Yes, they make flavored toothpaste. It's easier to start with a puppy and get them used to it, but even older dogs can be taught new tricks. So don't give up if you have an older dog. Start with using just a little bit of the toothpaste on your finger, let them get used to that flavor, and let them enjoy it. Then, as each session continues, you'll do a little bit more and a little bit more. Once they're used to the toothpaste, use the toothbrush, and let them chew around on it. Don't try to brush, but just let them play with it. Put some toothpaste on it and let them lick it off. Let them get used to the idea, and then you'll start brushing. I typically just start with one side, upper and lower, for a session. Once they're done, praise them and tell them they were really good, and then come back a day or two later and try the other side. So start slow and be consistent.

They're just like us, so ideally, we want to brush them twice a day. Every time they eat, they're going to get bacteria in their mouth, but I tell people, it's just not feasible sometimes, and we understand that. If you're going to brush your dog's teeth, try to aim for at least three days a week. The more, the better, but a minimum of three days a week is needed to make a difference.

Again, it just depends on their lifestyle and what they do. There are also areas of the country that have a much higher mosquito burden than we do. Think of the deep south, Louisiana, places like that have a lot of heartworms. That being said, we have heartworms here, so it is important, and it is something that we see quite a bit of.

Depending on how often your dog is outdoors and how often you're near standing water, those factors will increase your dog's risk. It's not to say that if your dog is not very active or doesn't go outside very often, he is not at risk. He still most likely goes outside to go potty, and you have to remember mosquitoes can get into your house. So even indoor cats can be susceptible to heartworms. All dogs need to be on prevention, but especially those outside dogs that go to the lake, they're in the woods and things like that. They are definitely at a higher risk of developing heartworm disease.

Dog heartworms are spread by mosquitoes. Here in this area, we've seen mosquitoes 12 months out of the year. We don't have a cold enough winter to eradicate those mosquitoes. A mosquito that is infected with heartworms bites your dog and spreads those little microfilariae or those baby heartworms into your dog's bloodstream, where they then go and set up shop in the lung and heart area. They reproduce and multiply and cause problems with your dog.

That depends on the dog, the severity, and the groomer. We do have some behavioral modification medications that calm their anxieties and maybe sedate them just a little bit to help some dogs because we don't want to have a negative experience that they are scared of. That will make it harder and harder for them to be groomed in the future. So that's something that you definitely want to bring to light with your groomer. Talk to them, and see what their comfort is. Maybe do a meet and greet session between your dog and the groomer and see what we can get.

Yes, we recommend that all dogs be vaccinated for several viruses and diseases and also be on flea and tick prevention. Anytime you take your dog somewhere, you're risking them being infected, whether it's a virus or you take them to the park, and there are fleas there. We don't think about that. So anytime you take your dog out of the household, you risk them being exposed to these different diseases. We do recommend that they are fully vaccinated and on prevention.

I think a lot of that is a personal preference. For those of you who have tried to groom your dog and failed, you understand why it is worth bringing your dog to a professional groomer sometimes. It is not an easy job. Groomers are well-trained and well-experienced in handling dogs for haircuts, so more often than not, it is worth your time and your expense to take your dog to a professional.

There absolutely is. Bathing will strip some of the natural oils from a dog's skin and dry them out. It can cause dandruff and make them a little bit itchy. Ideally, in a normal dog for which your veterinarian has not advised anything different, you don't want to bathe them more than once a month or so. Every two weeks is about the max. Otherwise, you're going to start to cause some skin issues. There are situations where your veterinarian might advise you to bathe them more often. Then, of course, there are occasional situations like they roll in something stinky, or they're out in the mud, or something like that, where you'll have to bathe them more often. But most of the time, you're looking at every few months.

As long as they're on a great grass hay diet and maybe a few pellets and greens, there shouldn't be too many supplements you'll need to give, unlike some of the other small mammal species. There are cute little treats that are made for digestion or for urinary health, things like that. Those should be pretty safe, but they're not necessarily necessary.