Flashing Healthy Smiles on a Flashback Friday!

Come on and flash us your pet's healthy smile! With February being National Pet Dental Health Month, and it's our weekly FiveSibes Flashback Friday Blog Hop, I thought I'd share this photo Harley from a few years back flashing us her big beautiful Sibe smile for a review of good dental care for our dogs.

Brushing our teeth and having regular dental and hygienist visits is commonplace for us...but what about our dogs? 

 “One of the most common problems veterinarians see in pets is dental disease, and, unfortunately, these issues can get serious if untreated," states Dr. Clark K. Fobian, immediate past president of the American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA). "I remind pet owners that an untreated dental infection can spread to the heart, kidneys and other organs, and suddenly become life threatening. Practicing good dental hygiene at home, in addition to regular dental cleanings by your veterinarian, is the most efficient and cost-effective way to keep your pets healthy, comfortable and pain-free.”

• Do you brush your pet's teeth? (There are a variety of "brushes" from traditional to a finger-style brush, a sponge, and wipes).
• Do you perform periodic mouth inspections to be sure there are no broken teeth; sores, abrasions, or growths on the gums/tongue; or foul odor from the mouth?
• Do you give your dog dental treats or dental specific items/toys to chew on?
• Do you have your veterinarian give your pet a dental check-up during visits?  

Many folks ask what do I give my Huskies? Once upon a time,

Harley getting teeth brushed.

I did give rawhides, the giant ones that are almost Husky size. Did they love them? Yes! However...I discovered a huge downside to these rawhides. #1 - they contain chemicals, which is not only bad for an Epi-dog (canine epileptic) as it can trigger seizures, but these chemicals are bad for dogs in general.  #2 - they can be a choking hazard. No matter how large the rawhide, no matter how great the chewer, once they are wet from the dog's saliva, layers and pieces start to come off. While you may hear they are digestable...they are NOT digested well. Dogs have had blockages from chunks of rawhide, and my own Huskies have had a wet, slippery, piece of rawhide stuck in the back of their throats that I had to reach in and gently try to remove to prevent choking. My advice...find another source of "chew" for your dogs.

My FiveSibes chew on part kibble in their meals (and part homemade), they also get crunchy healthy dog snacks that either I make or purchase (House Woof Dog Biscuits and Sassy's Goodies are all healthy, homemade crunchy treats great for you dog's teeth). 

My FiveSibes get frequent dental checks from me and annual checks from our vet.

My FiveSibes periodically get their teeth brushed by either a canine toothbrush or a finger brush (pictured left). While there are many different flavors of doggie toothpaste now (chicken, peanut butter, mint, etc.), they all prefer anything minty!anything minty! I purchased these items from our local PetSmart!

My FiveSibes have dental chew toys that safely help stimulate their gums - all while they are playing!

If your dog has developed chronic bad breath, please see your vet as it could be a sign of a periodontal issue, or another underlying health concern. And if your dog's teeth are problematic, discuss with your vet if a  professional cleaning can be an option for your dog. Our Wolf had a professional cleaning done while he was already under for another surgery.

To listen in to a podcast by Dr. Jan Bellows, president of the American Veterinary Dental College and owner of All Pets Dental in Weston, Florida on AVMA's "Animal Tracks" discussing the importance of dental health, tune in HERE.

Here's a great video by AVMA on a dental hygiene routine by Dr. Sheldon Rubin:



For more information on healthy smiles for your pet, visit the AVMA website.

Click HERE to check out the very informative AVMA Pet Dental Health brochure available in English and Spanish.

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If you are a veterinarian or vet tech and would like to print brochure copies or the Pet Dental Health flyer for your office, please visit
HERE
.

As part of our Flashing Healthy Smiles on a Flashback Friday, check out my article that was published in the Volume 2, Issue 1 of American Pet Magazine all about Pet Dental Health, click HERE and flip to page 12 until you see my boy Wolf (below) getting his canines brushed!

American Pet Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1

**SPECIAL OFFERS FOR PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH FROM OUR AFFILIATE PETSMART - SAVE 20% ON DENTAL TREATS EXP. 3/1**

CLICK ON BELOW LINKS:

Save up to 20% select dental treats for your dog at PetSmart.com! Offer valid 2/2 to 3/1. 


Buy 1 Dentastix 11.5oz or Larger, Get 1 50% Off at PetSmart.com! Offer valid 2/2 to 3/1.


Buy 1 Nylabone Dental Product, Get 1 50% Off, All Varieties at PetSmart.com! Offer valid 2/2 to 3/1.

 NOW...

We Want Your Pets Smiles! We'd love to see your pets' beautiful smiles - so feel free to share your pet's healthy smile photo over on our FiveSibes: Siberian Husky K9 News & Reviews community Facebook page! **Hashtag #FiveSibes and #HealthySmilesGo4Miles on your posts & Tweets to help promote healthy dental hygiene for our pets!**

A little FiveSibes blog trivia ~ Pet Dental Health Month was my debut post for my blog five years ago! Please be sure to stop back over on our five-year anniversary date on Wednesday, February 23,  to join us in our celebration and enter our FiveSibes Fifith BLOGiversary Book Giveaway! Hope to see you all here on Wednesday!

Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our new co-hosts, Love is being owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our blog hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week!