The range includes a water additive which received a Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) approval after being shown to deliver a reduction in calculus of at least 20% in two studies¹.
The other products in the range are a gum spray and a malt flavoured toothpaste.
Animalcare says each has been designed to support owner compliance through ease of use and accompanying educational materials.
The company has also launched a website for veterinary professionals and pet owners: https://dental.pet.
For owners, the site has information on the importance of dental health in pets and advice on establishing a dental care regime.
For veterinary professionals, resources include 'talk tracks' to start discussions with clients about dental care and tools to help them recognise signs of dental pain.
Animalcare Product Manager Eleanor Workman Wright said: “Despite research showing that at least 80% of dogs and 70% of cats are likely to develop periodontal disease by the age of three², dental care is still often neglected.
"While tooth-brushing is cited as the gold standard, it has to be used daily to achieve a significant degree of efficacy.
"This is often just not possible in the ‘real world’ and a more flexible approach can be helpful, with products such as water additives and gum sprays offering a practical, less time-consuming solution in some circumstances."
“Products should be grounded in science which is why we are delighted that the Plaqtiv+ Water Additive has just become the first European product of its type to earn approval from the VOHC.”
References
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I spent some time today looking into this. The reference for VOHC is just the list of what a product requires to be evaluated. The VOHC does not list Plaqtiv and it's not on the Ani la are site either. The VOHC did list a product called Tropicare in 2021 which this might be with the following contents. Active Ingredients per ½ capful (5ml): Cetylpyridinium Chloride (4mg), Green Tea Extract (0.6mg), Zinc Gluconate (0.5mg) Inactive Ingredients: Citric Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Water.
If information is that hard to find with disingenuous references it almost looks like they don’t want you to know what’s in it.
Personally I like a company that introduces a “novel” product to the UK to be up front and transparent about it and ensure sales staff are fully briefed and able to answer the hard questions.
A company a few years back introduced a vet version of Arm and Hammer toothpaste. This contains sodium bicarbonate. Humans rinse and spit while dogs swallow their toothpaste. Had this potential overload of salts been checked? I asked and never got an answer and shortly after it seemed to disappear.
if you are potentially going to stock something I’d make sure that it has a real benefit for your patient and can explain what it does to the owner. They deserve nothing less from a vet professional