One of the joys of having a daughter for a vet is really getting to understand which animal products work, and which are a lot of money for very little benefit. This is helped along by the occasional gift of some product nearing its use by date, which is always very welcome in our house!

Logic Gel dog and cat toothpaste is a gem of a product, which I came across primarily as a freebie donated by my daughter, as it was nearing the date it could be sold to clients. As it happened it couldn't have been more appropriate, as one of my cats, Lily. had just been to the vets for her annual vaccinations, where we received some devastating news. Firstly that she had a major heart murmur, and secondly that her teeth were a line of crumbling gravestones, which in her best interest needed to be removed. However, in view of the heart murmur this was far too dangerous to undertake without major investigations, so thanks to our insurer's Petplan we went up to The Royal College to see the specialist cardiology team at the referral centre in London. Here she received the most incredible cardiac work up, and was placed on beta blockers. This led to an eventual recommendation. that with adequate care and monitoring she could go ahead with the dental work under anaesthetic.

Despite this reassurance, the procedure still carried a higher mortality rate than normal, but with gravestones for teeth, which can also endanger the heart through the bacteria they contain being carried to the heart in the circulation, we knew that the dental work would have to be undertaken a few weeks later after another referral appointment.

In the meantime we had the Logic toothpaste and decided to try to clean them ourselves, with the intention really of making her more comfortable whilst awaiting the operation. The toothpaste contains enzymes which attack the bacteria thus reducing the plaque on the teeth. The gel also contains a mild abrasive, which itself boosts the action of the animal's own saliva. For cats and small dogs like my Molly only 1cm of gel is needed per day, so a tube will last quite a long time.

It can be very difficult to catch Lily as she is rather a fast mover despite her heart condition, but we became quite confident giving her the medication for her heart, and then rubbing the paste onto her teeth. No brush was needed; in fact I wouldn't use a brush as her teeth looked so bad at the start I felt sure they would cave in!

After two months we went to the vet for a check up to book Lily in for surgery. What we were told was incredible. Her teeth were so much improved, the inflammation around the gums was gone, and there was no clinical need to risk the dental work after all.

With this news the entire menagerie I own were put on Logic, and to my amazement Molly, my dog who had been told last year that she would need a dental this summer, recently went for her check up to be told that it was no longer necessary! I do use a brush on her teeth, rather than my finger, but other than that the technique is the same. Just try to be vigilant and persistent and make sure no day goes by without using the product. In the case of Molly I like to do this last thing at night after she has eaten. Logic also makes chews impregnated with the enzymes which she loves, and these compliment the toothpaste beautifully, and have kept her away from the need to have surgery.

Routine dental extractions are commonplace now in veterinary surgeries, and many animals live into their old age without many teeth left at all and cope beautifully. Still, having to endure these surgeries does carry a small mortality risk, which increases with age, and if they can be avoided so much the better.

Over the years I have used many different types of toothpaste on my dogs and cats, but this is by far the best and the results have been amazing. Produced by Ceva Animal Health Limited, this toothpaste is available from vet surgeries and on-line. This is one of the products I now purchase mail order from www.vetuk.co.uk where it retails for £5.73.

Over many decades of animal ownership I have, until recently, just accepted the need for routine dental procedures, but now feel I have a weapon with which to tackle the problem. I do feel some animals may not respond as well as mine have, as dental disease seems to attack some more than others, but if there is anything which removes or reduces the frequency of the agonising day you have to hand over your pet for surgery, then it has to be worth it. These procedures also carry a hefty price tag which isn't always covered by insurance.

Some animals will allow you to use this product on them, some will kick up a lot of fuss, and in the case of cats they can be very elusive - often missing when required! Take care with your finger too, and wash well afterwards with an anti-bacterial hand wash or use a finger stall. Puppies can be trained to accept this from an early age and you can also buy a set containing the gel and a toothbrush which retails for £8.68. Most animals quite like the taste and accept it. My dog Molly is so used to it now that she sees it as part of her bedtime routine!

Logic Toothpaste has saved my cat a major operation which carried a high mortality rate. A small price to pay for a calendar free from this risky day.

This review is also posted on Ciao by myself under my user name Violet1278.