How much do you know about your dog’s teeth? Well, let’s get serious, how much do you even know about your own teeth? Not much?  You should, since those pearly whites in your mouth not only look great in photos, but they make it so you can enjoy your favorite foods! It’s important you care about them, whether it’s your own set or your dog’s.

Below, we wanted to share some fun facts about your dog’s teeth that you may not know:

• Dogs have 42 permanent teeth and puppies has 28 teeth.
• By age 3, 80 percent of dogs show signs of gum disease
• Small dogs have a bigger chance of developing periodontal disease than larger dogs.
• Dogs, who spend a lot of time outdoors, are known to break teeth often from carrying objects in their mouths.
• Dogs don’t usually get cavities, because they don’t consume sugar like humans do, and the surfaces of their teeth are different than ours. Dogs’ saliva also has a high pH, which helps prevent demineralization in the teeth
• A dog dental visit is just like a human’s; the vet will give them an exam, a cleaning and x-rays.
• Like humans, a dog can have extra teeth and need them removed.

First and foremost, it’s essential you bring your dog in regularly to get a dental check in with the vet. Once a year is usually enough for a professional checkup, but some breeds need more visits. It truly is essential to bring your dog in for teeth cleanings by a vet. Otherwise, you run the risk of your dog developing a periodontal disease that can cause him pain, destroy the teeth, gums, and bones, and even cause damage to other parts of the body. If your dog has extremely bad breath, irritated gums, is reluctant to eat, or has bumps in the mouth, you should get him checked out by a vet to rule out anything serious.

In between dental visits, there’s plenty you can do to prevent plaque and tartar build up throughout the year. You can brush your dog’s teeth with a special dog toothbrush and toothpaste, use a special dental oral rinse, or use dental chews and water additives.

Ark Naturals and Gray Muzzle offer a few different dental products for dogs.

• Breath-Less Chewable Brushless Toothpaste – These are natural dental chews for dogs that help keep plaque, tartar, and bacteria under control. These also help reduce bad breath and stained teeth. No brushing needed!
• Breath-Less Plaque Zapper – This is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless natural water additive that helps prevent dental decay, plaque, tartar, and bad breath.
• Brushless Toothpaste – This is a natural, senior-friendly dental chewable that helps control plaque, bad breath and tartar. This is also good for dogs with tender gums or missing teeth.

Your dog’s dental health is just as important as yours! With the proper dental care, you can keep your dog smiling and pain free all year round. For more dog wellness products, visit Ark Naturals’ Dog page. Ark Naturals takes pride in creating products that promote pet health so they can live healthier and happier lives.

Unlike you, your cat can’t pick up a book, sign up for a yoga class, or sit back in the therapist’s couch to de-stress himself. Yet, your cat experiences stress and anxiety just like you. And if stress and anxiety makes you feel and act crazy, you better believe it’s also doing that to your cat.

If you think your cat may be stressed, don’t ignore it! Ignoring the problem will only make it worse. Also, stress and anxiety could be a sign of a bigger health issue. Stress can also suppress your cat’s immune system making them more prone to sickness and diseases.

Why could your cat be stressed? Well, there’s many reasons, and it’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact cause. Sometimes, it could be a combination of a few different causes. Here are some potential reasons as to why your cat may be stressed:

• He is bothered by other animals in the house
• He isn’t comfortable in a new home you moved into
• He feels too confined/can’t see or go outdoors
• He isn’t OK with change in his or your daily routine
• He has fleas or worms
• He has a physical injury
• He is bored or lonely
• He is afraid of something or someone in or outside the house

If you’re on the fence about whether your cat is truly stressed or anxiety, here are some signs your cat will exhibit when experiencing these feelings.

• Urinating outside the litter box
• Pacing back and forth
• Excessive grooming or scratching or crying
• Hides and isolates himself a lot
• Loss of appetite
• Aggression

These are just a few of the reasons your cat may be stressed. It’s best to talk to your vet about your cat’s behavior, and work with him or her to determine if your cat indeed is stressed/anxious or if there is some other issue going on.

Besides working with your vet, there are a couple other things you can do at home to make your cat calm and happy again.

• Purchase cat trees and cat toys to put around your home so your cat has many places and things to climb and play with.
• Schedule play time with your cat daily so he feels like he is getting attention from you.
• Clean the litter box often so he doesn’t look for elsewhere to urinate.
• Opt for a natural herbal calming supplement to help your stressed/nervous/anxious cat relax. Ark Naturals offers Happy Traveler capsules and soft chews for cats. This product was developed by a holistic veterinarian and PhD herbal scientist to ease anxiety and motion sickness, whether you’re bringing you cat for a car ride or if he’s unhappy in the home. You can purchase Happy Traveler here.

In the end, it’s up to you and your vet to determine the best steps to take to get your cat purring again.

At Ark Naturals, we take pride in creating products that promote health in cats so they can live healthier and happier lives. Click here to view and purchase all our health and wellness products for cats

Ugh! What is that smell? Aw man, it’s the dog again! Her farts are lethal! Does this sound familiar to you? Dogs are animals, so it makes sense they can be stinky. However, excessive flatulence isn’t too pleasing on your nostrils and it may be a sign of something going on in your pup’s digestive system.

There are many reasons why your dog can have excessive and extra stinky farts. Some reasons for your dog’s gas may include:

• A diet with high fat
• Foods that are too hard for your dog’s body to digest.
• Your dog is overeating.
• Your dog eats too fast.
• Your dog lacks exercise.
• A change in her diet
• A gastrointestinal disease or virus
• A diet filled with beans, soy, milk, wheat, spices, or high-fiber

So, what can you do to get this rotten smell out of your home, or at least down to a minimum? Passing gas is natural after all! Before you do anything, bring your dog to the vet to rule out anything serious like irritable bowel disease or a virus. Once you and your find figure out the potential culprit of your pup’s gas, you can begin to change things in her daily life that will hopefully reduce the number of farts your smelling or hearing per day! Some things you can change are:

• Keep the fat in her diet low
• Purchase dog food that has ingredients that is easier to digest.
• Schedule exercise time with your dog daily.
• Make sure your dog isn’t stressed when eating, so she will slow down (less air gulped in the stomach).
• Serve her smaller portions and monitor her intake.
• Make sure she doesn’t have an allergy or sensitivity to certain meats or dairy products.
• Purchase a probiotic to help your dog digest food easier. Ark Naturals sells Gentle Digest capsules and soft chews, which promote the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria by helping to aid digestion by breaking down food into nutrients that can be easily absorbed. To purchase Gentle Digest, click here.

It might take some trial and error to determine the cause of the gas, but it’ll be worth it when the stink is gone! Remember, changes in diet or taking probiotics are great if they work, but if your dog doesn’t get better, you’ll have to have another conversation with the vet.

If you’re looking for other wellness products for your dog, Ark Naturals also offers products for joints, grooming, dental and more! Click here. Click here to view and purchase all our health and wellness products for dogs.