Your pet deserves healthy teeth! |

Scissor bite

Dogs and cats naturally have a scissor bite, with the upper teeth standing without space in front of the lower teeth, which is very suitable for “cutting” meat. They cannot chew like humans. Puppies / kittens are born without teeth. From the second / third week after birth, they grow their first baby teeth, which give way to permanent teeth after about three / five months. After changing the primary teeth, a cat has 30 and a dog 42 teeth.

Changing-teeth tip

The changing of milk teeth to adult teeth can take several months and the emerging of new teeth can be quite painful. As a result, young animals may have less appetite, chew more on things and, just like small children, be a bit lethargic. Tip: Chewing on a large chilled or frozen carrot can provide relief!

Dental plaque and tartar

Food residues that remain in the mouth of your dog or cat after eating are used as fuel by bacteria. These bacteria leave behind waste products, which form a thin layer of plaque on the teeth. In combination with calcium in the saliva, plaque can turn into tartar, which can cause nasty inflammation and a lot of pain. You better avoid those problems, because then a vet and possibly also an unpleasant treatment will follow.

Symptoms of dental problems

• Stinking breath
• Yellow or brown deposit
• Discolored teeth
• Red and thick gums
• Change in eating habit, for example avoiding to chew
• Reluctant to eat or chew
• Being awake or restless more often
• Shake their head or rub against objects
• Drooling
• Dropping toys, blood stains on chews or toys

Growling can very well indicate dental problems

To do!

Regularly checking your dog or cat’s teeth is very important. You can recognize healthy teeth without plaque or tartar by white teeth and pink gums. Brushing your teeth can help keep your teeth clean. Prins Train & Care or Play & Care can be a useful help in getting your puppy or kitten used to teeth brushing, as its best to start with dental care at an early age.

Did you know?

Almost all vets recommend brushing your pet’s teeth, but only 2 percent of owners do so regularly!

Chew well

In addition to regular brushing, good chewing is very important to keep your dog or cat’s teeth clean. Food can play an important role in this, but it is important that your animal chews its food well. Extruded food makes for a harder kibble and can help keep the teeth clean but, again, you do have to make sure your dog chews well and doesn’t gobble!

Sprinkle tip

Scattering or offering your pet food kibbles in a feeding puzzle can help your animal chew better. It ensures that your animal really has to work for his kibble and eat the kibble piece by piece, which prevents it from swallowing a mouth full at a time.

You can recognize healthy teeth by white teeth and pink gums.

Size and shape

Prins has various dog and cat foods with a larger and / or adapted kibble shape to stimulate chewing, such as:

• ProCare Protection pressed food for dogs (larger kibble)
• ProCare Protection Croque, ProCare Croque and Fit Selection crunchy food for dogs (harder kibble)
• VitalCare Adult Maxi and VitalCare Protection Maxi Deluxe crispy food for cats (larger kibble)
• VitalCare Indoor and VitalCare MultiCat crunchy food for cats (adapted shape, “cross” kibble)

Hexa-what ?!

Prins VitalCare Protection crunchy cat foods contain hexametaphosphate, a mineral that scavenges calcium from saliva so that tartar cannot develop. Small dogs often have more dental problems. That is why Prins Protection Croque Mini crispy dog foods also contain hexametaphosphate to support clean teeth and to reduce the formation of dental plaque.

Did you know?

Dogs and cats don’t get cavities as easily as humans. The effect of sugars is not as negative for our furry friends as it is for humans. This is because the saliva of dogs is less acidic, which means that holes are less likely to form in the enamel.

Dental care products

In addition to various dental care products such as mouth gel, mouthwash and powder against tartar, your local pet shop offers a wide selection of chewing snacks and toys that help clean the teeth. Be careful with chewing material which is too hard. If it is nearly indestructible, your animal can literally break its teeth on it! Often it is the back molars that tear. This can cause inflammation and abscess, which often shows as a bulge under the eye.

Need help?

Do you have a question about the health of your animal? We are happy to put our teeth into it! Our CareTeam is at your service with advice and guidance.