Dental Chews for Dogs

Nothing here is coated, flavoured or shaped in a factory. The cleaning is mechanical: an abrasive surface dragged across the tooth by a dog that is enjoying itself.

It is for the dog that will not tolerate a toothbrush, which is most of them. Chewing is the part of dental care a dog will actually cooperate with.

Hardness is the thing to get right. The chew has to be firm enough to scrape and soft enough to give. A chew that will not dent under a thumbnail can fracture a tooth, and the slab fracture on a carnassial is the classic way it happens.

Timing matters more than most people expect. Abrasion shifts plaque, and plaque is soft for a couple of days before it mineralises into tartar. After that only a vet can remove it, so daily beats occasional by a wide margin.

Smell and mess: the range spans both extremes. Dried skins and antlers are clean to have in the house, trachea and tendon much less so.

Which chews genuinely shift plaque, and which are hard enough to be a risk, is in dog chews for teeth.