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Happy Valentine's Day from Shih Tzu Palace Puppies
Greetings!
In this issue:
Your Dog's
Dental Health: Brushing Your Dog's Teeth:
5 Important Steps
Doggie
Breath
Doggie Chew
Toys
Recipe's for Your Pet
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Your Dog's Dental Health: Brushing Your Dog's Teeth:
Brushing your dog's teeth should not be a chore for
you or your dog. Instead, it should be an enjoyable
time for both of you. If you take things slowly at the
beginning and give lots of praise, you and your dog
will start looking forward to your brushing
sessions.
Where to begin
Number one, this should be fun for you and your dog.
Be upbeat and take things slowly. Do not overly
restrain your dog. Keep sessions short and positive.
Be sure to praise your dog throughout the process.
Give yourself a pat on the back, too! You are doing a
great thing for your dog!
1. First, have your dog get used to you putting
things in her mouth. Dip your finger in beef bouillon.
Call your dog with a voice that means "treat" and let
your dog lick the liquid off your finger. Then rub your
soaked finger gently over your dog's gums and teeth.
After a few sessions, your dog should actually look
forward to this and you can move on.
2.
Now, place a gauze around your finger. (You can
again dip it in the bouillon.) Gently rub the teeth in a
circular motion with your gauzed finger. Repeat this
for the number of sessions it takes your dog to feel
comfortable with this procedure. Remember to praise
her and keep an upbeat attitude.
3. After
your dog is used to having the flavored gauze in her
mouth, you are ready to start with a toothbrush,
dental sponge, or pad. We need to get your dog used
to the consistency of these items, especially the
bristles on a brush. So, let your dog lick something
tasty off of the brush or pad so she gets used to the
texture.
4. Once your dog is used to the
cleaning item you are going to use, we can add the
toothpaste (or rinse). Pet toothpastes either have a
poultry, malt, or other flavor so your dog will like the
taste. Get your dog used to the flavor and
consistency of the toothpaste. Let your dog lick
some off your finger and then apply some to your
pet's gumline with your finger. Praise your pet.
5. Now your dog is used to the toothbrush
and toothpaste and you are ready to start brushing.
Talk to your dog in a happy voice during the process
and praise your dog at the end. At first, you may just
want to brush one or both upper canine teeth (the
large ones in the front of the mouth). These are the
easiest teeth for you to get at and will give you some
easier practice. As before, when your dog accepts
having several teeth brushed, slowly increase the
number of teeth you are brushing. Again, by making it
appear to be a game, you both will have fun doing
it.
Various toothpastes, brushes, pads,
and other mouth care are available. The choice is up
to you and your dog for what works best.
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Doggie Breath: Insiders Guide to Pet Mouthwash
If you're trying to figure out how you'll convince your
fur-baby to gargle, don't trouble yourself any further.
Mouthwash for pets works differently than what you
have in your own medicine cabinet and is a little more
user friendly. Products like Oxyfresh's Pet Oral
Hygiene Solution are actually a solution that is added
to your dog or cat's drinking water.
www.oxyfresh.com It is a tasteless, odorless solution
that is safe for consumption, but contains ingredients
that help eliminate bad breath. The active ingredient
is Oxygene ® which is stabilized chlorine dioxide. This
gets rid of odors, disinfects and works as an anti-
plaque solution, which promotes healthy gum tissue.
There are other products on the market that work
similarly such as Pro Dental which is also added to
your pet's water. You can investigate online or in
your favorite pet store.
Another mouthwash
that can be used on dog is Petzlife Oral Spray.
Petzlife products are made with grapefruit seed
extract, which is a natural antibacterial solution. The
product can be sprayed directly on to teeth, killing
the bacterial that causes bad breath.
There
are more reasons other than wanting sweet-smelling
kisses from your pet to use oral hygiene products. All
pet crazy folks should consider preventative dental
care for their pets. Dr. Daniel D. Aja, DVM and
American Animal Hospital Association warns that, “By
the age of three, nearly 80 percent of dogs and 70
percent of cats already show signs of oral disease.”
This can be a real problem because dental disease
can lead to serious health problems, including heart,
lung and kidney disease. The same bacteria that is
causing bad breath in your furry companions can get
into their bloodstream and cause serious health
problems. Aja notes that “Pets can live longer,
healthier lives if oral health care is managed and
maintained throughout their lives.” This is a fantastic
reason to keep your pet's breath fresh.
Whatever you choose, be sure to talk to
your vet to be sure it is appropriate for the age of
your pet.
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Dog Chew Toys: How to Choose the Best Dog Chew Toys
Chewing is a natural behavior for dogs and you need
safe dog chew toys to direct this behavior to
appropriate items (and not your shoes or furniture!)
Here are some tips to help you choose the safest and
best dog chew toys.
Desirable Features
in Dog Chew Toys
Size – large enough that
your dog can't “swallow”
Safe
Durable
Easy to clean/wash
Guaranteed
Ideal Choice for Dog Chew
Toys
Super durable rubber toys such as
Nylabone® and Kong® brands are safe, durable and
come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They can be
loaded with treats, which can keep a curious puppy
or dog busy for hours. Many also come with a
guarantee. Use as directed.
Shopping
Tips for Dog Chew Toys
Don't buy dog chew
toys with strings, buttons, small parts or loose fabric.
Stuffed toys and rope toys are not recommended
because dogs can chew through them ingesting the
fabric or chew off parts like the eyes causing a life
threatening intestinal obstruction or a choking
hazard.
Don't use bones as a dog chew toy.
Bones are not recommended for dogs or puppies.
They do not break down easily which means your dog
may have to pass them through his stool causing
serious impaction and constipation.
Don't buy too
many dog chew toys at first but have enough to
distract your puppy from chewing on your furniture,
shoes and other items.
More Tips for Dog
Chew Toys
Chewing is a natural behavior for
puppies as they investigate the world with their
mouths. However, chewing behaviors can be directed
toward inappropriate items, such as furniture, pillows
and shoes. It is up to you to teach your dog what is
appropriate to chew on. One-way to do this is to
offer your dog a variety of dog chew toys.
All dog
chew toys have a certain element of risk involved.
Extra strong chewers can tear apart just about
anything, even so called indestructible rubber. Some
dog chew toys can cause chipped teeth, while others
can cause gastrointestinal problems. But with
forethought and supervision, you can make your dogs
toys as safe as possible.
And last but not least,
rotate dog chew toys periodically to keep your
dog “interested”.
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Dog Treat Recipes
Welcome to our kitchen! Here you will find
free dog treat recipes for homemade dog treats,
snacks, biscuits, cookies and bones. Making home
made dog treats is really fun project to do with your
children or grand children!
Bad
Breath
Banishers
Ingredients:
- 2 cups brown rice flour
- 1 Tablespoon activated charcoal (find this at
drugstores, not the briquettes!)
- 3 Tablespoons canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2/3 cup lowfat milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to
400F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Combine flour and
charcoal. Add all the other ingredients.Drop by
teaspoonful on oiled sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake
15-20 minutes. Store in airtight container in the
refrigerator.
Healthy Dog
Snacks
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup plain flour
- 2 tsp toasted wheat germ
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- rind of 1 lemon
- 12 tsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup ground walnuts
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Combine all the
ingredients. Knead until thoroughly blended. Divide
into 6 parts. Roll each into a log. Wrap loosely in
waxed paper. Freeze. When needed, thaw and slice
into 1/2 thick slices (across roll). Preheat oven to
375F. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie pan.
Bake about 12 minutes. Makes 6-8 cookies per roll.
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