If you love your dog, you need to love its teeth too! Yes, really! Statistics prove that a dog with good teeth lives longer, plays more and is happier. What's the best way to keep your dog’s teeth in good shape? It’s with dog dental products. Using the correct dog dental products can help keep your dog’s teeth healthy and cost a lot less than paying your vet to anesthetize the dog for a thorough cleaning. Listed below are some dog dental products that can benefit your dog.
Dog Dental Bones
Chewing promotes naturally healthy teeth for your dog. One of the best dog dental products for your dog to chew on is dog dental bones. These dental bones are made of rubber or some other tough material to give the dog many hours of chewing pleasure – assuming your dog will use it. Dog dental bones are durable, low cost and entirely safe. On the other hand, if your dog eats a lot of meat bones, compared to his size, and especially if he is an old dog, he can develop a horrible case of constipation. What’s more, meat bones can lodge in the dog’s teeth or even punch holes in its intestine.
If your dog chews on a dental bone enough, it can do a great job of cleaning your dog's teeth. Unfortunately, after puppy hood, most dogs are not interested in chewing on these dog dental bones.
Three of the most popular dog dental bones are Nylabones – available in different sizes and flavors, Sergeant’s Puppy Teeth Bones and United Pet Dental White Knotted Bones.
Dog Dental Chews
There are many different dog dental chews available; any one of which should help your dog to healthier teeth.
In addition to the Nylabones and Knotted Bones described above, there is the Easy Brush Dental Device, which actually encourages the dog to basically brush its own teeth.
There are also “natural” dental chews such as rawhide chews, which are great if your dog chews on it for a while before consuming it. Another natural dental chew is pig ears that provide a lot of chewing exercise and have the additional advantage of being inexpensive.
Man-made chewing toys include dental chews such as rope chews, ring toys, the Kong Chew Toy, dog drumsticks, dumbbells, and so forth. The advantage of these chew toys is that they are relatively inexpensive and can be fun for your dog. The disadvantage is that many of them do not do as good a job of dog dental care as some of the dog dental bones.
Dog Dental Treats
The difference between dental chews and dog dental treats is that the treats are meant to be consumed after the dog has chewed on them sufficiently.
There are literally dozens of dog dental treats available at your local pet store or even your neighborhood supermarket. Here are some of the dog dental treats that the Veterinary Oral Health Council has given its seal of acceptance.
- Bright Bites and Checkup Chews for Dogs - all sizes
- Canine Greenies® - all sizes
- Canine Greenies® Lite - all sizes
- Hill's Prescription Diet® t/d® Canine Original & Small Bites
- Purina Veterinary Diets® Dental Chewz Canine Treats
- Tartar Shield Soft Rawhide Chews for Dogs
- Vetradent Dog Chews marketed as 'Bluechews' and 'dc Dental Chews'
Dog Oral Rinse
Another dog dental product that is highly recommended to help you dog’s mouth stay healthy is with a dog oral rinse or drinking water additive.
For example, the dog dental product, Aquadent is a drinking water additive that controls plaque and tartar formation by reducing the bacterial population in the dog’s mouth. A second oral rinse that is added to the dog’s water is Nutri-Vet Breath Fresh Oral Rinse, which is said to be a highly effective microbial oral rinse containing chlorhexidine for reducing plaque and odor-causing bacteria in the dog's mouth.
There are several popular oral rinses, which you spray into the dog’s mouth. The first is CET Oral Hygiene Rinse which its manufacturers says gives complete protection against plaque without brushing, tackles calculus, bad breath as well as gum disease in your dog. A second is Nolvadent Oral Cleansing Solution that its manufacturer says will help maintain oral health and fresh breath. The product contains 0.1% chlorhexidine acetate in a peppermint-flavored base.
The advantage of these products is that they are very easy to use – you simply pour the product in the dog’s water or spray it in its mouth. There is no disadvantage to the use of these products.
Dog Dental Products And Dog Dental Care
As you can see, there are numerous products available for your dog's dental care that can help your dog have better, healthier teeth. In addition, the use of these dog dental products can help to eliminate the need for regular teeth cleanings with their inherent dangers of anesthesia. The best part of using dog dental products is you will have a happier, healthier dog for a longer period of time!
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