Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Effectiveness of a Daily Honeycomb-Shaped Dental Chew in Reducing Calculus, Plaque, Gingivitis and Malodor in Dogs.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary dentistry
- Year:
- 2025
- Authors:
- Crowder, Susan E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Companion Animal Dentistry of Kansas City · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Periodontal disease, which affects the gums and teeth of dogs, is quite common, and many pet owners struggle to keep up with their pets' dental care. A study looked at whether a honeycomb-shaped dental chew could help reduce hardened plaque, calculus, and bad breath in dogs over 60 days. The researchers found that using this chew daily led to a significant decrease in calculus by about 26.6%, plaque by 14.2%, and bad breath by nearly 46.7%. However, there wasn't a notable improvement in gum health. Overall, the honeycomb dental chew was effective in reducing plaque, calculus, and bad breath in dogs when used consistently for two months.
Abstract
Periodontal disease in dogs is common. Client compliance with oral hygiene and oral care for pets is low. The gold standard is annual dental prophylaxis under general anesthesia with imaging followed by home care including daily brushing. Clients should be offered methods to reduce calculus, plaque, gingivitis, and resulting halitosis that are time efficient, cost-effective, and easy to administer between annual preventative dental prophylaxis with the goal to move into maintenance phase of managing periodontal disease. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a honeycomb-shaped dental chew in reducing hardened calculus, plaque, gingivitis, and malodor in client-owned dogs in their normal home environment including various breeds, skull types, ages, and weights. Calculus, plaque, and gingival scores with volatile sulfur compounds readings were performed under sedation and evaluated under general anesthesia after 60 consecutive days of receiving a daily honeycomb-shaped dental chew treat. There was an overall statistically significant percentage reduction of calculus (26.6%), plaque (14.2%), and malodor (46.71%). Gingival scores did not demonstrate statistically significant reduction (0.99%). Use of this honeycomb-shaped daily dental chew significantly reduced calculus, plaque, and associated malodor in dogs when fed consecutively for 60 days.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38819379/