62% of pet owners ‘never’ clean their pet’s teeth

If you have never cleaned your pet’s teeth – indeed, if it has never occurred to you before reading this sentence – you are not alone. A survey of over 400 pet parents found that 62% never clean their pets’ teeth at home. However, Petmania, who carried out the survey as part of Operation Transpawma

tion, pointed out that as dogs and cats explore the world with their mouth, oral health is considered to be extremely important.

If you wondered, dogs have 42 teeth, while cats have 30. For reference, humans have 32. The advice provided is to feed pets dry food and brush their teeth with a toothbrush.

The company provided the following advice on how to check your dogs’ teeth – all liability is the owners’ own!

“To examine dogs’ teeth and gums properly, lift their lips to see where the teeth meet the gum line. Then slide your finger backwards to get a good view of as much of the back teeth as possible. Make sure your dog is as relaxed as possible during the examination to ensure their cooperation.”

22% of survey respondents admitted to checking their pet’s weight monthly, while just 1% said they ‘never’ check how much their pet weighs. Paws for thought!