Yes, I know, in today’s busy world you probably barely have time to brush your own teeth so the thought of having to do your pets too might sound like a lot of work but seriously when you think about it….. It is just about 180 seconds of your day that could make a huge difference to the health and life span of your furry friend.

Try to get into a routine where you brush your animals teeth in the evening after they have finished eating for the day. It’s a good idea to do it around the same time as you do your own nightly brush. That way you are more likely to remember. Keep your pets toothbrush in your bathroom where you will be likely to see it each night as a reminder.

You can use a special pet toothbrush. There are lots of different kinds available to suit different types of dog or cat. The main choices are; finger toothbrush, tiny toothbrush or a dual headed brush that covers both at once. Then you need to select a pet toothpaste. Make sure you check the scent of this, meat flavoured ones might not lead to very pleasant breath! Its best to look for one that is minty or vanilla for sweeter puppy kisses.

Brush your pets teeth just as you would your own. They don’t need to rinse . However make sure you carefully rinse out their brush under water each time you use it to avoid it getting stiff and also to keep it clean.

In an ideal world you would brush your pets teeth EVERY day but if you can manage even 3-4 times a week then you are doing better than most. For those of you who want another option, on nights when you cannot manage a full brush you can use a pet tooth wipe which is a 20 second quick solution that is better than doing nothing at all.

Once you start teeth brushing into your dog or cats routine you should notice a number of key benefits. Your dog or cat will have cleaner teeth and plaque will build up less quickly. This should mean better breath and less visits to the veterinarian for teeth cleaning over their lifetime. The teeth and gumline affect the whole health of your pet and most people are unaware that bad teeth can cause pain (which your pet cannot tell you about) and lead to other dangerous conditions such as heart problems.

Do your pet a favour and try to start today!