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What are the best dental treats to help remove plaque from my dog?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 3 years old | 14 lbs

What is a good dental treat to remove plaque.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 23rd, 2018

Greenies can help remove some fresh plaque. However if your dog already has a moderate to high amount of plaque on his teeth, then he will need a dental cleaning under sedation. Once the teeth are cleaned you can keep plaque from attaching to the teeth by brushing regularly. This is more effective than any dental chews.

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1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 3rd, 2020

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chewy. Yes, Greenies can help prevent dental disease in dogs. There are a variety of products with the seal of approval from the Veterinary Oral Health Council that can help with dental disease. I hope this information helps!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

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Good morning. Are greenies is good for my dog chewy, fight plaque
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chewy. Yes, Greenies can help prevent dental disease in dogs. There are a variety of products with the seal of approval from the Veterinary Oral Health Council that can help with dental disease. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
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What is the best product available to remove plaque from my dogs teeth?
Hi and thanks for posting on Boop by Petco! There are a wide variety of products out there that help decrease plaque on teeth to some degree. Some products are better than others. However, the best product out there is actually a toothbrush! Brushing your dog's teeth daily (or as frequently as you can) will help decrease plaque build up on the teeth and help prevent dental disease. Be sure to use a dog friendly toothpaste you can get from your local pet shop. I have linked one I recommend below. Sometimes, however, the plaque hardens and becomes calcified on the tooth. When this happens, it is very hard to get rid of with brushing or commercial products like dental sprays or water additives, etc. A dental scaling done by Hiccup's veterinarian is the only way to get the dental calculus off the tooth. The sprays and commercial products along with daily or frequent brushing will help substantially at reducing plaque build up in the future. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/p
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Do greenies substitute brushing teeth?
Both help fight tartar formation on your dog's teeth. Both do a fairly good job of slowing the process down, however neither brushing or Greenies treats will eliminate or remove the tartar that has already built up on a dog's teeth. In an ideal world you would be brushing Bella's teeth daily and giving her dental chews (like greenies). The downside of brushing is really just the time it takes and getting your dog comfortable with the act of tooth brushing. The downsides of greenies and similar treats is that some dogs just don't chew on them enough to get the effect of the tartar control and instead swallow big chunks in their enthusiasm at getting a treat. Additionally if weight control becomes an issue as Bella gets older, extra treats mean extra calories. You're in a great position with Bella being so young to start getting her used to regular tooth brushing while she is still teething and may enjoy the act of brushing on her teeth and gums as her adult teeth come in. I recommend us
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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What dog bones are the best for teeth cleaning purposes?
Hello! I personally love the Greenies brand dental chews for my dogs! You can also smear some dog toothpaste on their other toys, like a nylabone for example, to make a fun teeth brushing treat for him. :) I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Is this normal for a 2 year old puppy? We brush her teeth pretty regularly and try to use a scraper. What more can we do at home to help this? Or is there something else we can do?
Hello! She has a very small amount of tartar accumulation right on her gum lines, which is perfectly amount of plaque to develop by her age. I think with some increase in dental home care, you can probably get all that plaque dissolved and back to pearly whites! Excellent job with the teeth brushing! I would recommend trying to increase that to daily brushing and make sure that you are using a toothpaste with an enzymatic cleaner. The enzymatic part means that it still works after you stop brushing to break down the plaque and tartar. A small amount of this tooth paste put on chew toys can be a way for her to brush her own teeth as well. :) There are also diets formulated for dogs that accumulate dental plaque quickly. Hills T/D is one that I know of off the top of my head, but there are likely other brands as well. The kibbles are made in larger pieces that crunch in a way that cleans that teeth while they eat. Dental chews, like greenies, can be given daily as well for their dent
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Health & Wellbeing
Hello :) I have a question . How to remove plaque from teeth more effectively Thank you :)
Hi. Great question! Once the tartar is there, the only way to remove it is to have a professional cleaning done with your veterinarian. This involves scaling and polishing the teeth similar to the way ours are done. The best way to prevent more build up is to brush them daily. Which can be hard. There is a food by Hills/science diet called T/D that helps with tartar as well.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog is just over 1yrs old (Morkie) heeats dry food mixed with Merrick 96 beef because he hates dry food alone. Went to vetco for vaccines she noted some plaque and said to watch it. Based on these pics is this from the food bc it's moist? Should I
At this point, he likely does not need a complete cleaning unless he happens to be undergoing anesthesia for another issue. There is some buildup, yet his gums do not appear inflamed. If he will allow, brushing daily with a pet approved tooth paste and toothbrush will slow the progression of tartar build up. Encourage chewing as well to promote healthy teeth and gums.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
15 mo. old Cavapoo. Try to brush her teeth often, are ate dental chews & spray for water effective? What's best?
Daily brushing with a pet approved tooth paste and toothbrush and dental chews are more effective than a water additive. When looking at dental products, search for the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal of approval. Use the chart at the link below to find acceptable dental chews. http://www.vohc.org/accepted_products_dogs.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog’s back teeth are nasty looking, yellowing and some darker color build up on there. I give him a denta stix every day and his front teeth have gotten really white but the back teeth haven’t improved. I try to brush his teeth but he really hates
Hello, you'll likely need to scale the tartar accumulation off of his back teeth so that you can have an easier time keeping them clean. Ideally, after their teeth have been scaled, brushing their teeth and using dental treats may help keep their teeth clean and white the longest. As in humans, dogs should have a dental exam at least every 6-12 months with a scaling and polishing as needed. Brushing daily and dental chews such as OraVet have worked the best for my clients in the past. Hope this helps and best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Which type of food would you recommend to help prevent excess tartar build-up on a dogs teeth?? (wet dog food/hard kibbles/homemade dog food etc.)
Dental biscuits are the best, they help tarts build up as the dog naturally chews through them. There are lots of brands that you can choose from, my preference goes to Royal Canine dental biscuits for small dogs.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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