How to keep your dog's teeth clean -- Merrick Fresh Kisses review

Nothing like doggy breath, huh? Hot and sometimes -- especially depending on what you feed them -- quite stinky.

But just like humans, stinky dog breath could be a sign of tooth decay. And just like humans, tooth decay in a dog can lead to all sorts of health problems.

That's why we've got to keep those teeth clean, right? And to do that, we'll show you how to brush a dog's teeth in a few easy steps, plus -- use a good dental treat. We recommend Merrick's new Fresh Kisses™ dental treats.

DISCLOSURE: This post and giveaway is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care. The opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business.

Get your dog's breath #TropiCleanfresh! Breath Drops giveaway

This post is sponsored by TropiClean and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about TropiClean Fresh Breath Drops, but Life With Beagle only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. TropiClean is not responsible for the content of this article. 

A couple of weeks ago we told you what we use around here to keep Lulu's and Jasmine's teeth clean and healthy, and their breath fresh. We've been trying Tropiclean®'s Fresh Breath Drops™, which is like the company's water additive. We've been using the water additive for about a year now and we are liking the drops so far.

After all, a dog who loves her treats needs to keep her teeth clean and breath fresh.

Now here's your chance to win some of TropiClean's drops!

Concerned about #DogDentalHealth? Get nubbly with WHIMZEES

This post is sponsored by PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Dental Health Month, but Life With Beagle only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.

Can your dog chew their way to better health?

While tooth brushing is still the gold standard for cleaning doggy teeth, giving your dog a dental chew is a great way to keep your dog from the dentist's chair.
 

Have you ever flipped the lip? It's the best way to check your dog's teeth?

Never thought about dog dental health? You should (especially if you're a beagle parents because, you know, beagles eat ANYTHING). Some 80 percent of dogs have signs of dental disease by the age of three. Dental disease can lead to other diseases in dogs, just like it can in humans.

Plus as dogs get older it could mean teeth cleanings where dogs are put under, or even tooth removal. Talk about expensive! You can avoid all that just by taking care of your dog's teeth now.

What kind of dental treat should you give? Well, in our opinion, it's all about the nubs!

 What are WHIMZEES™?

These treats from Holland are a crazy fun way to keep the tartar in your dog's teeth in check.

There are only six ingredients in WHIMZEES, with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives (top ingredient? potato starch). The treats are colorful, sure, but it's done with natural extracts. The green ones, for instance, are made with alfalfa extract, while the orange ones are made with extracts from the Annatto fruit.

The company comes out with some new styles every year so there's lots to choose from: gators and hedgehogs and toothbrushes and more. And in different sizes too.

And almost all of them have those bumps you see there -- they're nubbly. The nubs and the shape designs actually help to increase blood flow through the gums. And THAT helps prevent tartar buildup.

"Can I eat it now?... How about now?"

Those nubs are great in helping your dog's teeth stay in good shape.

How can you buy WHIMZEES? We went to PetSmart® to check it out.

Take note: PetSmart has a sale for #DogDentalHealth Month!

PetSmart has a display like that one in the stores, plus WHIMZEES in the treats aisle, PLUS single packs on shelves near the registers. 

That is another great reason I love WHIMZEES -- you don't have to buy a big bag. You can buy single treats, so you can mix and match sizes and types. On this trip I bought a bag of toothbrushes, and a couple alligators.

I actually love the alligators best, not only because they are hysterical, but because the dogs seem to chew them slowly. The slower they chew, the better it is for them.

There are lots of dog dental treats available at PetSmart. Make sure which ever one you choose is a good, chewy treat that helps your doggy keep those teeth clean.

Be sure to follow WHIMZEES on Facebook and on Twitter.

Beagle of the Week: Beags the beagle needs your help

This week on Beagle of the Week we're featuring a special beagle.

Beags belongs to Andrea, one of my followers from the Orlando area. He hasn't had a tough life, but he hasn't had the love he needed until Andrea got him.

But Beags needs help. Andrea has set up a Give Forward account to help her pay for Beags medical bills. He needs to go to teeth and gum specialist.

Here's what Andrea said about his situation:

"I have put a lot of my own money into his care, I have taken him to two vets and and am on my way to his third. He has had nine teeth pulled (and exposed roots) and needs long-term dental care that I am having a hard time paying for. I am a college student and while I do work.. it is sporadic and I can barely cover my own bills right now.
I honestly would love the help to get him to a specialist and maybe cover his long-term care for a few months."

I don't normally do these appeals for help, but this is a special case.

Read what Andrea has to say about Beags:

1) Where did you get Beags? 

I got Beags from a family member that could not care for him properly. He had terrible teeth, weighed 49 lbs (is currently at 32, he’s a big beagle).  The lady I got him from has had him since he was a puppy; he was passed around to people in the household, he never really belonged to anyone. My beagle/basset passed away September of 2013 and I went and picked up this mess of a beagle the next day… I knew he needed the love and attention and he has just bloomed since then. He’s happy and healthy now.

2) When did you get Beags? 

September 5th, 2013. September 5th is officially his birthday. 

 

3) What's his favorite food? 

EVERYTHING.

4) What's his favorite toy? 

Soft toys that squeak, which he can practice chewing (bad teeth=yea..) Anything he can eat, stuff that has something he can eat in it.. and loves balls.

5) Do they have any special skills (therapy dog, service dog, blog star, a lab beagle, a search dog, an agility star, show dog star, etc.)? 

He can look depressed or horribly bored, no matter what he's doing. That’s a skill, right?

6) What's the best thing about owning a beagle? 

They are the most affectionate, loyal dogs, I don’t ever think I will ever be without a beagle or basset or hound mix.

7 ) What's the worst part of owning a beagle?   
The worst part, my god he is an escape artist.. he’s going to be neutered soon so maybe that’ll help. And that ever lovely stubborn streak he seems to have. I swear he plays dumb quite well.

Please share this story with everyone you know. Please help Andrea so that Beags can have a good rest of his life. Please check out her Give Forward.com page.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Virbac VeggieDent Chews

What dog doesn't love Greenies? And everyone is coming out with some kind of dental treat these days.

So when I got the offer to try a dental chew normally only available through veterinarians, I said of course. Brushing Lulu's teeth is a pain! A treat is much easier.

These are the CET VeggieDent Chews by Virbac Animal Health. We got them from Entirelypets.com.

The ingredients are simple and designed to be soluble: Corn starch, glycerin, soya proteins, rice flour, palatable agent, sorbitol, corn derivatives, water, potassium sorbate, chlorhexidine digluconate.

It reminds me of a really thick fruit leather in terms of texture.

Chewing it is supposed to help reduce plaque and loosen tartar. And dogs NEED to chew it, not gulp it down. Would Lulu do what she's supposed to?

Well it's not easy to chew, but Lulu certainly wasn't going to gulp it down. It took her several minutes to get through one treat. Bite, chew, chew, chew, chew. Bite, chew, chew, chew, chew. She couldn't wreck this treat the way she does, say, Dentastix or even the Greenies meant for her size.

PROS:

• One a day can help keep teeth problems at bay, as the package says.
• Soluble, so it won't cause a digestive problem.
• Lulu likes it.
• A bag of 30 is only $10.99 on the Entirely Pets.com site, which is cheaper than Greenies.

 Time will tell if it really does help Lulu's teeth.

 CONS:

• Very little all-natural here.
• Made in Vietnam.
• Chewing is extremely important in order to make this treat work for your dog's teeth. If your dog is not good at chewing, if they take treats down whole, you either need to break it up and give them small pieces, or don't give it to them at all. The package says not chewing these treats properly could actually be harmful to the dogs.
• Older dogs may not be able to chew these as well, depending on how good their teeth on. Lulu did not find these as easy to chew.

DISCLAIMER: This post was written on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network and EntirelyPets.com, I received a product for review as well as compensation for my time. Like all reviews on this Blog all thoughts and comments about the product are my own.

Countdown to Global Pet Expo -- TropiClean Fresh Breath Tooth Gel

We are counting down to the Global Pet Expo -- now just two days away!!!

We are talking about clean teeth today.

I

We didn't brush dog's teeth when I was growing up. We never seemed to have an issue either. But these days, it's important for dogs to have clean teeth, for the same reason it's important for humans: bad breath and bad teeth can mean bigger issues.

But since Lulu never had her teeth brushed as a puppy, she's not actually fond of the process now.

TropiClean has many teeth products, but this is good. For one thing, you only have to put two drops on both sides of the dog's mouth. For another, the dog then does all the work.

The problem is, of course, Lulu can't stand it. So I normally have to sneak up on her when she's laying down. Otherwise I have to chase her around the room.

But it seems to be working.

It's had to tell in the picture, but her teeth are much better than they were.