YOUR PET’S DENTAL CARE

Imagine how your teeth would look and feel if you didn’t brush every day. Now, imagine if you never brushed them at all! Unless you are already providing regular dental care for your pet, you are neglecting a critical factor in its overall health.

Dental gum disease is the most common problem in pets today. Over 85% of dogs and cats seen by veterinarians are affected by dental problems. This is especially true of small-breed dogs, which readily develop severe tartar accumulation and suffer from gingivitis and periodontitis. Cats commonly suffer from cavities which form below the gum line (called cervical lesions,) resulting in PAIN! Your pet is not going to tell you that its teeth and gums hurt.

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HOME CARE

If you really want to do all you can to prevent dental disease in your pet, nothing beats the toothbrush for mechanical removal of tartar from the tooth surface. It is best to start your pet when it is young so that you can acclimate it to the brush early and get it used to having its mouth handled. Ideally, you can start at 8 weeks using a wash cloth or a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger. Use a circular motion on the tooth surface. From there, you can advance to an Enzadent brush. Enzadent toothbrushes are specifically designed to adapt to small and large tooth surfaces. They have soft bristles, which greatly aids the tooth-brushing process. Teeth should ideally be brushed daily since the calcification of tartar takes 24 hours to form on the tooth surface, but any brushing at all is better than none.

BRUSHING TIPS

1. Start a brushing program when your pet is young.

2. Brush daily if possible.

HOME DENTAL CARE
PRODUCTS

T/D® diet

T/D diet is a prescription diet for middle-age to older dogs and cats. By reformulating the fiber and enlarging the kibble size, it requires your pet to chew the food more thoroughly. The abrasiveness of the food “scrubs” the enamel surface and reduces tartar accumulation. Controlled studies demonstrate that pets fed T/D diet as their only food accumulate 50% less tartar than those fed commercial diets.

Enzadent Chews are for both cats and dogs. They provide a natural abrading action to help remove plaque and food debris. They are treated with enzymes to help boost the pet’s own natural defenses found in the saliva. They also help to freshen breath.

Greenies®

Greenies help clean teeth and freshen breath by decreasing the buildup of dental tartar with their abrasive action. They have no by-products, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors and are very palatable. Dogs fed Greenies recorded a slower rate of dental calculus buildup than dogs not given Greenies.