Each of my dogs came off the streets of the Essex Thames side towns where they had been abandoned. Ryan from Tilbury and Susie 5 years later as a tiny bag of bones when picked up in Averley. Both appeared older than they were because of their yellowed teeth. In fact their subsequent development proved that they had each been below a year old.

Ryan became so used to the vet and the huge fuss made of him as I took him for his regular weigh-in that, if allowed, he would fly into the hospital section or a consulting room at the drop of a hat. Therefore dental inspection and treatment would not be a problem.

However, the loving, clever and magical spirit which is Susie, a black and white jack russell cross with a smidgeon of Chihuahua and all of ten inches high, becomes as a demented lynx when faced with claw or tooth attention from anyone apart from myself. No aggression, just a panic stricken little monster wriggling and struggling in my arms and almost impossible to hold without making things worse for her. Thank goodness for ProDen PlaqueOff which will, hopefully, reduce these traumatic visits to my, fortunately, good humoured vet. Her last visit for regular inoculations resulted in Nick reassuring me that the dose accidentally injected into his thumb was not life threatening and Susie was finally jabbed, albeit with a bent needle. You don't want to know about the microchip, although I insisted that Nick scan his thumb (same one) in case. You get the picture. However, back to PlaqueOff.

I first used this when recommended by friends who had used it for some years. I had used a toothbrush and special paste, but both Ryan and I could think of better ways to start the day than lifting his muzzle and wielding a tool with bristles on the end. I then tried a couple of rather sticky pastes which were rubbed on to his teeth and gums. It came down to the fact that I had a young animal who had clearly been very badly treated and "first catch your dog" was not the best way to gain his trust. So, when the opportunity was offered to use something which was dropped on to his breakfast from a minute spoon it begged to be tried.

What is Plaque Off? Some time during the 70's a Swedish dentist noticed that a patient who had consistently suffered from extreme plaque suddenly presented with greatly improved dental health. The dentist's investigation found that his patient had begun to regularly include a type of seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum, in his diet. It was, however, twenty years later that this same dentist and a colleague came across a dog whose teeth had been kept healthy by the fact that his dog food contained this same seaweed now known as D1070. Two years later, after extensive research and testing (on humans for those who like me care about these things) ProDen PlaqueOff was launched.*


The treatment is a fine green/yellow powder which is added with a tiny spoon to the dog's feed daily. So small is the amount dispensed that a 60g pot will last from 6 to 12 months depending on the weight of your pet. The treatment acts through the blood stream and subsequently the saliva and is believed to prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth. It is also rich in the natural trace elements and iodine found in seaweeds and has no added preservatives, sugar or gluten.

How useful have I found it? Very. It took about 6 months, as expected, for both Ryan's and, later, Susie's teeth to lose that dull yellowy shade. Their breath is not offensive (except perhaps just after their weekly fish treat) and their gums are healthy. Ryan had been with me for over 5 years before he needed any tooth attention and little Susie now has such an impressive set of white healthy gnashers that I am pleased that she has such a sweet temper.

I would not suggest that any additive should take the place of regular dental check ups. That would be like saying because we clean and floss every day we don't need to make sure with a visit to the dentist. Of course an annual check up should be made in case there are hidden problems. Ryan had cracked the inside of a tooth and if the routine inspection had not been made, infection could have made its way inside. Poor Ryan lost a tooth, but this was not due to plaque.

Proden PlaqueOff can be sourced from pet stores and online and the prices vary quite widely. I have just bought an 180g pot delivery free from Amazon for £18.86. I certainly won't have to buy another this year, so find it economical.

Are there side effects? The manufacturers say that there are not. As far as over dosing is concerned, I can find no warnings, but in any case it would just be wasteful to dispense more than recommended. However, because PlaqueOff contains iodine it should not be given to dogs/cats being treaded for hyperthyroidism.

To summarise; an easy to dispense supplement to aid in prevention of plaque and associated problems.


*Source
http://www.plaqueoff.com/wp-