Monday, October 26, 2009

Get that 'Twilight' Grin

Vampire movies are (dreadfully) popular these days, aren't they? Note that the vampires have such clean, sparkling teefies with which to bite.   Who cleans the vampires' teeth? Do they have a lowly grunting grunt-type to do that or do they chew on doggie rawhides, the kind that are supposed to help dental hygiene?

What a wonderful segue into pet dental hygiene! How did that happen? Well, pet dental hygiene is on my mind, because I had just been to a lovely pet first aid and care class by Vet Tech, taught by Ines de Pablo, owner of Wag'N (http://www.wagn4u.com/), a company that sells pet safety supplies, pet products, and disaster-preparedness kits, and lotsa great pet stuff.  As I sat in class and Ines began discussing pet dental hygiene, I gradually slumped toward the floor, lest Ines suddenly point to me and ask if I cleaned my dogs' and cats' teeth regularly.  Had this occured, and of course, it didn't, because Ines is a kind teacher, I would have had to admit that I've been neglecting several sets of ivories in my household, with the exception of my own.

Ines, knowing that we were a class of cast-iron tummies, displayed slides of clean and not so clean pet teeth.  Bleaugth! And that was just the "clean" slide! Seriously, when I learned just how quickly doggie and kitty teeth can go bad, under the auspices of benign neglect, and how seriously those dirty old teeth can affect pet health, I became a zealous new convert to the Cleanin' Club.  (Mind you, I had virtuously been scrubbing away at them over the years, but lately, had become a dental slacker.) However, my dogs and cats, are not as interested in joining the Club.  But they will, gradually, as they learn or re-learn that getting their teeth cleaned isn't all that bad.  After all, the toothpaste for dogs that I got is beef-flavored.  Beef-flavored toothpaste! For all your meat-eaters out there, resist the temptation to gobble it down!

Note: Do NOT use human toothpaste on your pets.  Rinse and repeat: Do NOT use human toothpaste on your pets. 

Here's the good news: You don't have to clean your pet's teeth after every meal.  A couple of times a week is more than great.  In fact, it would be stupendous.  And you want your pet to think you're stupendous, don't you? Ask your vet to show you how, if you're unsure.  For my dogs, I started with the yummy (no, I didn't try it) beef-flavored toothpaste and vowed to choose one canine.  Meaning tooth, not dog.  You should start from the back of the pet's mouth -- that's easier, especially if the little darling starts to back away.  But I found that giving one of the canines a quick polish made it easier.  The canines are big teeth and easy to lightly scrub (or just initially touch) with the toothbrush, your finger, or with a finger-toothbrush, if your dog is cooperative (read: gentle, does not bite!).  The teeth toward the back are sharp little runts that are half buried by the gums and harder, for me, to initially deal with.  I plan to work my way back from those big old canines over the weeks, gently showing the gang how lovely it is that Mommy puts flavored toothpaste in our mouths, then bends over us, squinting her eyes in concentration, as she makes "Yippee, this is fun!" noises.  Then there's that funny creaking noise Mommy's back makes when she tries to straighten up!

And of course, you or your vet would want to assess the condition of your pets' teeth and what, if any, intervention is needed.  Also, ask your vet about dental chews that promote fang health.  Your pets and the dental chew company will thank you.

And this post concludes with a possible explanation of how vampires teeth stay so clean.  It's not as you think, the great makeup artist who races in after each scene to splash a little white paint on Old Fangula and his larger than life Draculian nippers.  Instead, could it be dedicated use of human-flavored toothpaste?

1 comment:

Betsy said...

What fun. Thank you for the reminder that dental care is as important for pets as it is for us humans!! Poultry is Chloe's favorite :)
Looking forward to following your postings.