Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada launched the 2013 Pet Dental Health Awareness campaign to increase awareness of the connection between oral and overall health.
“Periodontal disease is the most common problem veterinary health care teams see in dogs and cats,” said Susan Jones, D.V.M., director of veterinary affairs at Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada. “Pet owners often aren’t aware they should be brushing their pets’ teeth. And when they do know, they quickly realize this is not an easy task. Unfortunately, oral health issues often lead to more systemic health issues and our pets then end up facing more serious problems that could have been prevented."
Veterinary health care teams can visit PetDental.ca and downloading the tools available in the “clinic resources” section to share with clients, including educational videos and promotional tools.
Pet owners can also visit the website to learn more about their pet's oral health. The campaign's slogan, "daily brushing + regular dental checkups + the right nutrition = long, healthy life," encourages pet owners to follow a healthy lifestyle. To reinforce this, the campaign offers a kit for pet owners through local veterinarians, which contains a brochure on proper dental care, a pet toothbrush, a human toothbrush and a guide for brushing pets' teeth.
Along with the Pet Dental Health Awareness campaign, Hill's is launching the Smile Sweepstakes. Pet owners can register online to win a year's supply of Hill's Prescription Diet t/d Oral Health petfood, as well as daily prizes, such as iPads, iPod Touches, Kindle Fires and US$25 gift cards.