Remember when pet shaming took over the world, and we outed our fur friends for their bad behavior? As an aside, can you imagine what would happen if they could do it to us? Nothing good could come of this; nothing.

As a cousin to that idea, we now have some pet confessions, via Huffington Post, that aren’t necessarily shameful. My favorite is the basset hound that states, “Inside, I am rampant with emotion.” This is PostSecret for pets, right?

What are your pets’ secrets? I wonder if my Boston’s is “I wish we’d just move to Boston already, these California people are so weather wimpy”?

Photo: Albumen on Flickr

Wiley, posing near some sunflowers. Deep thought: Why do cats always look so sad?

I know how important it is that my dog’s maintain healthy teeth and gums. I also know how expensive it is to have your pet’s chompers professionally cleaned. But mostly I know how challenging it is to brush my dog’s teeth. For a period of time, I got into a good routine of brushing Happy’s teeth every other day. It requires two people — otherwise it’s impossible — with one person swaddling him in a blanket and holding him and the other person doing the brushing. Then, I adopted a second dog who tolerated tooth brushing even worse than Happy. I started to give up and only brushed when their breath got really stinky. Bad dog owner, I know! Recently though I decided to give dental wipes a try and they’ve been a lifesaver.

I went with John Paul Tooth and Gum Wipes because they had the best reviews on Wag.com. With the first use, I noticed a huge difference. My dogs still don’t enjoy it but I’ve found they’ll tolerate my hands + a dental wipe massaging their teeth and gums WAY better than they do a toothbrush. Having a closer reach gives me more control over them and I can use one hand to hold my dog and the other to wipe their teeth and gums. With a toothbrush, I needed one hand to open their mouth and the other to brush so it was an impossible task to do by myself. When I used the wipes the first few times, I could literally see stuff coming off onto the wipe. Yuck! Now that I’ve been using the wipes for several weeks, there is less discoloration on the wipe when I finish but that’s because their teeth are getting cleaner. Their breath is also much fresher and more pleasant.

I’m very happy with my switch from toothbrush to wipes and my dogs are too. As with any oral care, it’s best to take it slow to learn what your pet will or won’t tolerate and always reward your pet with a special treat.

JUST GIVE HIM THE SAUSAGE! (I literary yelled “YAY!” at the end.)

With so many pet stories around the web each week it’s hard to keep up. Table Scraps is our weekly roundup of memorable pet news around the internet.

• If you can’t think of one good reason to get a dog, consider that it’s a four-legged life saving device that also makes a great pillow. (Gothamist)
• Face, face, face, I’ve got face, gimme (very tiny gerbil) face. (People Pets)
• The traditional 20th anniversary gift is China, the 25th is silver so for your the 21st anniversary with your cat, tuna it is.  (Catsparella)
• Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Normal Man, can’t hold a candle to a Pitbull. (Jezebel)
• I hear your heaaaarrrt beat to the beat of the drums (Woof! Meow!) (USA Today)

Image: geekgirl24

“The Whole Enchihuahua” is somehow my least-favorite and most-favorite name for a dog-costume contest. But the annual contest in San Francisco, sponsored in part by the SF SPCA, means well, for sure:

This yearly event, presented by 7×7 and the SF SPCA, is a super fun way to help raise awareness for the plight of the mighty Chihuahua. They’re the breed most in need of rescue – Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes are overrepresented in most shelters in Northern California. The Whole Enchihuahua is the capper on a three month-long campaign to find these little guys new, loving homes with free adoptions and help prevent the overpopulation with free spay/neuter at the SF SPCA. Chihuahuas are waiting for your help, healing, and hugs.

The chihuahuas-in-California bit isn’t just a tug at the heartstrings. We do see it all over the state and the Bay Area.

Head to the contest on May 18 (a week from Saturday) if you’re around!