PARK HILL VET: Something To Smile About
Confirmed: Oral Care At Home Makes a Difference For Pets
By Margot K. Vahrenwald, DVM, CVJ | For the GPHN
Don’t roll your eyes yet about another dental care column. This is worth the read.
You’re probably always reminded, when you visit your vet, about your pets’ need for oral care at home — especially toothbrushing. We know that the struggle to brush is real, and that at best, only about five to 10 percent of dogs and cats get regular oral care at home.
Veterinarians harp on it, because of what we know: the combination of regular home care and professional veterinary dental assessments under anesthesia, as needed, adds literally years to a pet’s life. It prevents painful periodontal disease, a condition that causes systemic negative effects on the heart, liver and kidneys.
But while there are a great number of products touted for home oral care, until recently there had never been a study of their efficacy when used at home. (Except perhaps studies done for marketing purposes.)
In a recent original study published in Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, doctors focused on six home oral care protocols and compared the impact on visible periodontal disease. A control group received no home oral care.
A total of 125 dogs participated in the study. The dogs started first with eight weeks without home or veterinary dental care. For the following eight weeks, they were then randomly assigned to one of the six assessment groups or to the control group.
The methodology was very thorough but also realistic. On three separate occasions, researchers conducted two validated visual assessment scoring sets on awake dogs in a normal exam room setting. All the home oral care products were from a global, well-known product line. The randomly selected, healthy, client-owned dogs represented a variety of breeds, from Chihuahuas to Newfoundlands.
The six oral home care protocols were, in the order of their impact from most to least:
1. Brushing every other day with a pet toothpaste
2. Feeding a dental chew once daily
3. Brushing once weekly with a daily dental chew
4. Brushing once weekly with daily water additive
5. Daily chew and daily water additive
6. Adding additive to the water daily
Not tested was the combination of brushing + daily chew + daily water additive, but the writers surmised the trifecta might help further improve oral health.
The biggest takeaway was that brushing every other day was “found to significantly retard plaque and calculus accumulation as well as gingivitis.” And brushing weekly in combination with dental chews also had a positive impact on periodontal disease. Daily water additive alone was the least impactful, but it still showed mild PD improvement over the untreated control group.
In a perfect world, our cats and dogs would have thumbs and would be able to brush their own teeth every day. In real life, pet owners can more easily maintain their pet＊s oral health. Oral care at home, in partnership with a veterinarian, is a key component of preventive care that add years to your pet’s good health.
Dr. Margot Vahrenwald is the owner of Park Hill Veterinary Medical Center at 2255 Oneida St. For more information, visit
parkhillvet.com