FEBRUARY FUN FACT: Why Pet Toothpaste?

A question we often hear from our clients when teaching them how to protect their pet’s teeth is, “Why do they need special toothpaste? Can’t I just use regular toothpaste?” Besides the fact that your pet might not appreciate the strong minty flavor that we tend to prefer, there are a few other reasons we recommend special toothpaste for your furry friend. The primary reason is also why we have different toothpaste for babies; adult human toothpaste contains fluoride, and babies and pets don’t know how to rinse and spit. Ingestion of too much fluoride can cause problems, so we want to avoid this.

Additionally, human toothpaste is foamy, and we don’t want our pets ingesting the agents causing the foam.  We still need a product that can clean their teeth and not cause harmful effects, so pet toothpaste is made to help dissolve plaque, and it comes in flavors that your pets will appreciate.  Flavors can include malt, poultry, beef, or vanilla mint. A common ingredient in human toothpaste is xylitol, also found in gum, which is highly toxic to dogs and cats. The sodium level in our toothpaste is also much higher, which can be harmful when swallowed by pets. Do your pet a favor and brush their teeth with toothpaste specially formulated for their needs and which tastes good to them!

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