If your dogs are anything like mine, chances are you are subjected to the smell of horrible dog breath on a regular basis. Proper canine dental care is the key to ridding your dog of his nasty breath, but most pet parents don’t realize the importance of brushing their dog’s teeth and providing him with dental chews.
Dental chews cannot take the place of regular brushing, but they do help prevent plaque and tartar from building up in between brush sessions.
Whimzees offers a great line of all-natural dental chews that are safe and healthy for your Fido. Whimzees are manufactured by a pet-loving company in Holland called Paragon Pet Products. They are delicious, vegetarian, gluten-free and healthy. They are also durable, meaning they won’t quickly break apart like other dental chews.
RELATED: The Best Dog Treats
Many similar products break quickly and your dog can eat them in seconds, just like a dog treat. The whole point of a dental chew is to get your dog chewing. Dental chews are supposed to use your pet’s natural chewing motion combined with the unique design of the toy to scrape built up plaque and tartar off his teeth. That’s exactly how Whimzees chews work.
The chews are made with limited, natural ingredients including potato starch, which is a highly digestible, gluten-free source of energy. Glycerin increases the palatability of the treats and helps them retain moisture. Powdered cellulose is a pure form of dietary fiber that will help polish your pet’s teeth and will also aid in the regularity of his digestive tract.
Whimzees are also made with lecithin, an all-natural emulsifier that is derived from vegetables. Malt extract is used to improve your dog’s metabolism, strengthen his bones and improve his muscle tone. Yeast is also used as it is a source of B vitamins and numerous minerals. Yeast also contains amino acids that promote a healthy coat and aid in digestion.
Alfalfa extract is used as a natural green coloring agent, and it contains 6 B vitamins, vitamin K and beta-carotene. Annatto extract is a natural orange coloring agent and is also a rich source of antioxidants. Calcium carbonate is used as a natural white coloring agent and helps reduce the risk of tooth decay. It also helps to maintain strong and healthy bones.
Whimzees Dental Chews come in several sizes and shapes. They come in sizes extra-small to extra-large. It’s important that you read the packaging or the information on the company’s website to purchase the right size for your dog. If you buy a size that is too small it can be a choking hazard, and a size that is too large may not clean your pet’s teeth as well. These treats come in shapes including a toothbrush, alligator, hedgehog, the Stix, the Rice Bone, and the Veggie Ear.
RELATED: Vet Recommended Safe Dog Treats for Snacking
Each shape has special nubs, wedges and indentations that are specifically designed to challenger your pet and clean his teeth at the same time. There are grooves that help work the chew into the spaces between your dog’s teeth, hollow shapes and spaces that allow his teeth to grip and chew easily and unique knobby shapes that foster proper blood flow through the gums to prevent tartar and plaque buildup and help prevent bad breath.
Whimzees aren’t cheap – it’ll cost you about $20 for a bag of 17 toothbrush shaped treats, but the benefits for your pet are certainly worth it. If it’s not in your budget to feed your dog one treat each day, consider giving him one every other day or every three days. You won’t get the results that the company specifies, but at least it would be better than letting him go long periods of time with no dental care at all.