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 Pet Central
Q&A
Q: Callie, my 7-year-old
Lhaso apso, has a dental problem. His teeth are cleaned annually. I brush
his teeth four or five time weekly. My vet told me to supplement dental
care with rawhide. There are so many rawhides and chews that claim to
help to clean teeth. Are they all effective? Is there a rawhide specifically
made for dental care? -- T. P., Indianapolis, Ind.
A: Funny you should
ask; look for Harper’s Dental Chews later this summer. This is a new rawhide
product being made specifically to help clean teeth. It will be available
at many pet stores, Walmart and Target.
Let’s back it up
a step or two with the help of Ira Hill, a biochemist in Hazlet, N.J.,
who creates dental care products for people and for pets. He also advises
rawhide manufacturers. Hill says any high quality rawhide is beneficial
because the abrasive action cleans as the dog chews, kind of like a toothbrush.
(Although rawhide does not replace brushing your dog’s teeth.) The new
Dental Chews have a plaque-fighting ingredient which acts like putting
toothpaste on the rawhide toothbrush.
Beware: An excess
of rawhide may create stomach upset. Hill says it helps to choose high
quality rawhide. In fact, a low-quality rawhide with sharp edges may cut
your pet’s gums, actually creating more harm than good. These inferior
rawhides are often not properly cured, and they’re generally the cheapest
rawhide products. These rawhides, which often look more like plastic,
should be avoided.
As for the myriad
of flip chews, biscuits and toys which promise to remove plaque, effectiveness
varies greatly from product to product, according to Hill. It also depends
on how your dog chews. For example, a dog that gulps down a biscuit in
one bite isn’t deriving a dental benefit.
Stuffing treats inside
a Kong toy (available at pet stores) may help dogs who work that hard
rubber Kong against their teeth and gums, but to our knowledge there’s
no documented data about this. Clearly, one well-documented product is
Hills T/D, a prescription food, available through vets.
All that being said,
do the best you can by consistent brushing, follow your vet’s advice,
and realize some dogs are more prone to dental problems than others.
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