February is National Pet Dental Health Month. To celebrate, we are kicking off our annual Pearly Whites Contest!
Step 1: Post your photo on our Facebook page of your pooches greatest grin.
Step 2: Get your friends and family to come to our page and like your photo.
Step 3: The photo with the most likes at the end of February wins 6 months supply of Frontline!
Here at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center we take all aspects of our puppies’ health seriously, including their teeth. Poor dental health makes it hard to properly chew up food, can lead to infection, and can make it unpleasant for them to tug with their toy. Why is tugging on their toy so important to us?Just as you go to work every day because you know you will get paid when the day is done, the same is true of our dogs. They are taught at an early age that the way to get their most prized toy, to play their favorite game of tug, they first must do their job. If it hurts or is uncomfortable to play with their tug toy, they do not get their “paycheck” and can have bad and painful associations with the game of tug or their work.
No time like the present to teach your dog to be comfortable with you examining their teeth. Just like other behaviors, make the training process fun and practice often in short sessions. As you examine their teeth look for chips, fractures, build up, gum quality and unusual odors (besides normally doggie breath).
Visit the AVMA Dental Health Page for tips on keeping your dog’s mouth healthy, podcast on dental health and more.