Dental Home Care Products for Pets

Dental Home Care Products

               February is Dental Health Month.  While there is often no substitute for routine professional dental cleaning of your pet’s teeth under anesthesia, taking care of your pet’s teeth at home all year long is important, too.  What are the best products for keeping those teeth pearly white?  Regardless of which product or products you choose, look for the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal which, like the American Dental Association reviews and recommends dental products for pets and choose the product that you are most likely to use on a regular basis.

•  Brushing is best.  Just like brushing our own teeth every day removes the sticky, bacteria-trapping plaque that accumulates on teeth, brushing your dog or cat’s teeth does the same.  While brushing daily is ideal, brushing 3-4 days a week is still beneficial.  Anything less than that is not going to do the job.  Choose a finger brush, pet toothbrush or small soft bristle brush and always make sure to use toothpaste without fluoride.  Pets don’t know how to rinse and spit!  Pet toothpastes with flavors such as peanut butter or poultry make the paste more appealing for our furry friends.  It also helps to start young brushing puppies’ and kittens’ teeth but older pets may be taught to accept having their teeth brushed.
• Dental chews are another good option, though they should be used with caution and supervision, especially for those who are gulpers.  Primarily for dogs, there are various types of chewable treats such as rawhide coated in chlorhexidine (a dental antiseptic), pressed products that mechanically remove plaque and tartar like chews such as Greenies or CET Veggie-Dent and others.  It is also important to choose the correct size based on your dog’s weight to ensure it cleans the teeth and is not consumed too quickly.  There are dental treats for cats, too, though they seem to be less effective as cats tend not to chew their food well.
• Dental rinses and water additives are fairly easy to use and can be effective in removing plaque and bacteria to some degree. They act like a mouthwash banishing bacteria which is the cause of harmful periodontal disease and they can help freshen breath.  These products are either squirted directly into the mouth or added daily to the pet’s drinking water.   

We do not recommend extremely hard dental products like bones, antlers, hooves, Nyla bones or similar products as pets may actually break their teeth causing more harm than good.  Regardless of the products you use, make sure your pet is having routine veterinary visits to assess his teeth.  Your vet can spot problems such as fractures, infection, gingivitis and other problems, and recommend dental cleanings when necessary.  We also carry numerous dental home care products at Patton Veterinary Hospital for dogs and cats.  Keeping your pet’s teeth healthy positively affects the health of the whole body.

               This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.