This quick reference site is designed to provide pet journalists a place to find and discuss the latest information about GREENIES® products and pet health. Enjoy!
We Love Responsible Pet Owners!
February was chock full of wonderful, pet-related holidays. Of course, National Pet Dental Health month was at the top of our list, but did you also know that Responsible Pet Owner’s Month was celebrated in February? Initially started to remind pet owners about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets, this holiday has evolved over time to spread awareness about what makes a pet owner responsible and to celebrate the many pet owners who are dedicated to providing love and best care to their pets.
Responsible pet ownership means different things to pet owners. So, the GREENIES® Brand team reached out to GREENIES® treats fans on Facebook and asked them to describe, in their own words, what makes each of them a responsible pet owner. We got several great responses!
Joni Nelson Yon: February is when our Koko (a 4-year-old male ragdoll) is scheduled for his checkup and shots! He’s always rewarded for being a good boy with Greenies!
Crystal Clay: My Golden Retriever is 11. She has had a total knee replacement and gets daily Greenies along with Glycoflex chews and a morning egg! She spends most of her day snuggled up on the couch or in our bed. She has no idea what a dog is and we haven’t told her!
Tori Bullek: My two fur babies get a Greenies treat at bedtime (two if Daddy is in charge) and it keeps their teeth white and clean. They have been raised with love, so they are both very sweet and snuggly. Between quality food, bottled water, grooming, and preventative medicines, being a pet parent is expensive! But it’s all so worth it when you wake up to a dog sleeping peacefully on your pillow and know their only worry in the world is which toy to play with!
Jill Snyder Mick: My pets are my kids! But the one thing I do is clean up their business while on walks or visits to parks. People don’t realize how harmful it is to the environment and other people when it is just left to decompose.
Susan Stone: My 2 rescues are given daily walks just to give us all exercise and to work off some of their never ending energy! I’ve found a quick trip to the dog park before the vet really calms them down and we work on a trick daily so they earn their Greenies. It’s important they focus, even for just a little bit, so they learn control and to trust you. Yes, rescues can be a lot of work, but the reward they give you is so worth it!
Thank you to the many fans on Facebook who submitted their responses to “What Makes You a Responsible Pet Owner?”! The GREENIES® Brand team is always excited to learn about the many loving pet parents out there who love GREENIES® products.
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012
How to Brush Your Pet’s Teeth
This is a topic the GREENIES® Brand team has certainly covered before, but it’s always a great one to revisit, especially during National Pet Dental Health Month.
Daily oral care is just as important for pets as it is for humans. We wouldn’t think about going a day without brushing our teeth, yet it’s common that pet teeth are neglected all year. In fact, only 1% of dogs and fewer cats in the U.S. have their teeth brushed daily*.
And why is that number so low? Perhaps it’s because brushing pet teeth isn’t an easy task and because many pet owners don’t know how to most effectively accomplish it.
Getting Started
THE TOOTHPASTE: Choose toothpaste specifically formulated for pets in a flavor that your pet already likes, such as the same flavor as their food. Be sure not to use human toothpaste as the fluoride in human toothpaste is toxic to pets. Introduce your pet to the toothpaste by applying it to your finger and allowing your pet to lick it off. Do this a few times before you attempt to brush so your pet will view the toothpaste as a treat.
THE TOOTHBRUSH: Use a toothbrush that fits comfortably within your pet’s mouth. Pet toothbrushes come in two main shapes: 
- A stick shape with different sized bristles on both ends
- A finger cap, with small bristles on the tip
Veterinarians typically recommend using the stick style to protect your hands if your pet becomes excited. However, if your pet is already accustomed to having their mouth handled, you may be comfortable with the finger cap.
THE RIGHT TIME: Choose a time of day when your pet is calm or relaxed, like right after a long walk or right before bedtime. This way they’ll be more receptive to you touching them and being in their space. Steer clear of play time or before or after feeding time because your pet may be excited or protective.
The Right Approach 
EXAMINE THEIR MOUTH: Only the trained eye of a veterinarian or technician will catch all possible oral health issues, but before brushing, check your pet’s mouth for things like bleeding, missing or chipped teeth, or gum irritation. You don’t want to cause more discomfort. If you think there may be an issue, talk to your veterinarian first.
THE PROPER GRIP: After placing the toothpaste on the bristles of the toothbrush, hold the brush at a 45-degree angle and start brushing on the outside of the teeth at the back of the mouth. Move forward in the mouth after you’ve brushed both the bottom and top teeth.
BRUSH EACH TOOTH: Take care to brush every tooth, but don’t fret if you cannot reach the inside of the teeth. The toothpaste and tongue licking will help to clean those tooth surfaces.
Just like your gums may bleed if you floss for the first time in several weeks, your pet’s gums may bleed slightly when irritated. If you’re concerned about the amount of irritation the brushing is causing, contact your veterinarian and discuss.
SAFE TOOTHBRUSH STORAGE: Clean your pet’s toothbrush with water and mild detergent after each use – after all, that bacteria and plaque you scrub off goes somewhere! While you probably won’t want to store their toothbrush in the bathroom next to yours, find a pet-proof, dry place to store their brush, like inside a cabinet in the mudroom or kitchen.
A Strong Finish
A GOOD REWARD: After you’ve finished brushing, reward your pet and yourself with loving praise, a treat or a special toy.
You may not feel you brush your pet’s teeth as well as your own, but making it part of a daily routine will help to keep plaque and tartar build-up in check, and is good for your pet’s health.
* American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Inc. National Pet Owners Survey, 2009-2010
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012. U.S. Pat. Nos. D578,727 and D587,428.
How to Know When Your Pet is Suffering from a Toothache
Have you ever had a toothache before? Perhaps you bit down on something that was too hard and chipped a tooth. Or maybe you like to eat sweets and are prone to cavities.
Regardless of the source of the toothache, we’re all familiar with the discomfort that one causes. Luckily for humans, we can simply visit the dentist and have it fixed in a matter of days…restoring comfort (and sanity) in most cases.
However, for pets, the circumstances are very different as they do not display their pain the same way humans do.
As a pet owner, it can be difficult to know when your dog or cat is experiencing tooth pain, especially if you’re unaware of the common symptoms.
Behavioral Symptoms
Perhaps one of the most noticeable changes in a pet’s behavior when experiencing oral pain is a decreased appetite. Since eating food directly engages an aching tooth, you may notice your pet eating slower than usual or even wincing when chewing certain bites. Dogs and cats are also prone to lethargy when they are ailing from a toothache and oftentimes retreat to places in the home where they can be away from people. Another common sign, especially in dogs, is excessive nose scratching or pawing at the face.
Physical Symptoms
There are many physical changes that might take place if a pet has tooth pain, or more seriously, periodontal disease, that are good indicators that it’s time for your pet to visit the veterinarian. For starters, you may begin to notice increased odor from your pet’s mouth and redness around their gums. In more serious cases, you’ll begin to notice bleeding gums, tooth discoloration, a swollen nose or even facial swelling. If you begin to see any of these physical symptoms, it’s important to visit your veterinarian to get to the root of the problem.
How to Help
First and foremost, if you suspect your pet has toothache, you should seek veterinary care. In the interim, providing your pet with ice-cold water (with the ice cubes removed) helps to provide temporary relief and may even numb the sensitive area. Since eating kibble can be challenging for pets experiencing dental issues, consider switching to softer canned food or soak the kibble in water or broth to give it a softer, chewier texture.
Throughout the year, it’s important to make sure your pet is receiving the appropriate amount of dental care to ensure their continued oral health. The GREENIES® Brand team recommends at-home, daily oral care through either daily tooth brushing, or dental chews and treats and/or diets accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council. Products like GREENIES® Canine Dental Chews and FELINE GREENIES® Dental Treats help to reduce plaque and tartar daily.
Additionally, pets should have their teeth examined by their veterinarian at least every six months.
For more information about how GREENIES® Dental Chews and Treats can help keep your pet’s mouth healthy, visit greenies.com or facebook.com/greenies.
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012. U.S. Pat. Nos. D578,727 and D587,428.
Common Pet Oral Health Myths Debunked: Part Four
It’s an exciting time of the year for The GREENIES® Brand team and we hope you’ve enjoyed learning the facts behind common pet oral health myths. Today we’re posting the fourth and final installment in our Pet Dental Health Myths Debunked series.
The oral health information that The GREENIES® Brand team has been able to share over the last couple of weeks is courtesy of Dr. Jan Bellows, DVM, Diplomate and incoming president of the American Veterinary Dental College. Dr. Bellows is a dental specialist at All Pets Dental in Westin, Florida. He received his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Auburn University and has worked as a small animal practitioner for 36 years.
Throughout the rest of the month, The GREENIES® Brand team will be posting more information related to pet oral health and how to maintain your pet’s health throughout the year. For more information about these debunked myths, visit facebook.com/greenies or reach out us on Twitter @GreeniesBrand.
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012
Common Pet Oral Health Myths Debunked: Part Three
It’s myth debunking time again! This time, The GREENIES® Brand team is back to debunk pet oral health myths #3 and 4.
Enjoy!
Do you have questions about these myths? Send us questions on Twitter @GREENIESBrand or via Facebook.com/greenies!
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012
Common Pet Oral Health Myths Debunked: Part Two
Earlier this week, The GREENIES® Brand team kicked off a five-part Dental Health Myths Debunked series! For Part Two of this series, we’re featuring Debunked Myth #2. Enjoy!
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012
Common Pet Oral Health Myths Debunked : Part One
Did you know that February is National Pet Dental Health Month? While pet oral health is important all year long, now is a great time to focus on your pet’s mouth so they stay healthy from head to toe.
There are a lot of myths out there about pet oral health, and the GREENIES® team set out to gather information about what pet parents really believe when it comes to their pets’ mouths. We discovered that pet parents hold common beliefs about pet oral health – beliefs that veterinary dentists warn aren’t necessarily true.
Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be posting each myth we discovered and “debunking” it right here on GREENIES® Writer’s Pad with the help of Dr. Jan Bellows, renowned veterinary dentist and incoming president of the American Veterinary Dental College.
To kick off this series, here’s Myth #1:
Check back later this week for Pet Oral Health Myth #2!
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012
GREENIES® Dental Chews and Treats Help Keep Pets’ Smiles Healthy
The GREENIES® Brand team has announced the winners of its “Show Us Your Pet’s Healthy Smile” contest, an initiative to celebrate the joy that dogs and cats bring to their owners’ lives while raising awareness about the importance of a healthy mouth for pets.
This year, pet parents uploaded 9,958 photos of their smiling dogs and cats to smile.greenies.com for a chance to win a feature in The Bark magazine and a year’s supply of free GREENIES® dental chews and treats. GREENIES® dental chews and treats are the #1 veterinary-recommended dental chews and treats sold in pet specialty stores**.
Finnegan, the 2011 contest dog winner
Finalists were selected via popular vote, and a team of three expert judges, Cameron Woo, editor of The Bark magazine, Dr. Jan Bellows, a veterinary dental expert and Dorian Wagner of YourDailyCute.com, selected the winners based on the combination of a healthy mouth and a great smile.
Finnegan received almost 2,500 votes and was selected as this year’s dog winner. His healthy smile will grace the cover of the January issue of The Bark magazine, and he will receive a year’s supply of GREENIES® Canine Dental Chews.
“Finnegan’s favorite thing is nature. He’s happiest outdoors fetching tennis balls, chasing squirrels and getting the neighborhood’s daily news through his nose,” say his parents, Kristen Byrne and Stewart Pelto. “He gets plenty of exercise, just the right amount of natural food and a whole bunch of quality time with parents. He’s also crazy for his daily bedtime treat—that special green chewy toothbrush!”
Monet, a shelter-adopted male, was selected as this year’s cat winner and will be featured in a special feline-themed insert in The Bark magazine. Monet will also receive a year’s supply of FELINE GREENIES® Dental Treats in a variety of flavors.
Monet, the 2011 contest cat winner
“Monet is crazy about treats—if I gave into his begs every time, I’d have one chubby kitty!” says Karen Warren, Monet’s mom.
Both Finnegan and Monet’s owners understand the importance of a healthy mouth, but, notes Dr. Bellows, “While most pet owners understand the importance of a healthy mouth for themselves, they often overlook that a healthy mouth is just as important for their pets. Many veterinary dental specialists believe that a clean, healthy mouth can actually prolong a pet’s life. And what pet owner doesn’t want to have more time to spend with their pet?”
To learn more about how maintain your pet’s oral health and overall wellness, visit greenies.com.
**Among veterinarians that recommend dental chews for at-home oral care.
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2012. U.S. Pat. Nos. D578,727 and D587,428.
The GREENIES® Brand Team Lends a Helping Hand
The pet blogosphere is a thriving community filled with passionate animal lovers and activists. The GREENIES® Brand team frequently interacts with many members of this community and has made some great friends along the way.
This holiday season, The GREENIES® Brand teamed up with some of these friends to help provide support for the pet organizations that they passionately championed throughout the year.
The GREENIES® Brand team worked with Tamar Arslanian of I Have Cat, Paris Permenter of Dog Tipper and Sharon Castellanos from Grouchy Puppy, to fulfill the holiday wish lists of their favorite pet organizations this season.
The GREENIES® Brand team fulfilled the wish list of each group (of up to $250.00), which provided for things like year-end organizational needs, pet beds or food and treats, office supplies, filing cabinets or shelving, or anything else needed to make the organization successful in its mission.
The support each one of these bloggers provides for their local organizations is remarkable, and The GREENIES® Brand team was excited to support their passions during the holiday season.
Meet the Bloggers
Tamar breaks the single-cat lady stereotype in her blog, offering witty posts about cat ownership and lifestyle. She has three cats Kip, Petie and Haddie, and regularly fosters cats. She selected her local charity in New York, City Critters, Inc., the rescue organization where she rescued her cats.
Paris runs Dog Tipper with her husband John, supported by their two dogs, Tiki and Irie, and their four cats Felix, Linus, Inca and Coco. Paris chose the Humane Society of Williamson County for her charity, where she adopted Tiki and Inca.
Sharon has shared the stories and adventures of her adopted dog, Cleo, winning numerous blog awards along the way. Sharon selected to support Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS).
More Information about the organizations they support:
City Critter, Inc.
City Critters, Inc. has created a strong rescue animal network in New York, placing stray cats in loving homes, spaying/neutering companion animals and educating the public about animal issues and building the human-animal connection since 1994. City Critters is also committed to reducing euthanasia at the local municipal shelter through their widespread network of foster homes and animal lovers.
“What I love about this organization is they don’t have a shelter or an office; they rely on an extensive network of fosters and work with my local PETCO to show the kittens off on the weekends,” Tamar said.
More information about City Critters can be found here.
The Humane Society of Williamson County
The Humane Society of Williamson County was founded in 1979 and aims to promote adoption, provide affordable spay and neuter services, build a “No-Kill” shelter model to eliminate euthanasia and save the lives of animals in Central Texas. Their clinic is a multipurpose facility where they conduct adoptions, arrange foster care, and provide spay/neuter and vaccinations services, as well as educational tours and presentations to the area.
More information about getting involved with The Humane Society of Williamson County can be found here.
PAWS
PAWS is a community organization committed to providing and caring for companion animals for low income persons with disabilities and illnesses. PAWS recognizes the strength of the human-animal bond and its healing properties in health and well-being. They also serve as a strong voice in the community, educating others about the benefits of service animals and protecting the rights of disabled individuals to keep companion animals.
“They are amazing; a template for many groups across the country,” Sharon said.
More information about getting involved with PAWS and the many ways you can donate can be found here.
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2011. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
The GREENIES® Brand Team Supports Third Annual Santa Paws Drive
How do you plan to give back this holiday season? The GREENIES® Brand team is making the holidays a little brighter by supporting the third annual Santa Paws 
Drive, created by Dorian Wagner, founder of Your Daily Cute.
The Santa Paws Drive allows animal lovers to make virtual donations to shelter animals during the holidays and is reminiscent of a “Toys for Tots” program. In the past two years, animal lovers around the world have contributed approximately $15,000 in toys, treats and donations to shelters in need.
According to the ASPCA, up to 7 million animals enter shelters every year in America alone, and less than 2 percent of cats and 15 percent of dogs are ever returned to owners. This means that millions of animals go without special attention during the holidays.
This year, the Santa Paws Drive will focus its efforts on shelters and rescues that aid special needs and less adoptable pets. It can be easy to overlook these animals, but now is the perfect time to show them the love they deserve.
The selected shelters for 2011 are Belleglen Sanctuary, Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary, Greenfields Greyhound Rescue, K9Kastle Corp, Sheba’s Haven House, and Black Dog Rescue. All toys and treats will be shipped to the selected shelters directly by “helper elves” so that the shelter can receive every penny of received donations.
To encourage donations, The GREENIES® Brand team is raffling off two baskets of a year’s supply of GREENIES® Canine Dental Chews and FELINE GREENIES® Dental Treats. All of the proceeds for the raffle will go to this year’s designated shelters.
Visit SantaPawsDrive.com for more information and to support this cause. The donation period has already begun but will close for toy and treat donations on December 12 and cash donations on December 20.
®/™ Trademarks © The Nutro Company 2011. Other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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