Petrodex enzymatic dog toothpaste can be a useful part of your pet’s daily at-home dental care regimen.
What Petrodex Is
Petrodex is a brand of enzymatic toothpaste formulated for feline or canine use. It is available in beef or poultry flavors, and it is part of a complete pet dental care line available from St. Jon Laboratories. Look for it at your veterinarian’s office, in pet supply stores or online.
How Petrodex Works
Petrodex contains a chemical, glucose oxidase, that helps eliminate bacteria in a dog’s mouth by creating hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide may help reduce tartar buildup, which may also help cut down on the incidence of canine gum disease.
Veterinarians estimate that 70 percent of pet dogs have gum disease by the time they are 3 years old. Untreated gum disease can lead to tooth loss as well as heart, kidney and liver problems.
Petrodex can clean a dog’s teeth just by coming in contact with them, thanks to its enzymatic action. It does not require rinsing after use and dogs can swallow it safely. In addition to the glucose oxidase, Petrodex contains polishing agents to remove minor stains and make your dog’s teeth whiter, and humectants, which help keep the ingredients in Petrodex from separating when the paste is in your dog’s mouth.
How to Use Petrodex
Although Petrodex can clean a dog’s teeth on contact, it’s still recommended that you brush your dog’s teeth with a canine toothbrush. Use a gentle circular motion on your pet’s teeth, and be sure to brush his gums, too.
Before calling your dog over to brush his teeth, prepare your tools. Put a small amount of Petrodex on your dog’s toothbrush so it’s ready to go. Call your dog to you and have him get settled. Pull his upper lip away from his teeth and gently begin brushing his front teeth. Work your way along the outside of his mouth to his molars. Repeat the process on the opposite side of his mouth with the goal of brushing each side of your dog’s teeth for 30 seconds each.
Don’t worry about brushing the surfaces of the teeth where your dog’s tongue can reach because his natural tongue action will help remove plaque and tartar in these areas. Praise and reward your dog for being good as you brush his teeth, and offer a dental treat to complete the process.
With time and practice, most dogs learn to accept having their teeth brushed, and some even look forward to it because they seem to enjoy the taste of the toothpaste and the time spent with their owners.
Why Canine Toothpaste Is Best for Your Dog
When brushing your dog’s teeth, use a toothpaste like Petrodex that’s formulated specifically for dogs. Human toothpaste contains ingredients that make it foam and require us to spit it out when we’re done brushing, and it may cause stomach upset in a dog that swallows it. Canine toothpaste, on the other hand, doesn’t foam and is designed to be fully digestible.