Extend Your Dog’s Life Using These Simple Grooming Tips

If your dog is an important part of your life, you will want to provide the best of care for her so she can enjoy a long and rewarding life. A trip or two each year to your veterinary clinic does not guarantee that your loyal canine will maintain her healthy appearance and youthful spirit. It is you, the dog’s owner, who can make the difference between your dog living a long, full life or one of physical disease and health problems.
Many dogs are treated like they are immune from common heath problems – they are NOT! They suffer many of the same health issues that afflict humans; teeth and gum disease, ear infections, toe nail problems, and hair issues, just to name a few.
Well, don’t get discouraged, because a few simple and easy grooming practices can help you prevent the premature aging of your pet. Basic personal dog grooming is the key to early recognition of skin and tumor issues, dental problems, and mobility difficulties.
To help you establish a regular dog grooming regimen, the following tips are provided covering five key areas; brushing, bathing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and dental hygiene.
Brushing Your Dog
Brushing, or grooming, your dog is a great time for bonding with her and providing the physical contact that all dogs desire. This practice promotes a lustrous shine on the dog’s coat, whiling eliminating dirt, debris, and dead fur.
This is also the perfect opportunity to examine your dog’s skin for fleas and ticks, lumps, cuts, or contusions. And while you’re at it, take a moment and examine her ears, eyes, teeth and nails.
Bathing Your Dog
Here is the good news – most dogs only need bathing once a month, unless she likes to play in the rain and mud. If she does get dirty on a regular basis, adjust your bathing schedule accordingly.
A prerequisite to bathing is a good brushing. This loosens up any dead hair or dirt and makes the bathing process much more productive. A good practice is to start bathing your dog as young as possible. Generally start when she is about 14-15 weeks old, or earlier, if they tend to get into messy situations.
Find a good location to bathe your dog, preferably one that is contained and has good drainage. Undoubtedly, water will be spilled or shaken near and far. An enclosed shower or tub is an ideal location, or if your dog is a smaller breed, the kitchen sink can also work.
Wet your dog thoroughly, avoiding her head to keep water out of her eyes and ears. Plug your dog’s ears with cotton balls if there is a risk of flooding the ears. Use a dog shampoo and lather up the dog. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and squeeze off the excess water. The face should be washed with a soft, damp cloth. Towel dry your dog, and blow dry if desired, but it is best to keep her confined until dry.
Trimming Nails
Nail trimming can be a traumatic experience for some dogs. So, it is best to start the nail trimming experience as early as 2-3 months old to let your dog become accustomed to the practice. For puppies, you can often use finger nail clippers to tip the ends of the nails.
If this is just too much for your dog or puppy to handle all in one sitting, you may start with trimming only one paw at a time, giving your dog an extended break between sessions. The key to successful nail trimming is providing your dog lots of praise when she lets you cut a nail. Kind, soothing words of praise will let her know that she is loved and this experience is nothing to fear. Of course, a few dog treats after the session is over can’t hurt either.
Cleaning Ears
Inspect your dog’s ears often, but only clean them when there is evidence of dirt in the opening or canal. Use a cotton ball, never a cotton swab, to clean the dirt out of the ear. Soaking the cotton ball with a good ear cleaning solution provides the best results. Hydrogen peroxide can be substituted for the cleaning solution, if necessary.
If you notice that the dog’s ears are red, swollen, or emit a foul smell, the problem might be more serious and demand veterinary attention. Yeast infections, ear mites, and other ear problems are more easily treated by medications only available from your vet.
Keeping a Bright Smile
As a dog’s life span has been extended over the years, it is even more imperative that your dog maintain healthy teeth and gum tissue. You can assist her by brushing her teeth regularly. Start as early in life as possible, to get your dog accustomed to the feel of your finger or brush in her mouth.
Starting with your finger, or a special dog toothbrush fitted for your fingertip, begin massaging your dog’s gums and gently rubbing her teeth. Once she has become accustomed to the practice, try using a dog toothbrush, or small soft bristled human toothbrush, with dog-specific toothpaste. Never use toothpaste designed for humans on your dog.
Continuing this practice throughout your dog’s life will ensure that she will avoid gum disease, loose teeth, and related eating problems.
These easy-to-follow grooming tips take very little time compared to the years of enjoyment your dog will provide you and your family. Take care of your loving “best friend” and she will certainly return the favor many times over!

Causes of Dog Bad Breath

Dog bad breath is a fairly common problem that pet owners complain about. One of the most common causes of dog bad breath is some kind of dental problem, which is aggravated by poor oral hygiene.

Check the Teeth

Bad teeth may cause bad breath. Food stuck between teeth or in cavities of the teeth may expel a bad odor that causes bad breath. The condition becomes worse if it is caused by periodontal disease, or gum disease wherein the gums are infected.

So next time you notice bad breath in your dog be sure to check the teeth first. Nice clean teeth will naturally produce nice clean smell. But bad, cavity-filled teeth is one of the causes of dog bad breath.

Bacteria

Food debris left in the mouth can rot or attract bacteria, which feed on them. They could form plaque, providing more breeding ground for bacteria to thrive on. As the bacteria population increases, the levels of volatile sulfur compounds they release also increase. These sulfur compounds have an unpleasant odor like rotten eggs and are actually one of the causes of dog bad breath.

Symptom of an Underlying Condition

Other causes of dog bad breath may be an underlying medical condition which the dog is suffering without your knowledge. These conditions may include:

* Diabetes mellitus
* Kidney disease
* Infections of areas around the mouth, such as the folds of the lips
* Gastrointestinal disease including cancers and obstructions
* Other oral disease such as tonsillitis, cancer, trauma, and some autoimmune diseases
* Dietary “indiscretions” such as eating stool or spoiled garbage

Foods

In addition to that, the foods that your pet ate could also be one cause of dog bad breath. Spicy foods like garlic and onions usually expel an unpleasant odor once they are digested and are absorbed in the bloodstream. The blood is then carried over to the lungs where the odor is expelled every time your dog exhales.

To avoid this from happening to your dog, minimize its intake of foods that are known to cause bad breath.

Poor Digestion
Causes of dog bad breath may also include poor digestion. The partially digested food may be causing some problems in the digestive system, releasing a noxious odor when breath is expelled. What could cause poor digestion? Usually poor digestion is caused by the very foods that your dog eats. Most diets today are devoid of digestive enzymes and beneficial organisms, which all help during the digestive process. Without these enzymes, the dog’s digestive system is unable to perform properly. You can treat this one cause of dog bad breath by giving your special enzyme formulas designed to improve digestion.

How To Whiten Your Teeth With Ease

Your smile is the first impression that you give people. You take such pride in the clothes that you wear and the way that you groom yourself, wouldn’t it make sense that you want your teeth to match that effort? This article will give you tips on how you can have a whiter smile.

Chewing gum can actually whiten teeth. It’s true! Gum acts as a mild abrasive and also promotes saliva production, both of which help to clean teeth. But it is important to use a gum that does not contain sugar. Malitol is a sugar alcohol found in many gums, and it almost tastes just like sugar, and it will not rot your teeth.

Mixing rock salt with water and gargling nightly can go a long way in your teeth whitening efforts. Not only that, but it’s a time-tested recipe for eliminating many dental problems that people have. This is a nightly ritual that must be done, and it is very effective for whitening your teeth.

When you are going through a teeth whitening process, you may experience sensitivity. Sensitivity during the whitening is very common. The sensitivity should disappear within a day or two after the process is over. If you have continued sensitivity, you should consult with your dentist about the problem that you are having.

Don’t drink water with added fluoride and avoid toothpaste with it. It has been reported that fluoride can stain or discolor your teeth. Once teeth are stained, it’s hard to get them back to their natural color. Many countries have recently banned fluoride because it has been reported to cause disease.

To keep teeth naturally white, practice good oral hygiene. Always brush your teeth at least twice a day with a whitening toothpaste. Brushing physically removes discoloration and ensures that foods that can stain, like coffee and juices, are removed regularly before they have a chance to cause staining.

One important teeth whitening tip is to make sure that you always drink plenty of water. This will act as a natural way to remove extra food and harmful materials from your teeth, keeping them whiter. Be sure to rinse with water after eating as often as possible.

There are a few herbs that have teeth-whitening properties. These include: holy basil, margosa, banyon roots and babul. You can rub these herbs directly on your front teeth to whiten them, or you can mix them with a paste of baking soda and water or mashed-up strawberries and then apply to your teeth.

To prevent teeth whiteners from bleaching your gums along with your teeth, rub a small bit of petroleum jelly on your gums before using whitening products. The petroleum jelly provides a protective coating that will help stop the active ingredients in topical whiteners from also bleaching your gums along with your teeth.

Don’t be afraid to change the way your teeth look. Not all bleaching or whitening results will have you looking like you put in fake plastic teeth. If you use the tips that were given to you in this article, you can have a whiter smile that better matches your overall look in no time.

Everything You Need To Know About Teeth Whitening

Do you remember when it first became popular for common people to start being concerned about teeth whitening? It may have been something that never crossed your mind previously, but now is extremely important. Use the tips provided here, to ensure that you are going about whitening your teeth in a safe manner.

For the most effective at-home teeth whitening, call a few local dentists’ offices and ask for the name brand of the whitening products they use in their office or what they send home with patients to use. Most often, all of those products are readily available online for a much less expensive price than through your dental care provider.

If you are drinking something that will stain your teeth like wine or cranberry juice, make sure to drink it through a straw. The straw will help keep the liquids from being able to adhere to your enamel causing stains. Make sure that you still brush your teeth afterwards to make sure all of the stain causing material is gone.

Use whitening strips. Depending on how badly your teeth are stained, they usually don’t immediately work. Over time, you will notice your teeth getting whiter. You should use these strips regularly, but not too much. These strips are easy and convenient to use and keep you from visiting the dentist.

Use a whitening floss to help whiten the area in between your teeth. Most don’t notice that we do get stains in between our teeth as well as on the front. The use of whitening floss will help remove those stains. Flossing regularly will also help your gums get healthier which will contribute to your beautiful smile.

Baking soda is great for whitening teeth, plus, it is inexpensive and easy to get. Purchase tooth paste with baking soda in it for extra whitening every day. You can also make your own whitening paste by mixing baking soda with a pinch of salt. Rub this paste on your teeth, let it sit for a few minutes and then brush as usual.

One of the simplest and most effective things that you can do in order to get whiter teeth is to brush and floss regularly. By doing this, you will prevent food stains from discoloring your teeth, you’ll rid yourself of gum disease, plus it helps make your mouth smell better.

You can whiten your teeth at home with some common items. Mix peroxide and baking soda into a paste. Brush your teeth with this paste for several minutes. You can repeat this often as it is safe and non-toxic. Using at home products is cheaper and safer than products with unknown ingredients.

Talk with your dentist before beginning any teeth whitening program. If you currently have any sort of dental disease or issue, your dentist may recommend a specific method of teeth whitening. Most natural remedies do not have side effects, but if you are prone to gum problems or teeth sensitivity, some remedies may not be appropriate.

To summarize, keeping your teeth white is something that just about everybody is concerned with these days and you want to make sure that you are right there with them. As referenced in this article, there are many ways that you can efficiently and safely bring the shine into your smile.

Kitten Vaccinations: Types of Vaccinations

In recent years, the vaccination of cats has become more popular. The three most common vaccines give protection against feline infectious enteritis (FIE), feline influenza (cat flu) and feline leukaemia (FeLV). An initial course of two injections, the first at nine weeks are usually given, and yearly boosters are recommended thereafter.

FIE causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and the cat develops a very high tenperature. Before the vaccine was introduced, it killed a great many cats by dehydration due to the bowel symptoms. Cat flu is caused by two viruses: the feline rhinotracheitis (FCV). FVR is the more severe of the two, causing coughing, sneezing, and nasal and eye discharges.

FVC has milder discharges but more gum inflammation and mouth ulcers. Neither FCV nor FVR is usually deadly but the infection can linger on in the form of snuffles, and some cats become symptomless carriers of the disease. When stressed, these cats develop mild symptoms and spread the virus.

FeLV suppresses the activity of the cat’s immune system, allowing a wide range of symptoms to develop. It often results in the death of the cat after several months of illness. The virus is spread mainly in the cat’s saliva. It is a disease of cats that fight a lot, and of cats in large colonies, who share the same food and water bowls. It should not be a threat in a well-run boarding cattery, where the feeding and grooming utensils are properly cleaned, and the cats do not mix with each other.

A vaccine exists against the chlamydial organism, which can cause not only mild eye and nasal symptoms, but more importantly, infertility and abortion. This vacine is used mainly in breeding colonies to protect against infertility.

Personal Dental Care: Taking Care Of Your Teeth

When you get your photo taken, you usually smile and
reveal to the world your teeth. Healthy teeth can be a
indicator of one’s personality. Slobs usually have
teeth that are rotten and they have bad breath.

However, people who keep their teeth in tiptop shape
are the ones who are known to be successful and
responsible in their careers. Personal dental care
differs from one person to another, but it all comes
down to one important fact: the healthier your teeth
are, the greater you would look.

Aside from the aesthetic value of healthy,
good-looking teeth, they also help a person chew foods
properly. Remember, for a person to have a good
digestion, the foods that he or she would eat should
be chewed properly. Having a good set of teeth also
enables a person to speak clearly and confidently.

People who have a poor set of teeth are usually shy
and hesitant to talk in public and fail to effectively
communicate with others. Although sometimes, the shape
and structure of one’s teeth may be genetic, dentists
and orthodontists can usually help re-shape and
improve crooked, ugly teeth.

The Importance Of Healthy Teeth It is very important
that individuals take care of their teeth because it
will prevent plaque formation which pertains to a
clear film that sticks to the surface of the teeth.

You might think that having a clear film stuck to your
teeth is harmful (since it’s clear, anyway) but you
might change your mind when you discover that the film
is very sticky and it has a magnet-like aura that
attracts bacteria to stick to it.

Sinfully Sugary Sweet Bacteria are attracted to sugar
stuck on your teeth like ants in a picnic. The
bacteria that is attracted by the sugary substance
left in your mouth after you eat candies or cake
breaks down the sugar into acid.

The acid is the one responsible for eating away your
tooth enamel, which would then cause holes in your
teeth called cavities. Too much plaque also causes a
disease called gingivitis. It is a gum disease that
makes gums red, sore and swollen.

The first indicator that you have gingivitis is when
your gums easily bleed even with just simple and basic
brushing. Practicing personal dental care is really
important because if one wouldn’t take care of his or
her teeth, the cavities and unhealthy gums will make
the gum very sore and rotten.

Getting awful toothaches can also be a result of lack
of personal dental care. Having toothaches and other
mouth-related diseases due to lack of personal mouth
hygiene will surely make eating, as well as
communicating with other people difficult.

Brush Properly If you are already getting paranoid
about all the bacteria that is staying inside your
mouth, don’t be! You can actually combat the bacteria
in your mouth by two simple weapons: toothbrush and
toothpaste.

By brushing your teeth at least two times a day, you
can break down the plaque and prevent it from building
up to cause cavities and other teeth and mouth
problems.

Being a responsible owner of pearly whites is not
difficult. You just have to make sure that you don’t
forget about your personal dental care amidst your
busy work or lifestyle.

Keys To Fighting Plaque And Tartar Formation

Two of the most important oral hygiene issues that need to be addressed and pain enough attention are plaque and tartar. Most dental patients usually confuse plaque and tartar and their relationship with each other. It is important to be informed and know what sets these two issues apart to be able to tailor dental hygiene and habits to aid in the prevention and control of the occurrence of these two.
Plaque. Fighting plaque is a life-long process where oral health is concerned. Plaque forms in the surface of the tooth and may collect on teeth or areas where the tooth meets the gums. It is a sticky, colorless deposit of bacteria due to the combination of saliva, food and other fluids. Plaque builds up traps stains in the teeth. These deposits may lead to the development of cavities that weaken teeth and may become a primary factor in the occurrence of gum diseases. Plaque stars to form 4 to 12 hours after brushing the teeth. This explains why it is highly recommended to brush the teeth at least twice a day. Regular tooth brushing, however, may not be enough. It is also necessary to floss daily to ensure the cleanliness of oral areas which are hard to reach through brushing.
Tartar. Another term for tartar is calculus. It is a crusty deposit that traps stain in the teeth and causes discoloration of the tooth. Calcium and phosphate are minerals that bind to form crystals in the teeth. When these minerals are hardened within a plaque, tartar is formed. Tartar is known to create strong bonds, making it removable almost only with professional help. It is important to remove tartar as soon as observed because tartar can also make removing plaque bacteria harder, creating more complicated oral problems. Pyrophosphates aid in the prevention of tartar formation. It decreases calculus build-up by inhibiting the growth of crystals on the surface of the tooth. It is important to consider the fact that plaque and tartar vary effect on different people. People may have different susceptibility depending on factors such as age. Plaque and tartar build up faster as people grow older. It is, therefore, important to watch and monitor dental/oral hygiene more closely as one grows older.
There are various ways of eliminating plaque and tartar build ups in order to prevent further damage that they can cause to one’s teeth. Visit the dentist and have your teeth cleaned professionally at twice a year, or as often as the dentist recommends you to.
Choose and brush with a toothpaste that has pyrophosphates. Pyrophosphates are observed to stick to the surface of the teeth and aid in the control of crystal formation.
Another effective choice of toothpaste is one that contains hexametaphosphate. It is a form of pyrophosphate that does not only inhibit tartar formation, but also loosens the bonds formed by extrinsic stains. Choose a toothpaste with hexametaphosphate are also powerful whitening agents that serve as protective barrier to help prevent the occurrence of possible future teeth stains due to plaque and tartar.
Plaque and tartar formations can’t always be helped as we indulge in food, drinks, and activities that we need and enjoy. The important thing to remember at all times is to practice proper and regular care, which includes avoiding or taking in moderation certain food and beverages that can greatly affect dental health. The dentist’s words and advices are also very valuable in keeping a healthy mouth. See to it that appointments to the dentist’s office are made at least once every 6 months. Sometimes, a little time and effort is all we need to be able to live a happy and healthy life.

An alternative to your dentist to have your teeth filled or crowned with porcelain is to get porcelain veneers…

Cloves are very good in the treatment of bad breath and are just effective in helping a toothache suffer cope with the pain of tooth ache; clove oil applied on the affected area can help ease the pain.|Whiskey serves as an excellent pain killer for a person with toothache, you can drop a few drops of whiskey on the affected area; the gums absorb the whiskey and you will feel considerable release from the pain.

Gently rub the affected area of your teeth ache in circular motions to get temporary relief….massaging in general has been known to relax tenses muscles and increase blood flow to the affected area which then provides a measure of relief.|Flossing can make a world of difference in the health of your teeth; regular flossing will definitely keep your teeth in good shape because of its cleansing tendencies.|Laser whitening is a new procedure used to whiten yellow or discolored teeth; the dentist protects your gums with a rubber dam to avoid the bleaching agent from harming them…then, the bleaching agent is spread over the teeth – a light or laser is directed towards the teeth to speed up the whitening effect of the bleaching agent.

Make sure that the bleaching agent you purchase contains hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide because these are they main agents that are very active and are responsible for whitening the teeth.|A crushed mixture of garlic and peanut butter works wonders on a toothache and is a very effective home made remedy for the condition.

The consumption of fresh fruit juice at list twice a day can ease the pain associated with toothache and provided temporary respite.|Some people have holes or cracks in their teeth filled up by dark metallic colored fillings; this can be quite noticeable in a smile and can cause a measure of embarrassment…restorative dentistry can handle this by using porcelain crowns to cover the portion of the teeth where the fillings are obvious.|Listorine antibacterial solution is quite effective in killing the pain that comes with toothache because it contains anti-septic properties that kill off the bacteria causing the toothache in the first place.

Taking Care Of Your Teeth

When you get your photo taken, you usually smile and
reveal to the world your teeth. Healthy teeth can be a
indicator of one’s personality. Slobs usually have
teeth that are rotten and they have bad breath.

However, people who keep their teeth in tiptop shape
are the ones who are known to be successful and
responsible in their careers. Personal dental care
differs from one person to another, but it all comes
down to one important fact: the healthier your teeth
are, the greater you would look.

Aside from the aesthetic value of healthy,
good-looking teeth, they also help a person chew foods
properly. Remember, for a person to have a good
digestion, the foods that he or she would eat should
be chewed properly. Having a good set of teeth also
enables a person to speak clearly and confidently.

Check here  Help Receding Gums

People who have a poor set of teeth are usually shy
and hesitant to talk in public and fail to effectively
communicate with others. Although sometimes, the shape
and structure of one’s teeth may be genetic, dentists
and orthodontists can usually help re-shape and
improve crooked, ugly teeth.

The Importance Of Healthy Teeth It is very important
that individuals take care of their teeth because it
will prevent plaque formation which pertains to a
clear film that sticks to the surface of the teeth.

You might think that having a clear film stuck to your
teeth is harmful (since it’s clear, anyway) but you
might change your mind when you discover that the film
is very sticky and it has a magnet-like aura that
attracts bacteria to stick to it.

Sinfully Sugary Sweet Bacteria are attracted to sugar
stuck on your teeth like ants in a picnic. The
bacteria that is attracted by the sugary substance
left in your mouth after you eat candies or cake
breaks down the sugar into acid.

The acid is the one responsible for eating away your
tooth enamel, which would then cause holes in your
teeth called cavities. Too much plaque also causes a
disease called gingivitis. It is a gum disease that
makes gums red, sore and swollen.

The first indicator that you have gingivitis is when
your gums easily bleed even with just simple and basic
brushing. Practicing personal dental care is really
important because if one wouldn’t take care of his or
her teeth, the cavities and unhealthy gums will make
the gum very sore and rotten.

Getting awful toothaches can also be a result of lack
of personal dental care. Having toothaches and other
mouth-related diseases due to lack of personal mouth
hygiene will surely make eating, as well as
communicating with other people difficult.

Brush Properly If you are already getting paranoid
about all the bacteria that is staying inside your
mouth, don’t be! You can actually combat the bacteria
in your mouth by two simple weapons: toothbrush and
toothpaste.

By brushing your teeth at least two times a day, you
can break down the plaque and prevent it from building
up to cause cavities and other teeth and mouth
problems.

Being a responsible owner of pearly whites is not
difficult. You just have to make sure that you don’t
forget about your personal dental care amidst your
busy work or lifestyle.

Achieving Whiter Teeth Without All The Hassle

Use these free tips on teeth whitening so that you look your best! It seems almost as though everybody has brilliant smiles these days and you want to know how they manage to do it so well. Use the information gathered here in this article to keep your teeth white.

Avoid water and toothpaste with fluoride in it. It has been found that it can cause discoloration of the teeth. There are several countries that have banned it from drinking water because it has been connected to disease and symptoms there. If you need to take fluoride, use the capsules.

Avoid teeth whitening if you are pregnant or nursing. The chemicals used for the whitening process may be safe to put in your mouth, but they could be potentially harmful to your little one. Consult with your physician and your dentist before you attempt any process during your pregnancy and nursing periods.

Don’t go overboard with whitening products. It’s very easy to overuse whitening products so your teeth will be whiter. You want to avoid using them too much because they can be damaging to your teeth and gums. Some of these products can eat away at the enamel on your teeth, leaving them with a translucent look.

Lemon juice is known to help whiten your teeth. It is also known to remove tarter and plaque, which can make teeth appear yellow. You should mix equal amounts of hot water and lemon juice. Use this to rinse your mouth out before brushing your teeth.

Brush your teeth with apple cider vinegar once a day to whiten your teeth gently and naturally. The acid in the vinegar removes discoloration or film from your teeth and when used regularly, brightens your smile. If you experience any gum problems because of the acid, discontinue using vinegar.

Talk with your dentist before beginning any teeth whitening program. If you currently have any sort of dental disease or issue, your dentist may recommend a specific method of teeth whitening. Most natural remedies do not have side effects, but if you are prone to gum problems or teeth sensitivity, some remedies may not be appropriate.

For whiter teeth, stay away from white wines. White wines generally contain more acid than red wines, which will eat away at the enamel of your teeth.

If you have a large number of enhancements on your teeth, such as crowns, veneers, implants, and fillings, tooth whitening procedures are probably not a good idea. This is because the chemicals used to whiten your teeth will only work on the natural tooth surface, and you’ll be left with a patchwork effect.

Peroxide is one of the most popular home remedies for whitening teeth. To use peroxide, brush your teeth like normal, and then swish with peroxide afterward. Another way to use peroxide is to dip a cotton ball in the peroxide and rub it on your teeth. You should see results in a couple weeks.

To summarize, you want to be sure that your teeth are as white as can be. As alluded to at the beginning of this article, some of the best tips and tricks have been provided. Go out and try them yourself or share with a friend and feel great with a new smile.