The holidays are all about showing your friends and family how much you love them, and one way you might do that is through thoughtful gifts. While you might purchase fun or amusing items for your human companions, one of the best ways to show your furry friend you love them is to give them the gift of great health. Oral health, in particular, is one area that deserves extra-special attention.

Pet oral hygiene is just as important for pets as it is for people. Like humans, dogs are susceptible to plaque buildup and tooth decay if their teeth aren’t taken care of throughout their lives. Unfortunately, brushing a dog’s teeth isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds.

It’s well known that cats are susceptible to dental health problems like gingivitis and periodontal disease. But in most cases, these issues are found in older cats after years of neglected oral hygiene. This is why it can be so concerning for pet parents to identify signs of gum disease in a young kitten.

Many pet owners are familiar with being woken up by their cat resting on their chest or licking their face. Cats don’t always have a sense of boundaries, which gives us owners the less-than-pleasant opportunity to get a whiff of their stinky tuna breath.

Human children go through a teething process where they lose their “baby teeth” and grow in their adult teeth. While we are all familiar with this process, many people don’t realize that cats do a similar thing.

Cat’s don’t always understand the concept of personal space, meaning you’re often subjected to a face full of stinky cat breath. While you can’t expect your kitty’s breath to smell like flowers, its breath should not be completely intolerable, either.

Every pet owner knows that it’s hard to keep their pet’s pearly whites pearly-white for very long. Routine brushing can be a battle with fussy dogs and cats, and bacterial growth seems to be constant. However, without proper oral hygiene, your pet could face a painful and potentially-devastating disease.

Oral hygiene is a priority for most pet owners—most of us brush our teeth twice a day to minimize the risk of cavities and gum disease. Despite this being part of our everyday routine, a lot of pet owners fail to also keep up with their pet’s oral hygiene.

We all grew up being taught to brush our teeth twice a day to prevent the buildup of plaque and fight off cavities. Dental hygiene is second nature to many adults. But with this information instilled in our brain, how is it that we often forget to take care of another important set of teeth: our dogs?