So it was another weekend on the couch, watching “Dr. Jeff, Rocky Mountain Vet.”

On one episode, he protected a heard of yaks at risk of swallowing small pieces of metal by making them swallow special magnets. The magnets would collect any nails or other hardware in the first of the animals’ four stomachs where they wouldn’t do any harm.

In another episode, he made a return trip to Mexico to catch, spay and neuter and vaccinate feral dogs before releasing them to rejoin their packs. But the episode that inspired this column featured the story of a dog that had somehow broken its jaw.

The repairs were made more difficult because poor dental care had led to infection, loss of teeth and loss of bone density. Of course, Dr. Jeff was able to fix the dog’s jaw but he counseled the owner to brush all her pets’ teeth at least three or four times a week.

Shamed by my neglect of Dexter’s dental health, I dug out a doggie toothbrush and doggie toothpaste (don’t use human toothpaste) and I set to work. Just a few minutes and my good boy’s teeth were clean — and his breath was minty fresh. The trick will be to get in the habit of cleaning his teeth regularly.

As with humans, poor canine dental health can lead to more than just mouth pain and tooth loss. Food particles and bacteria can cause plaque along the gum line, which over time can harden into tartar. Tartar can irritate the gums even further and lead to periodontal disease and infections that can travel through the blood stream to the liver, kidneys and heart with fatal consequences. So yes, we need to brush our dogs’ teeth frequently.

In addition to brushing your dog’s teeth, you can give him crunchy edible treats such as pigs’ ears, rawhide, and dental chews along with hard chew toys, which may help reduce the plaque on his teeth. These won’t take the place of brushing, but they may make the task easier.

Your veterinarian will check your pet’s teeth at his annual visit and may recommend a professional cleaning. By brushing your dog’s teeth at home, you may be able to delay or even avoid this procedure which will save you money and your dog from having to go under anesthesia. Win, win.

Pets and the People Who Love Them is brought to you by your friends at the Athens-Limestone Animal Shelter. To adopt your best friend (cat or dog,) please visit us at 1701 U.S. 72 (behind Limestone Veterinary Clinic,) visit our Facebook page, or call us at 256-771-7889. Email your questions to me at PetsAndPeople@charter.net; and I’ll check with the experts (veterinarians, animal behaviorists, etc.) and get back to you in a future column.