Show me those pearly whites

I came away from the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association’s Winter Conference with a new respect for dental hygiene. If you had seen the graphic photos I saw you would join me in cleaning my cats’ teeth tonight and examining not only their gums and teeth but the throat and under the tongue as well.

Of course you should be brushing your cat’s teeth at least weekly. But those pictures brought home to me that brushing is about more than teeth cleaning. While you’re brushing those teeth you would probably notice anything unusual in the mouth simply by looking more closely.

This is particularly significant now since February is National Pet Dental Health Month. The AVMA is promoting proper dental care for all pets this month. Check out their website for information and an instructional video.

http://www.avma.org/animal_health/npdhm/default.asp

Now, if you are like me, you are on your way to brushing your cat’s teeth.