FEBRUARY IS PET DENTAL MONTH

We brush our teeth daily, make annual or semi annual check ups at the dentist and teach our kids to do the same. But, do we do the same for our pets?

Bad breath is not always just "doggy breath". It can be a sign that something is wrong. Are you're pet's gums red at the base of the teeth? Do they have a yellow/brown crust on them? Do the gums bleed easily if you touch them or while he's chewing? Does he have any broken or missing teeth? This needs attention. Pets can get periodontal disease and gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) too. Periodontal disease can not be reversed once it's taken hold. If left undetected and untreated, infections can form and enter the blood stream. Now you're looking at some serious illness and risk to you pet.

February is Pet Dental Month. It's aimed at making owners more aware of the need for dental hygiene in pets. There is some great information on this at the Doctor's Foster and Smith Pet Education website. You can help your companion by regularly brushing his teeth. If you have a pup or a kitten - get started now!! The younger the better. Make it a pleasant experience with lots of treats. Encourage chewing on appropriate chew toys.

Your vet can perform annual cleanings just like your dentist does for you. In the meantime, you can help by brushing his teeth daily and by getting his teeth brushed when he comes into Best Friends for a grooming! Don't dismiss this important element of your pet's care. It's up to us. Call us today to schedule an appointment.

THE WALL!!!....

Sometimes putting up walls is a good thing. That's what we're experiencing here at Best Friends in Wakefield this week.

A little over a year ago, we introduced our Doggy Day Camp (DDC) program. We had quite a bit of unused, wasted space adjacent to the lobby and decided to clear it out to make room for the doggies to come and play. I remember those days well. Some days we only had one or two dogs!! Those of you who have been bringing your dogs to DDC since the beginning may well remember this.

Slowly, our campers started to increase in numbers. We had more and more friends coming to play with eachother everyday. The camp days got longer and longer. Soon, I had to have a full time DDC Counselor on staff..... wow... we were now averaging about 10 dogs a day in camp.

It seems like over night the number of campers started to shoot up. The weather started getting colder, the snow started falling and we had to bring DDC indoors. Now we began to notice the noise level in the lobby increase. We're averaging 16 to 18 dogs per day. Not only was it difficult to hear customers on the phone, but they, too could hear from the other end of the phone the happy barks and yelps of dogs playing. Needless to say, 16 dogs playing adjacent to the lobby can leave a pretty funky lingering reminder in the air.

So, we are having a wall constructed to separate the DDC playroom from the lobby!!! I am thrilled about this!! We're putting in a large viewing window, so customers can still see how much fun the dogs are having playing together. This will also serve our trainer, Lauren, well. Training classes can be conducted now without the distractions of people coming and going in the lobby.

Stop by to see to us soon and check it out. If your interested in having your dog come to camp to play and release some of that pent up energy, give us a call today at 781-245-1237 for more information or to schedule and interview.

Agni