You Share Table Scraps with Your Four-Pawed Best Friend?

I’ve met many families who feed their dogs table scraps as treats. Not only do dogs LOVE table scraps, being very social animals, they really enjoy getting to sit down with their family. And we pet lovers think that letting them in on the nightly dinner tradition is a great way to share the love.

Unfortunately, sharing the love and sharing the table scraps are two different things. In fact, feeding table scraps to our furry friends can be downright deadly.

Reason No. 1 to Not Share Table Scraps With Fido

Eating table scraps puts your pooch on the fast track for obesity. Because these foods are not nutritionally dense for dogs, they basically amount to empty calories. Empty calories lead to barrel-shaped pooches!

Reason No. 2 to Not Share Table Scraps With Fido

The things we know dogs love the best – and make the easiest scraps to share – are fatty meats, fat trimmings from our own dinners and skin. Not only will these scraps make your pooch chubby, they can cause serious health conditions  such as pancreatitis.

Reason No. 3 to Not Pass the Scraps to Poochie

Another easy handout is bones. As much as your buddy love, love, loves to gnaw all the flavor off bones, they pose a high risk for choking and intestinal perforation .  What seems like the perfect treat is better tossed in the trash when your pet’s life is literally at stake.

Reason No. 4 to Separate Your Fuzzy Buddy From Dinnertime

Feeding dogs table scraps quickly turns them into beggars, which can be both an annoying and health-harming habit. Dogs who beg not only annoy their parents, they also tend to eat more calories they need and are at risk for consuming foods that they may be allergic to.

Stick to the Basics

When it comes to feeding Fido, the best rule is to stick to dog foods formulated to meet your dog’s nutritional needs. If you still want to offer Fido a little treat, check back with us. We have some real-food treat suggestions your dogs can indulge in safely.

The Daunting Task of Brushing Your Cat or Dog’s Teeth

When you take your furry friends to the vet, it’s likely that one of the first things the vet will check is their teeth and gums. Why is that? Quite simply, the health of your pets’ teeth is an excellent indicator of your pets’ overall health.

What Do My Pet’s Teeth and Gums Have to Do With His Health?

Studies have revealed that a decline in your pet’s oral health can lead to systemic health problems, like heart disease, kidney failure and diabetes. See, as the gums deteriorate, they become more mesh-like and are far less able to block the entry of bacteria.

Think of healthy gums as a strong, tall, well-built privacy fence with absolutely no holes and no way for intruders to even look in, none-the-less get in. Now think of unhealthy gums as that cheesy bright orange construction fencing. Your pet still has gums, but at a microscopic level, there are gaps wide enough to basically create a nice opening for bacteria to enter the bloodstream and begin attacking vital organs.

The American Veterinary Association estimates that most pets have periodontal disease by the age of three!

OK, I Get It. Brush My Pet’s Teeth

Well, yes and no. Brushing teeth is a good idea, but how many of you have wrestled with a cat just to get something forbidden out of her mouth? Or waged war with a dog who needs daily medications? Brushing teeth is like that only more difficult. Even the most laid-back and even tempered pets generally do not want your hands in their mouths.

I Give Up! Brushing My Pet’s Teeth Is Just Too Difficult. What’s Plan B?

Plan B generally is taking your pet to the vet and having him put under anesthetic to have a professional cleaning. The cleanings are great, but not without risk. Anesthesia is actually much riskier for pets than it is for humans. These cleanings are often very pricy as well.

Is There Anything Else I Can Do to Help?

Absolutely. By sprinkling a small scoop of odorless, tasteless probiotics  on your pet’s food daily, you can freshen their breath and make their teeth three to four shades lighter in just one month. You’ll also notice that the probiotics (beneficial bacteria that thrives in the mouth) make your pet’s gums look pinker and healthier.

You’ve Got Something Between Your Teeth
How Bacteria Influences Oral Health

I’ve always believed that true friends will tell you when you have food stuck in your teeth, rather than let you walk around with remnants of your lunchtime spinach salad in your smile.

While it may be a little embarrassing to discover no one has told you that a piece of your meal is lingering between your teeth, those food particles are not nearly as dangerous as the things you can’t see hiding out between your teeth.

I’ve Brushed and Flossed – How Can There Still Be Something Between My Teeth?

Our mouths are home to hundreds of bacteria. Don’t freak – most of them are completely harmless – and some of them are helpful. The helpful bacteria not only are part of the digestive process, breaking down food as it’s chewed and swallowed, there are also several bacteria that help maintain tooth and gum health.

But – you knew a “but” was coming, didn’t you? – there are also some bacteria in the mouth that are not only undesirable, they’re downright destructive when it comes to the health of your teeth and gums.

Researchers have identified one particularly harmful bacteria, known to break down tooth enamel by gorging itself on the carbohydrates in your diet and releasing lactic acid. When I say carbohydrates, you don’t necessarily need to think of big candy bars. Carbs come in the form of grains, fruits, veggies and, of course, sweet treats.

If Brushing and Flossing Don’t Do the Trick, What Can I Do?

One of the best ways to beat harmful bacteria is to get down to their level. Instead of trying to eradicate the bacteria with alcohol-laden mouthwashes or even antibiotics, nature offers a much more gentle approach.

Beneficial Bacteria to the Rescue!

Many cultures have long used fermented foods to help keep the bacteria of the digestive tract in check. These foods, like yogurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut all contain active beneficial bacteria, also known as probiotics. Eating these foods can help boost the reserves of beneficial bacteria that are natural residents of the gut. Modern science has led researchers to isolate those bacteria and offer them in supplement form.

Science has revealed that those beneficial bacteria are not just a gut issue

Probiotics for Oral Health

By introducing the natural, resident beneficial bacteria  found in very healthy mouths back into the mouth, you can diminish the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth to numbers that simply can’t cause harm.

This probiotic approach allows the beneficial bacteria naturally found in very healthy mouths to crowd out the harmful bacteria, competing with them for both space and nutrients.

One simple step can take you a long way toward a healthier smile.

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