Snap's teeth

It is with shame that I admit I had no idea Snap had a tooth decay problem. Not until a few weeks ago when he was skittish and upset around Shari's dog and would not stop licking his chops. When I opened his mouth to check if there was anything going on, I was shocked to see a tooth coming loose! The next day it was just gone and he was happy again. I just had no idea that animals could lose their teeth like that, but my dad assured me that all of his animals have done so in the past. 

Not wanting to be bad pet parents though, we resolved to take better care of Snap's teeth. I went to Petsmart, bought a dog tooth brush and paste and Terry got to work. Hehehehe. Look at Snap's face, "What's going on Master person?"

You're getting your teeth cleaned, that's what!

He really tolerated the whole thing rather well. Afterward he was rewarded with a Dentastick, a gummy treat that's supposed to rub down a dog's teeth. It's probably a gimmick but Snap loved it. The very next night he was ready for it. Instead of passing out on the couch, he followed us around and submitted to another round of teeth cleaning to get the reward - a total Pavlov's Dog reaction. We did this for about a week or two, every single night. Now he's getting fat so we are backing off on the treats (and sending him out for a run with the kids) and cleaning about every other night. That's probably more than he needs, but we've seen a reduction in the amount of plaque on his teeth. 

Long live Snap! (But not that long. I want a cat.)