No-brush dental care for cats and dogs

With 80% of dogs and 85% of cats showing signs of dental disease by the age of 3*, it’s important to provide regular dental care for our pets. Dental problems not only cause our pets a great deal of stress and pain, but also affect their behaviour, ability to eat or groom, and overall health.

From the moment your pet develops teeth, they are at risk of developing dental problems. Fortunately, most dental issues, such as bad breath or gingivitis, can be easily prevented or reversed through a good diet and regular dental care.

Brushing your pet’s teeth once a day is considered the ‘gold standard’ of pet dental care, but it can be difficult. The key is to be patient, particularly if you’re introducing tooth brushing to an older pet. The last thing you want is for cleaning your pet’s teeth to become a stressful experience for both you and your pet. But, when introduced correctly, brushing your pet’s teeth can be a great for bonding and an enjoyable experience for you both.

While cleaning your pet’s teeth on a daily basis is the most effective dental care you can give, a thorough brushing 2–3 times a week goes a long way to keeping their teeth healthy.

If you do wish to try and introduce tooth brushing, you can try following our step-by-step guide to cleaning your pet’s teeth.

For some owners, particularly those with cats, the idea of trying to clean your pet’s teeth every day isn’t appealing. But, you can help keep your cat or dog’s teeth clean and healthy without brushing, with a range of no-brush alternatives, such as gels, sprays and treats, available.

When selecting a dental product for your pet, we recommend choosing one containing one or more of the following enzymes:

• Protease
• Glucose oxidase
• Glucoamylase

These enzymes help fight plaque and tartar, and are highly effective, even in no-brush dental products, so they are ideal for supporting your cat or dog’s oral health. If you clean your pet’s teeth but only 2–3 times a week, no-brush dental products are ideal to use on days you don’t brush to provide your pet with additional dental care.

Beaphar’s no-brush dental products include:

• Beaphar Tooth Gel contains two enzymes to counteract plaque and prevent tartar formation. Simply squeeze the gel along your cat or dog’s gum line and let them spread it around their mouth with their tongue.
• Beaphar Plaque Away fights bad bacteria and helps reduce the formation of plaque. Just add to your pet’s drinking water daily.
• Beaphar Fresh Breath Spray contains three enzymes to fight bacteria and breakdown plaque. This helps reduce tartar build-up, which reduces the risk of gum disease and tooth decay. Easy to use, just spray 3–4 pumps onto your pet’s teeth from 5–10cm away.

Beaphar Dental Sticks are a unique star-shape to encourage mechanical cleaning when chewed

Dental sticks and dental treats are popular amongst pet owners, as they provide a fun and easy way to support their pet’s oral health. But, their effectiveness does depend on things like the ingredients, the shape, the size and how long it takes your pet to chew. The dental benefits of sticks and treats come from the mechanical action of your pet chewing, which actively removes plaque and reduces tartar build-up. So, if your cat or dog chews the treat very quickly or the treat isn’t a shape that enhances this mechanical cleaning action, the dental benefit will be less than for a pet that chews for longer. Equally, a pet that has been given a treat with better dental-fighting ingredients will gain more benefit.

One thing to keep in mind is dental sticks and treats will only clean the teeth your pet uses to chew with. This makes them a great alternative to traditional treats, but shouldn’t be your only form of dental care for your pet. Dental sticks and treats are ideal for supporting your pet’s oral health, being used alongside tooth brushing 2–3 times a week or your no-brush dental products.

Beaphar has developed functional dental treats for cats and dogs that are packed with ingredients to support their dental health:

• Beaphar Dental Easy Treat are delicious treats for cats which have a natural cleaning action when cats chew, helping to remove plaque and tartar. Containing chlorophyll, a natural plant extract known for its ability to absorb bad smells, they leave your cat’s teeth cleaner and breath fresher.
• Beaphar Fresh Breath Easy Treat for dogs are tasty, crunchy parcels that scrap away plaque and contain chlorophyll to absorb bad smells.
•  Beaphar Dental Sticks for dogs are our unique star-shaped dental sticks, which have been designed to enhance your dog’s natural teeth cleaning processes, helping to remove plaque during chewing. Packed with a host of dental disease fighting ingredients such as natural brown seaweed, anti-tartar and anti-staining agents, de-caffeinated green tea and spirulina, which are effective even after ingestion.