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Dental treats and toys can minimize plaque buildup, stimulate gums and help your pet’s mouth stay healthy
Within hours after your pet gobbles up a meal, sticky plaque begins to accumulate on all the teeth. Within a day, that plaque combines with minerals in the saliva to become tartar.
While brushing is the best way to keep your pet’s mouth clean and healthy, there are other ways to help prevent accumulation of bacteria and plaque on the teeth:
- Chews
The simple mechanical action of chewing can help reduce plaque buildup on your pet’s teeth. Some dental treats and chews contain an anti-tartar ingredient as well.
- Water additives
Water additives are much like a drinkable mouthwash that you add to your pet’s water bowl. Daily use of water additives can help reduce bacteria, prevent plaque and tartar buildup, and freshen breath.
- Oral gels
If your pet is picky about what is added to their water, a gel could be a good solution. The flavored gel is applied to your pet’s teeth and gums after mealtime.
- Wipes
Medicated wipes remove plaque on the teeth and contain plaque control agents to help prevent buildup.
- Toys
Just like dental chews, rubber toys help remove plaque built up on your pet’s teeth as they chew. But supervision is important with these toys to prevent your pet from tearing off and swallowing a chunk of toy.
What’s on the no-go list? Rawhides and bones. These are too hard and can easily cause tooth fractures. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) has a list of approved products that have been shown to improve oral health at vohc.org.
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