What do you do to take care of your pup’s pearly whites? You know … his chicklets, choppers, grill, or whatever other word you use to describe his teeth.
A few months ago, I shared an article detailing how poor oral care can impact your dog’s overall health and well-being. In case you missed it, the read highlights everything from bad breath, plaque, tartar, gingivitis, heart disease, liver damage, and compromised kidney function. So, as you can see, dental health is pretty important.
Cleaning Your Dog’s Teeth Doesn’t Have To Be Time-Consuming
Sure, I’m a huge advocate for brushing your dog’s teeth. But I totally understand that sometimes life gets in the way and picking up your dog’s toothbrush can get pushed down the priority list. But I’ve got some good news for you. I recently discovered this amazing dog toy from iHeartDogs that literally brushes their teeth as they play with it. It’s called the Brite Bite Brushing Stick.
Who else is intrigued?!
Here’s How The Brite Bite Brushing Stick Works
This simple yet effective rubber toy features two sides of spikes that brush against your dog’s teeth and gums as he chews and slobbers on it. The spikes vary in sizes and angles, helping to grind off any plaque or tartar that has accumulated on your pup’s teeth.
When I first tossed these toys to my dogs they were a bit confused. After all, it doesn’t look like the average plush toy they usually play with. So I rubbed a little peanut butter on the spikes and voilá—they couldn’t get enough!
Bump Up The Benefits
Now that my dogs are familiar with this brushing toy, and enjoy playing with it, I ditch the peanut butter. Instead, as a way to bump up the benefits, I like to dab a little coconut oil or dog-approved toothpaste onto the bristles. As they bite down onto the stick, the paste gets all over their teeth. A word of advice: If you add coconut oil or toothpaste to your toy, don’t let your pooch play with it on the rug or couch. Things could get pretty messy!
My Thoughts On The Brite Bite Brushing Stick
Gets Those Hard-To-Reach Areas
The lines of bristles are pretty deep, and with them pointing in so many different directions, this toy helps brush those hard-to-reach molars. I will say, I’m pretty good at keeping up with my dogs’ oral care. But right before my last annual vet check-up, I noticed some plaque building up near Diego and Gigi’s molars. Little dogs are extremely susceptible to dental problems so knowing this toy reaches back there is a huge plus for me.
Great For Finicky Dogs
My dogs don’t give me a hard time when I brush their teeth, but if your canine companion does then this toy will really come in handy. If you don’t brush your pup’s teeth out of fear of getting bitten, you don’t have to neglect his oral care altogether. Instead, squirt a little dog-approved toothpaste on this brushing stick and let the magic happen all on its own (without your hands anywhere near those sharp choppers).
Peace Of Mind
While this toy is not intended to replace brushing your dog’s teeth, it does offer me peace of mind come hectic mornings when I just don’t have time to bust out the doggy toothbrush.
Take A Whif
When my toothbrush toys arrived in the mail, I opened the box and immediately smelled a hint of mint. That’s right. Not only are these toys reminiscent of a toothbrush, they also smell like one too!
Durable Rubber
To be honest, I’m pretty cautious with what rubber toys I let my dogs play with. The last thing I want is them biting off and ingesting a piece of rubber. And there are a lot of cheap rubber toys on the market that are pretty easy for your dog to bite through and break. I’m happy to report that this rubber toy is extremely durable. The rubber material is super thick and high quality. Of course, you should always monitor your pooch when playing, but I feel comfortable letting my dogs chew on this toy!
Brush For A Cause
I’m a sucker for helping out the rescue dogs. Are you with me? What I love about the iHeartDogs’ product line is every sale helps to either feed a shelter dog in need or provides them with a toy of their own.
Comes In Different Shapes and Sizes
Along with this brushing stick, iHeartDogs also offers dental toys in the shape of a bone and ball. Load up on a few to keep your pup intrigued!
