Smooching your pet this Valentine’s Day?
Tooth brushing can be the best investment you make in your pet’s overall health! The decision to save or extract a tooth starts with you. Did you know it can also add years to your pet’s life?
Don’t forget, February is National Dental Health Awareness Month! We’re offering FREE dental exams, 10% off all Cleanings and Products and 30% off Full-Mouth Digital X-rays!
Just like us, pets should have their teeth brushed daily. You may be thinking, “I can’t brush my dog or cat’s teeth!”
We recommend starting right away, using an approved toothpaste or simply starting with something they love, like peanut butter or canned cheese, to get your puppy or kitten used to the feel of the toothbrush, then transition to toothpaste. Yes, we know it seems silly to brush baby teeth with something like this, but it’s only for a few days!
Click this link to see how easy it is to brush your DOG’S TEETH:
Click here to learn how to brush your CAT’S TEETH:
Beginning an adult dog is similar, just treat the toothpaste like a treat, take it slowly. The key is to make it fun, not work! When your pet is comfortable brushing, spend the most time on the rear teeth, don’t worry so much about hard to reach inside, just the outside rear teeth.
Remember, human toothpaste is NOT safe for pets!
Unfortunately, some of you may already have or use items purchased from a pet store, and unknowingly chose something that is not recommended. Reading labels on products can be confusing and misleading! Labels that say “whitening! fresh! works great!” are a few of the misleading phrases used in place of “scientifically proven” or the “VOHC seal of approval”. The Veterinary Oral Health Council, developed in 1997, was established to set
testing protocols for different veterinary dental products. Only products tested and approved receive the VOHC seal of approval. We carry all VOHC recommended toothpastes and dental products.
Flavors include, Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Malt and our favorite, Vanilla Mint
Our most popular and fresh smelling is the Vanilla Mint, choosy pets love the beef, chicken or seafood flavors. Stay tuned for the other options for at-home dental health care, including food, treats, and rinses.
For more information on their recommended products please check out their website at
http://www.vohc.org/ or ask a Doctor or Technician today!
Puppies have a lot of energy, don’t they? Typically this blog will be focused on puppy topics, but this week’s post is relevant to all ages! We are talking about doggy daycare! While you are away at work, or even running errands, what is your dog doing at home? Do you need to have someone let your dog out in the middle of the day? These were definitely the questions I faced as soon as I adopted Tucker. I didn’t want Tucker to be in a crate all day, and he definitely wasn’t completely potty trained (a topic we will talk about another time). I don’t want this post to sound like I am only selling a product, but bringing Tucker to doggy daycare at the Shamrock Pet Resort has been a lifesaver for me some days.
Another benefit of daycare is that it provides a safe and fun socialization experience with other dogs, and even people! The apartment we live in has many dogs, and I could tell Tucker was afraid of some of them, especially ones that would surprise or bark at him. Daycare has provided Tucker with an experience to investigate and play with multiple different groups of dogs (medium, smaller, older, younger), and now he is not afraid to see, approach, or properly play with other dogs we come across! It is important to start socialization at a young age to prevent future behavioral problems towards animals and people, and can even help with separation anxiety. There are many more benefits to doggy daycare, but these are the ones that have meant the most to my family. I can tell Tucker is excited to see and play with his daycare friends, both two and four-legged, each day, as he runs down the hall to the resort!
