I have admitted several times that I don’t brush Chester and Gretel’s teeth. I know that brushing is the “gold standard” recommended by veterinarians to help avoid costly dental cleanings but they don’t like it and I don’t have the time and dedication to keep trying. It’s important for me to do SOMETHING to help keep their teeth clean though.
Besides wanting to avoid super stinky kisses, I want to keep their plaque and tartar to a minimum to reduce the risk of tooth or gum disease. Gum disease in dogs has been linked to the occurrence of canine heart disease (and 80% of dogs show signs of dental disease by age three!). I want Chester and Gretel to live long, healthy lives and continue to be my hiking partners for years to come. I have been on the search for a simple, non invasive dental solution to help keep their teeth clean.
I told you a couple of weeks ago that I am trying out TropiClean Oral Health Products to see if they are the solution for us. I didn’t go into detail about which products we are trying though. I wanted to tell you a little more about what we are using.
The first step in the new “dental system” is a Clean Teeth Gel. The Clean Teeth Gel is something that I apply directly to Chester and Gretel’s teeth. The gel is designed to remove plaque and tartar (no toothbrush required), kill the germs that cause bad breath, soothe minor gum irritation and create a healthy oral environment.
TropiClean’s passion about creating natural, healthy products shows in the ingredient list. The gel contains purified water, natural-derived alcohol, natural mint, glycerin, natural cleanser, carbopol (thickener), chlorophyllin, and green tea leaf extract. I am picky about what I put in or on Chester but that is a list of ingredients that I feel comfortable with.
One “dollop” of the gel goes directly on their teeth in both sides of their mouth. At first I tried to lift the gum, position the bottle tip and squeeze enough (but not too much) onto their teeth. Even though that process took seconds, in was invariably a second long enough for them to start to move their head and make me squeeze the gel on their face or chest instead.
It took me a little bit to find the best way to apply the gel to Chester and Gretel’s teeth but I finally figured it out. I’ve started squeezing the gel onto my finger first and rubbing it on their teeth and gums. That way takes any struggle out of the process and the gel always gets where it is supposed to go.
I’ve only been using the gel on Chester and Gretel for a little over a week so it’s too early to determine how well it is working on their plaque and tartar (it can take up to 30 days to see a significant difference – I will come back here and give you an update later). I can say that it is helping their bad breath though. Honestly, I haven’t found anything in the past that has significantly improved their breath so I didn’t have high hopes but their “up close” breath has smelled fresher since I have been using it.
Learn more about TropiClean on their website as well as on Facebook and Twitter.
Jay of the Depp Effect says
November 7, 2014 at 9:40 AMI’ve tried that stuff and it really didn’t do anything but temporarily freshen their breath. We brush with electric toothbrushes, using enzymatic toothpaste. I use a dental descaler too, when they come back from kennels – and just lately I’ve been using one of those little interdental brushes (they look like bottle brushes, only very tiny) between Sid’s teeth. Even with all that they still gunk up.
I have old dogs. As they age, their teeth get rapidly worse, I’ve found, but I still say that brushing is indeed the gold standard and really, the only thing which truly works.
Melissa says
January 6, 2015 at 6:09 AMJay, do you use a regular human electric toothbrush or is it one made especially for dogs? Our dog’s breath and teeth are horrible, even though we brush with a doggy toothbrush and enzymatic toothpaste fairly regularly. She’s a 4 year-old chihuahua (chis are famous for their bad teeth). Even after a dental at the vet, her breath was still bad and her teeth got gross again in no time. So does an electric toothbrush do a better job? Thanks!
Jay says
January 6, 2015 at 7:47 AMHi Melissa –
I usually buy the semi-disposable children’s electric toothbrushes (OH laughed so much the day I came home with a pink ‘Hello Kitty’ toothbrush for Jeffie) but I’ve just switched to a human rechargeable – a Braun Sonic. The only problem with it is that, compared with children’s electric toothbrushes, the Braun is a bit ferocious. I only began using it two days ago, and so far only Sid has been brushed with it, because his child-sized one broke. I may not be able to use it on Jeffie because he’s a bit more nervous and more likely to object to the louder noise and the faster speed.
I’d suggest, if you haven’t used an electric brush before, that you start with a disposable children’s one. They’re softer, and lower vibration than the adult ones – and yes, they do a better job!
Having said all that, there are other reasons for bad breath. Sid has horribly gunky saliva which means that like your little chi, his teeth gunk up in no time and that can make the breath stinky, but (for instance) kidney disease makes their breath smell foul, and so can an upset stomach. Just as a FYI.
Melissa says
January 7, 2015 at 12:36 AMThanks Jay! We’ve talked to several vets about it. They just say all chihuahuas are like this and to keep at it with the brushing and dentals. No one ever suggested an electric toothbrush before, and I think this is a great idea. Thanks!
Tony says
September 13, 2015 at 12:01 PMI used this on our oldest lab with a lot of tarter. It worked very well! I will try using it on our newest lab, when he is older. Amazed at how much tarter it removed!