Do you ever get overwhelmed by the amount of products available for your pet? I certainly do - it drives me nuts! I’ll start with one product and then somehow end up in a blackhole of reviews, comparisons, and just overall doubt on everything pet. I have gone so far to ‘X’ out of the page completely to forget about the item only to start my research once again (ugly cycle).
Like most pawrents, I just want products to be safe, effective, ‘natural’ (we’ll post on another day why I quote the word natural) and did I mention safe? Trial and error seems to be the name of the game.
Initially, I was going to post the top 5 best dental chews and I quickly realized that this was completely impossible. Not because I couldn’t but because it wouldn’t be fair to my pawrents who read this blog. Every pet is different. Not two are alike - even in the same breed category, not one. No argument when talking about characteristics, its the same but it is different when talking about their health concerns/issues. Most of this is based on the pawrents life style. Instead i was curious to know what they (pawrents) thought. The researcher in me had to compare what other pawrents were saying. Naturally, I went on Amazon.com and started reading reviews. Fair to say that some pawrents had similar thoughts as I did on the several products. (I am not a crazy dog-mom after all, yay!)
All of this to say here are the top 3 tips to help you choose the right dental chews/treats for your pet.
Select the right size of the dental chews. This is an obvious (not so obvious) tip. Many pawrents will buy in bulk extra large or small chews to save a few extra dollars. Yet, you do not want to jeopardize your pet’s health for a few bucks. Most companies do supply pawrents with a measuring/size charts that will guide you to select the correct treat for your pet. This will help you in knowing the amount of treats your dog should get in a day without compromising their health.
Select digestible ingredients. No matter how many reviews a product receives, it shouldn’t be the definitive factor in purchasing the product. As mentioned earlier, not all pets are the same. Knowing what ingredients are in each treat, should be an indication on how your pet will react.
Look out for VOHC Seal of Acceptance. The Veterinary Oral Health Council “exists to recognize products that meet pre-set standards of plaque and calculus (tartar) retardation in dogs and cats. Products are awarded the VOHC Seal of Acceptance following review of data from trails conducted according to VOHC protocols. The VOHC does not test products itself.” For a full list of accepted products click here.
Regardless of what product you decide to purchase for your pet, make sure to keep an eye on the reaction it gives him/her. If it helps, write down the ingredients of the particular product for future reference. You are the best investigator/researcher for your pet.