February is National Pet Dental Month: 101 Dog Care Tips- Tip 85
There is a lot to smile about in February with Valentine's Day just around the corner and only a smooch away. It is only fitting that while your pet pucker up for their Valentine that we celebrate February National Pet Dental Month (coincidence, we think not). So, let's see those smiles!
Proper oral dental health is not only important for humans, just as brushing our teeth everyday is second nature the same should be true for our pets. Since pet's lack opposable thumbs to do the teeth brushing themselves. As responsible pet owners it is our duty to help them maintain a healthy smile. So, give your pet something to truly smile about making pet dental health a priority. Just as proper pet nutrition & exercise is important, proper oral care should be as well. But often times our pets teeth can become neglected only to put a huge toll on our pet's health and our wallets.
Preventive routine teeth cleaning & brushing is an important part of your dog or cats overall health & well being. Year round dental care not only means a healthier pet but less vet bills, so take a few minutes out of your day to brush your pet's chompers. So, how often should you brush your pets teeth? It is advised that you should brush your dog or cat's teeth 2-3 times a week. As Sushi and Espy would agree the rewards of clean breath and pain-free healthy smile is truly worth the time and effort. Also, you should take your pet in for a yearly vet physical & oral checkup.
Like anything, prevention is the key! Proper pet oral hygiene helps your dog & cat ward off bad breath, , tarter build, plague, sickness, periodontal gum and heart disease. If proper dental care is not taken seriously, dirty plaque can be the breeding ground for bacteria which can wreak havoc on your dog's system and cause heart, liver and kidney problems. So, during your grooming sessions & daily teeth brushing check for pain, swellings, redness, abscesses, foul odors (halitosis), and loose or broken teeth in need of immediate vet attention. If your dog is having trouble chewing and swallowing then a dental checkup is in order.
What can you do to keep your pet's teeth healthy?
1. Yearly Vet Dental Checkup! Have your pet's teeth examined by your trusted certified vet during his or her yearly physical. At this time a veterinarian will check for signs of bad breath, accumulation of tartar, signs of gum disease and other dental problems. Early detection of tooth, gum & oral disease will give you & your pet less of a toothache in the long run. The dental problem is more likely to be treated properly with a positive outcome.
2. Don't indulge your pet's sweet tooth since sugar can encourage bacterial growth.
3. Give your dog a good dental chew or treat to help keep tarter and plaque at bay. Not only are dental chews a great way to keep your dog's teeth clean but is a way fun away to keep your dog entertained for hours. Our bully sticks & dog chews do the trick!
4. Brush your pet's teeth on a daily basis (2-3x's a week). Although dental chews are a great, they should not substitute for a good teeth brushing. Purchase a special pet toothpaste & toothbrush, never use human toothpaste since pet's can not spit or rinse. The key to successful teeth brushing is to start your pet off slowly for your pet to adapt, be gentle and use positive reinforcement. Treats work wonders! To make teeth brushing easy for the both of you, it is important to acclimate your anxious & often fearful pet. Start by placing toothpaste on your fingers and gently rubbing them in your pet's mouth. Not only will this get your pet accustomed to the taste of toothpaste and fingers, it will be a lot easier to introduce a toothbrush.
5. Professional Dental Cleaning. At home pet dental cleaning is a must, but nothing compares to a good thorough yearly cleaning by a certified vet during your pets yearly physical. During your pet's yearly vet checkup your vet should inform you if a professional pet dental cleaning is needed. Consult with your vet further about any specific health risk for your pet prior to procedure since anesthesia will be used. Remember each pet's circumstance is unique.
________________________________
Best Bully Sticks News!
Become a Facebook Fan, “Like” our page & Help us reach 5,000 fans.
How Can You Give Back To Barkworthy Rescues and Shelters Across the Globe? Click to Give a $1 at Checkout!
Well, we we tell you how you can help Best Bully Sticks support them. With your help we can save lives one $1 at a time and no animal needs to suffer.
Participate in our Best Bully Sticks $1 Donation Program by shopping on www.bestbullysticks.com and clicking to donate a $1 at checkout. For every $1 you donate at checkout we will donate a $1 with a 100% of the proceeds going to rescues and shelters in need across the country. The money raised will help with out reach, basic animal necessities and rescue programs. Donations raised monthly by you will be given to 3 lucky rescues during our ongoing monthly Best Bully Sticks Rescue Shelter Giveaway.
NEW! PRICE-MATCH GUARANTEE!
We are so confident that we offer the best prices at www.bestbullysticks.com that we now match ANY online vendor price on any item we sell!
If you find anything on www.bestbullysticks.com for less on another website (excluding Amazon and Ebay), let us know and we’ll credit the difference to you. It must be the same item. For bulk items, we’ll try our best to match the price. Email us at bbinfo@bestbullysticks.com with any questions or to take advantage of this great new service.
Is your dog barking for his or her time in the spotlight?
If you would like your dog spotlighted or want to recommend a dog breed you love for our next Best Bully Sticks Spotlight on a Breed entry please send us an email or tweet @bestbullysticks. Don’t forget to send over a photogenic pic of your dog as well.
Give the gift of a good chew. Delicious & all natural, the way nature intended!
Please make sure to check out our growing selection of dog treats & chews, and of course our bully sticks . Try our odor free bully sticks!
Take The Guessing Out Of Gift Giving With A Best Bully Stick Gift Certificate!
But what do you do for the pampered pup or feline that has everything? Hmmm..For the pet that has everything give a Best Bully’s Gift Certificate and take the guessing out of gift giving! This is a great way for you to give that furry special someone in your life or loving pet owner a special gift by allowing them to select the exact products their furry companion are looking for.
A picture is worth a thousand words, or shall we say free bully sticks!
Our photo gallery is growing constantly, please submit a photo of your dog enjoying any of our products to enter our twice monthly contest! Each month we will have a drawing on those customers who submitted pictures to the gallery and a winner will be chosen and posted on the site. The winner will win more bully sticks!
We are passionate about dogs and our mission is to keep your deserving pup chew happy & safe. That’s why we offer the best in safe, high-quality Brazilian, free range 
As the saying goes "Knowledge is power". Before one can chime in on the great feedlot verse grass fed debate its important to know the difference between the two. Livestock placed in feedlots are often confined in overpopulated crapped holding pens where cattle are grain fed and fattened before being slaughtered. Sadly, feedlot cattle are feed an unnatural diet of of grains and inhumanely unable to roam and graze grasslands freely as nature intended. Because of cramped feedlot pen corridors cows are often sick and run high risk of transmitting diseases, and as a preventive measure many are more likely given routine antibiotics. Not to mention cows raised in this way are often given growth hormones shots so that they can reach slaughter weight faster and farmers can increase beef production in a short span of time. Because grain-fed cows grow faster, after spending only 6 months in a feedlot are sent to slaughter houses. Not only are feedlot accommodations inhumane for the cattle their is much environmental & health concerns to consider. Larger concentration of wastes, inefficiency of feeding grain to cattle & the use of hormones and antibiotics for feedlot cattle is not much to be desired. Estimates of the number of pounds of grain required to produce a pound of beef range from 10 to 16 pounds. With approximately 97% of the beef sold in the U.S. is grain-fed feedlot beef, while the other 3% is grass-fed consumers are opting for the healthier piece of grass fed steak.
