

After this success, I did a little more research about the crunchy, orange veggies. In addition to helping combat plaque and tarter, carrots are a good source of vitamins A and C and fiber. It's important not to feed them to a pet too often as vitamin A can build up in their system and sometimes cause runny poo – I'd say as a treat no more than once or twice a week.

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Clean Teeth With a Brush?

PetSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:00:28 -0800

Back when North was still a rascally pup, his "gamma" (aka, my mother) sent me a doggie toothbrushing set as a present. Before I could get down to the business of snatching him, my phone rang. I had already put the puppy paste on the brush, set it on the coffee table, and came back to a chewed-up toothbrush. Oops. Guess he liked the toothpaste flavor though the brush itself wasn't salvageable. For February's Dental Health month, I've provided some toothbrushing tips, dental chews, and mints for your furry friend, but now I want to get the real scoop from you! For my anonymous poll, I'm curious how often you actually brush your pet's teeth in the traditional manner, in addition to providing all those other options.

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Bare Bones: Clean Teeth Chompers

PetSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:00:17 -0800

February is National Pet Dental Health Month! I realize that many of us don't take the time to brush our pet's teeth as often as we should, but there are many great toys that can help a doggie do his part! Hard, rubbery toys with ridges and bumps stimulate gums, clean teeth, and keep him rather busy in the process. Braided floss products remove food debris, reduce plaque and tartar build up, and add in flouride and mint to freshen breath, too.

North and I especially like the Pearly Whites N-Bone dog dental treats. In addition to his love of toys he can chomp on, it contains clove (a natural astringent that kills the bacteria that causes tartar buildup), tri-calcium phosphate to remove tartar during chewing, and calcium carbonate and vitamin D3 to build strong and healthy teeth. Best yet, it still includes peppermint and parsley powder to freshen breath if I don't have any mints on hand. To see some of our favorite toys that do this double dental duty, read more.

Double Action Dental Chew ($8.99)	Gourdo Rubber + Rope Chew Toy ($11 and up)
Dental Kong with Rope ($9.99)	Booda Fresh N' Floss 2 Knot Cotton Rope Medium Tug for Dogs 2-Pack ($6.82)
Nylabone Dental Chew ($19.99)	Plaque Attacker Dental Device, Giant ($13.99)
Pet Stages Dental Health knot ($11.49)	Compressed Piggy Bone ($1.19 and up)	Pearly White N-Bone ($4.99 and up)