Hi,

I have two Yorkies, Willie and Jazzi. Willie has lost 12 teeth and Jazzi just had 19…yes, 19 teeth extracted and I didn’t even know they were bad. I sat in the waiting room and cried when they brought her out to me with all those teeth gone. However my vet is a very good one and he explained in detail why he had to take them out and I should be happy instead of sad because she would have become very ill with such bad teeth.

I had heard about a product called [name withheld to avoid giving publicity to product] which is an herbal product and periodontal disease would be prevented by spraying this product into their mouths once a day, waiting 30 minutes without any food or water before and after.

I contacted the company’s web site which has so many testimonials and when I asked them to provide me with the names of the vets who so highly recommended this product I didn’t hear from them again. I am brushing their teeth every night now before bedtime with animal toothpaste and can only hope they will keep the rest of the teeth that they have.

Helen

First, let me say that I am sorry your dogs have lost so many teeth. Yorkshire Terriers are predisposed to dental disease, and I know several Yorkies that don’t have any teeth at all. But Yorkshire Terriers are not alone. Dental disease is the most common health issue for all breeds of dogs and cats.

Infected teeth cause myriad problems. Chronic pain and blood, heart and sinus infections are among the many consequences of dental disease. Dental disease may be associated with an increased risk of serious health problems such as diabetes and autoimmune disease.

In the long run, dogs and cats are much better off with no teeth than with infected teeth. But nobody would deny that the ideal situation is for a pet to have a mouth full of healthy teeth.

The best way to keep teeth healthy is to brush them daily. Tooth brushing does not guarantee against dental problems, but it dramatically reduces their incidence.

Sadly, brushing a pet’s teeth is inconvenient at best, and impossible at worst (if the pet does not cooperate). It would be fantastic if there were a product that would make brushing unnecessary.

But, regarding the product that you mention, I must say that I smell snake oil.

If a company developed a product that truly made tooth brushing unnecessary, why would the company waste time marketing it to pets? The real money would come from marketing it to people!

Cats and dogs benefit from tooth brushing for many of the same reasons that we do. The last time I checked with my dentist, she still recommended that I brush my teeth.

I suspect that the product in question is being marketed to pets because of lax regulatory standards for pet products.

In a nutshell, I suspect that the product doesn’t work.