Make Fido's Teeth Shine in Honor of National Pet Week, May 6-12

April 2007 — MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Research from the American Veterinary Dental Society indicates more than 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats develop periodontal disease by the age of three, a condition which can be prevented by regular at-home tooth brushing. In honor of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s National Pet Week, May 6-12, the creators of the KEEP IT CLEAN™ Pet Dental Kit are offering consumers seven great reasons to make their pets’ teeth shine.

7 Reasons to Brush Your Pet’s Teeth Today

1. Brushing a pet’s teeth regularly can extend his life by up to three years.
“Periodontal disease is a serious condition that causes gingivitis, loss of teeth, pain in the mouth and possibly even serious infections in the internal organs,” says Dr. David Steele, a veterinarian with Advanced Animal Care in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Preventing periodontal disease by brushing a pet’s teeth regularly can reduce the occurrence of these conditions and increase a pet’s lifespan.

2. Brushing really does help eliminate “doggie breath”!
Most often, bad breath is caused by pet dental or periodontal disease, and brushing regularly can help prevent and correct this. The KEEP IT CLEAN™ Pet Dental Kit comes with filet-mignon flavored toothpaste, which most pets love and which makes for better smelling breath.

3. Brushing at home reduces the chance a pet will have to be anesthetized to have his teeth cleaned.
Not only is there a slight health risk in having a pet anesthetized for a complete cleaning by your vet, these procedures can be costly, as well. “By brushing your pet’s teeth on a daily basis, we may be able to help reduce and perhaps even eliminate the need for having your pet anesthetized by your veterinarian for a more thorough cleaning,” says Dr. Steele.
Keeping a pet’s teeth clean means matching white smiles for the pet and his owner.
You know what they say about owners looking like their pets!

4. Brushing equals bonding.
Though at first a pet may seem uncomfortable and you may feel awkward with brushing, he will grow to enjoy the additional time spent with his owner.

5. It’s easy.
“While to some folks brushing your dog’s or cat’s teeth may be a daunting task, it doesn’t really need to be,” says Dr. Steele. “A product like the KEEP IT CLEAN™ Pet Dental Kit gives you everything you need at your fingertips to take care of brushing your pet’s teeth.”

6. Your pet’s smile will outshine all the other pets in the neighborhood.
Maybe your neighbor has a better car, but what does that matter when their pet has yellow teeth? Shine on Socks!

While brushing a pet’s teeth is important for these many reasons and more, Keep It Clean recommends pet owners consult a veterinarian before beginning any dental care regimen. For more information on pet dental health and a free downloadable video demonstrating how to brush a dog’s or cat’s teeth, please visit www.keepitcleanusa.com.

The KEEP IT CLEAN™ Pet Dental Kit, created by Charleston, S.C.-based Keep It Clean, a company that develops products to promote oral health in pets and people, is designed to make brushing a pet’s teeth a manageable task. It is the first product to include everything a pet owner needs to keep their dog’s or cat’s teeth clean at home and maintain their oral health between visits to the veterinarian. With a compact, durable design, the Pet Dental Kit is easy to store and transport and contains an ergonomic toothbrush, a finger brush for hard to reach areas, filet mignon-flavored toothpaste and easy-to-understand cleaning instructions. When used as advised, the KEEP IT CLEAN™ Pet Dental Kit, recently featured in the official 2007 GRAMMYs gift bags, is completely safe for dogs and cats.

The KEEP IT CLEAN™ Pet Dental Kit is available for $19.99 by calling (866) 305-2559 (US) or 843-849-3704 (Canada) or by visiting www.keepitcleanusa.com.

National Pet Week was jointly founded in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA, and is now widely celebrated throughout the United States and other parts of the world. Each year, its goals are: to promote responsible pet ownership, celebrate the human-animal bond and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine. For more information, visit www.petweek.org

For more information, contact:
Laura Thompson, (843) 406-6261,
lthompson@mettlerpr.com or
Lyn Mettler, (843) 388-8376,
lmettler@mettlerpr.com

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Editor’s Note: A complimentary 700-word article featuring 7 Reasons to Start Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth Today is available upon request along with high-res photos of the kit.