HOME DENTAL CARE RECOMMENDATIONS

HOME DENTAL CARE RECOMMENDATIONS

#1 = brushing DAILY.  Start slow!  CET paste (vanilla or poultry).   Generally outer and upper surfaces.  Apply with finger wrapped in gauze or soft bristled brush

  • Foil pack
  • Tube

#2 = DAILY dental treat.  Help guide clients on what might work best for their pets!

Tip: VOHC.org (3rd party testing and proof of efficacy) – white/black rectangular symbol

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) is a group of scientists, veterinary dentists and statisticians not affiliated with any company that will review research on a product and determine if it truly does what the manufacturer claims and makes a statistically significant improvement of at least 20% over an "industry standard." The VOHC will then award that product the VOHC seal which can be displayed on that product, and which describes what the product is effective against (e.g., halitosis, plaque, calculus, etc.). Any product carrying such a seal can be assumed to have passed rigorous, statistically significant tests, done on the species of interest. A list of products which carry this seal can be found at www.vohc.org/. Submission of a product to the VOHC is voluntary and carries a fee, so some products may have supportive research but not carry the seal. This then requires the purchaser to critically review the research from a company that claims efficacy yet does not have a seal.

TERMINOLOGY (for your info more than for clients)

Plaque – the ‘slime’ layer that develops after eating / drinking, especially carbohydrates and sugar

Tartar (calculus) – the ‘cement’ like layer that has to be removed in a professional dental cleaning

WE STOCK AND RECOMMEND

Feline Greenies for cats (on backorder now)

  •  Action: mechanical
  •  Great for: every cat
  •  May not work for: cats that don’t like treats or crunchy treats, cats avoiding poultry
  •  How often?:  10+ daily

Tartar shield biscuits for dogs

  • Action: Hexametaphosphate (HMP) (e.g., Tartar Shield) works by interfering with the calcification of plaque, hence preventing calculus accumulation. These ingredients will also soften existing calculus making it more susceptible to sloughing off. 
  • Great for: dogs that like crunchy biscuits, cost careful clients
  • May not work for: poultry or wheat sensitive pets
  • How often?:  1 daily

CET chews

  • Action: antibacterial + mechanical removal
  • Great for:  dogs that do well with rawhides, cost careful clients (esp small sizes)
  • May not work for: dogs that don’t do well with rawhides, beef sensitive pets
  • How often?:  1 daily

Oravet chews **the best**

  • Action: mechanical cleaning + protective barrier
  • Great for:  every dog
  • May not work for:  cost careful clients
  • How often?:  1 daily
  • Other tips: if daily doesn’t work because of cost, still try to use Oravet, just find other treats to use on the other days

Questions for clients:

  • Have you tried toothpaste?   All you have to do is wipe it on once a day
  • Treats:  does your dog prefer crunchy biscuits or chews?
  • Treats and toothpaste: does your pet have any food sensitivities?

Glossary item – home dental care.  Feel free to use this or add your own!