Press Releases
VETERINARIANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PET DENTAL DISEASE AND TRYING TO SPREAD THE WORD TO PET OWNERS
CLEAN EVERY TOOTHTM is a Virbac Animal Health campaign to increase awareness of the importance of pet home dental care.
FORT WORTH, Texas —One of the most common diagnoses that veterinarians make daily is dental disease in dogs and cats. That’s why many veterinarians are stepping up efforts to educate pet owners on the importance of dental hygiene for their pets. It’s also why Virbac Animal Health is supporting a C.E.T. CLEAN EVERY TOOTH™ campaign to help veterinarians build ongoing awareness of the importance of pet home dental care all year long.
“As pet owners become more aware of the need to care for their pet's teeth they’re looking to their veterinarians for guidance,” said Denise Piekarski, senior marketing manager for Virbac Animal Health. “The guidelines for good pet dental care are very similar to those established for people by their dentist. It’s a year-round process that includes both professional care and routine home care.”
Daily Dental Care Is Key During a visit to the veterinary clinic, when the subject of brushing is brought up, pet owners frequently ask, “So how many times a day should I brush his teeth?” According to Stephanie Arnold, MPH, DVM, Virbac Research & Development, one answer that gets people thinking is: “How many times a day do you brush your teeth?”
“Of course, that gets a few laughs, but it’s not necessarily a joke. In reality, it’s sometimes not convenient to brush a pet’s teeth twice a day, so most veterinarians usually recommend weekly,
if not daily brushing,” Arnold said. “The take-home message is: more is definitely better. If a pet doesn’t like to have his teeth brushed, that’s okay. Any dental care you can do at home is a step in the right direction.”
As part of the CLEAN EVERY TOOTH campaign, Virbac makes it simpler for veterinarians to offer 3 Easy Options for pet owners to choose from:
Good to Chew: Pet owners can choose from a complete line of C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews for Dogs and Cats, C.E.T. HEXTRA® Premium Chews for Dogs, or C.E.T. VEGGIEDENT® Tartar Control Chews for Dogs that help reduce plaque and tartar, and keep breath fresh. It’s as easy as giving a daily treat.
Better to Rinse: C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Rinse and C.E.T. AQUADENT® Drinking Water Additive are convenient alternatives to brushing, while providing the benefits of chlorhexidine for oral health.
Best to Brush: C.E.T. Toothpastes and Toothbrushes are specifically designed for dogs and cats. Only a few minutes a day is all it takes.
“The idea of brushing an animal’s teeth can be a little daunting, but it’s really quite easy. Especially now that there are products out there that can make the brushing experience more enjoyable for pets and their owners,” Arnold said.
Best To Brush: The Basics * Start when a pet is young (or adult age after a thorough dental cleaning). Slowly introduce the pet to veterinary dental toothpastes and soft-bristled brushes.
Brushes should be the appropriate size and shape for a pet’s mouth. There are even brushes made for cats (C.E.T. Cat Toothbrush). If a pet owner doesn’t know what size to use, their veterinarian is the best source of advice.
Make sure the paste used is veterinarian recommended. Human products can actually cause more harm than good. Good examples of appropriate toothpastes are the C.E.T. Enzymatic and Tartar Control Toothpastes for Dogs and Cats.
Toothpastes come in multiple flavors, usually beef, chicken, seafood or malt so that they are tasty to your pet and help him look forward to brushing.
Start by letting a pet taste the toothpaste, then put the toothpaste on a finger or a washcloth and run it along the gum line. Finally, use toothpaste on the brush along the gum line.
Be sure to push the toothpaste into the bristles of the brush to keep the pet from just eating or licking it. The brush needs to be angled under the gums because this is where the bacteria that cause dental disease like to hide.
Using small circles, brush from the back to the front of the mouth. Start with outer surfaces of the teeth (facing the cheek) and move to inner surfaces (facing the tongue). The outer surfaces of the teeth are where the most plaque and tartar build up, so reaching them is critical.
The whole process should only take about 30 seconds.
Good To Chew, Better To Rinse If a pet loses patience before a complete brushing gets done, that’s okay. There are other products that can help clean the rest of the teeth, including water additives and dental chews.
“The C.E.T. Oral Hygiene line of dental chews offers a variety of choices to help complete the dental care regimen, including C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Chews for Dogs and Cats, C.E.T. HEXTRA Chews, or C.E.T. VEGGIEDENT Chews,” Piekarski said. “These chews help to mechanically reduce the amount of tartar and plaque on a pet’s teeth, while promoting fresh breath. C.E.T. AQUADENT Water Additive can also be placed in a pet’s drinking water to provide an extra boost to oral hygiene every time a pet drinks.”
Make It A Routine The bottom line for home dental care is that frequent brushing (along with chews and water additives) not only helps protect a pet’s teeth, it can help to save him from painful dental disease. For more information about the complete range of C.E.T. Oral Hygiene products, or for a demonstration of proper tooth brushing techniques, pet owners are encouraged to contact their veterinarian or visit www.cetdental.com.
One of the World’s Largest Laboratories Dedicated Exclusively to Animal Health Virbac develops, manufactures and distributes a wide range of products and services intended for the prevention and treatment of common pathologies in companion animals. The Virbac Corporation U.S., located in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading companion animal health company offering products in the heartworm, tick and flea, dermatology, antibiotics, endocrinology, senior care, behavior, critical care nutrition, and oral hygiene markets. Virbac products are available to pet owners exclusively through a veterinarian.
For more information about Virbac and the company’s products, please visit www.virbacvet.com.
C.E.T. is a registered trademark of Virbac Corporation in the U.S. and a trademark of Virbac AH, Inc. in Canada. C.E.T. AQUADENT is a registered trademark of Virbac Corporation in the U.S. and a registered trademark of Virbac, Inc. in Canada. VEGGIEDENT is a registered trademark of Virbac Corporation in the U.S. HEXTRA is a registered trademark in the U.S. and Canada. C.E.T. CLEAN EVERY TOOTH is a trademark of Virbac Corporation in the U.S.
© 2010 Virbac AH, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Denise Piekarski • Senior Marketing Manager • Virbac Animal Health • 682-647-3505 • denise.piekarski@virbacus.com
Dave Hill, Management • Supervisor • Stephens & Associates • 913-661-0910, Ext. 111 • dhill@stephens-adv.com
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