Food and plaque can build up on your dog?s teeth, much like your own.

If it lingers there, it can cause bad breath, gingivitis, receding gums, loss of teeth, damage to the tongue and palate, and oral infections. Some of these problems can make it hard for your dog to chew and eat, and they can cause more complications down the road.

To help avoid these issues, bring your dog to the veterinarian at least once a year for a dental exam. The veterinarian will examine your dog's mouth inside and out, and may perform a professional cleaning. This can include anesthesia, X-rays, and ultrasonic teeth scaling. The cost of the exam can vary depending on the health of your canine?s teeth and gums. Our Level 4 coverage includes a yearly dental exam and cleaning.

5 Tips to Keep Your Dog Smiling

Here are some at-home suggestions for monitoring your dog?s dental health in between veterinary visits from our friends at the ASPCA.^®

1.       The sniff test. Take a whiff of your dog?s breath. It probably won?t smell fresh and lovely, but it shouldn?t smell foul or offensive, either. If you cringe at the scent, you should visit your veterinarian to make sure your dog isn?t suffering from digestive issues or gum disease.

2.       Get a good look. Dogs may hide pain and discomfort, so it?s important to check their mouths regularly. Face your dog towards you, and gently lift his or her lips. Look around for inflammation, discoloration, ulcers, or loose teeth. If you see something that doesn?t look right, contact your veterinarian.

3.       Brush regularly. Brushing your dog?s teeth on an ongoing basis may sound like a daunting task, but it?s
an inexpensive way to avoid potentially serious health problems in the future. Read our tips below to help make brushing a little easier on both of you.

4.       Check your dog?s diet. The food your pooch eats
can impact dental health. Crunchy pet food or a combination of dry and wet food can keep your dog?s mouth cleaner than soft food, which tends to stick more. Ask your veterinarian to recommend a dog food that's good for teeth.

5.       Offer chew toys. Doggie toys made for chewing can perform double duty by satisfying your canine?s natural urge to chomp and by promoting dental health. Chewing massages the gums and can remove soft tartar. But be careful not to let your dog gnaw on hard toys that can injure his or her mouth or fracture teeth.

Brush Those Pearly Whites

The ASPCA recommends you brush your dog?s teeth ideally once a day or at least several times a week. These pointers can help you get started.

·         Introduce your dog to the idea slowly. Start by massaging the gums gently with your finger a couple times a day for a few weeks. Then move on to his or her teeth and gums.

·         After your dog seems comfortable with this, let him or her taste the toothpaste by dabbing it on the lips. Use toothpaste made for canines, since people paste can be harmful to animals.

·         Next, get your dog used to the toothbrush. Choose a toothbrush designed for dogs, or buy one you can wear on your finger, if you prefer.

·         Finally, put some of the paste on the toothbrush, and brush using a circular motion at a 45 degree angle to the gum line.

Your dog may not be the best patient at first, but he or she will probably get used to the idea over time, and maybe even enjoy it! Try to make teeth cleaning a fun activity with lots of praise, attention, and affection.

Valentine?s Day brings thoughts of true love, which is what the ASPCA would like to help find between pets and potential adopters. To that end, they?ve developed a unique research-based program called Meet Your Match.

With Meet Your Match, shelters evaluate pets for distinct ?canine- alities? or ?feline-alities? and assign them one of nine fun and descriptive labels. For instance, cats might be ?Private Investigators,? ?Sidekicks,? or ?Party Animals.? Dogs can be ?Couch Potatoes,? ?Goofballs,? or ?Go-Getters.? Adopters are given a survey to identify their own personalities and lifestyles. Then matches can be made.

Adopters who use Meet Your Match are less likely to return their new housemates to the shelter, while the pets are more likely to adjust easily to their new homes. The program is a great way to promote successful adoptions, and in some cases, find true furry love.

If you?re looking to adopt, ask your local shelters if they use Meet Your Match. If not, you can suggest it to them or read up on the pet personalities online and consider them as you look for your soul mate.

Learn more about Meet Your Match at the ASPCA?s website.

January Poll Results

Last month, we asked what New Year resolution you were making for your pet. The results are in:

40% - Play for 30 minutes a day.

18% - No more table scraps.

20% - Schedule an annual check-up.

22% - No resolutions for us!