Beef flavored toothpaste may sound unappetizing, but it’s an option for helping keep a pet’s teeth clean.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month and Kappy Hodges with the Friends of the St. Joseph Animal Shelter said an animal’s dental care is an important part of keeping pets healthy.

Hodges said pet owners should have a veterinarian take a look at their pet’s teeth once a year. During the rest of the year, Hodges said there are preventative things owners can do to help with pet’s dental health, including getting some pet toothpaste.

“You can’t use regular people toothpaste, it has fluoride and things in it that are toxic for your pet, so you want to use pet toothpaste,” Hodges said. “They make these little toothbrushes that you can slide on your finger and just put a little toothpaste on there and rub it on their gums because you’ll want to hit that spot where the gum meets the tooth, that’s where you’re looking to brush.”

Hodges said if owners haven’t thought about their pet’s dental health, the first step is to take a look at their teeth.

“What does it look like? Are they nice and white? Is there any red on the gum line? Are they kind of yellow? Are they darker than that? Because they get kind of brown, kind of black, that tartar can,” Hodges said. “That will give you an idea of how badly they probably need some work. Pop on in to the vet and ask what he thinks, that office visit is not very expensive.”

Hodges said often, during February’s Pet Dental Health Month, veterinarian clinics will offer some kind of discount, but checkups are typically inexpensive year-round and can save money in the long run while keeping your pet healthy.