Cheaper Treats for Canine Choppers! (Sainsbury's Dental Sticks)

Member Name: skidd

Product:	Sainsbury's Dental Sticks
Date:	17/04/09 (299 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Much cheaper than Pedigree Dentastix for same size and weight

Disadvantages: Only come in one size and only suitable for medium to large dogs

A couple of years ago I wrote a very favourable review of Pedigree Dentastix and Woody, my mongrel, Labrador look-alike has continued to do well on these. I hope I will be forgiven for repeating an abridged version of his dental history before moving on to the present product under consideration.

I have had dogs most of my life and, to be honest, I never used to consider cleaning their teeth and was never advised to. It wasn't that I was negligent. Things were just very different then and our pets, although loved, were in general far less pampered, groomed, bathed and polished than they are today. The vet was only there if our pooch was poorly or needed an occasional jab! However I had to change my ways when, some ten years ago, Woody was diagnosed with a severe gum infection and a course of antibiotics failed to clear it. It was then found that the bone beneath had been affected necessitating surgery to remove four teeth under general anaesthetic. He had already chipped his two lower canines (supposedly through chewing stones and his habit of carrying a metal dish around like a comfort blanket) so he could ill afford further dental depletion!

We therefore embarked on an attempt to introduce a regular teeth cleaning ritual with special doggy tooth paste. But Woody is a large, stocky canine, strong in body and will so it was never going to be easy! After our first failed attempt at cleaning, he took a passionate dislike to the toothbrush and fled instantly to hide every time it appeared. No inducements would work and we had to resort to catching him, struggling to hold him still as gently as possible and exercising all our ingenuity to get him to open his mouth at all, let alone to open wide! No amount of gentle words of reassurance convinced him that we meant well! In these circumstances the job was never done well because Woody's distress meant we would give up the before the job was completed. Therefore his teeth still displayed signs of that tell tale yellowing where they met the gums and sometimes his gums still bled.

A few years later I discovered Pedigree Dentastix. Although they are not advertised as an alternative to brushing they do claim to reduce tarter build up by 80%. We have never looked back. Woody loved them and after a month or so, Woody's halitosis was a thing of the past, his teeth appeared considerably whiter and, touch wood, he has never again had any dental problems. The vet has even been known to compliment him on his nice white teeth. I haven't admitted to him that I long ago gave up the struggle to brush his teeth. Of course I can't advise this and everybody should heed the vet's advice. I can only say that either Woody has been lucky or it worked for us. He is about to celebrate his 13th birthday, a real old man in dog years, and no dentures yet!

A couple of months ago I was searching Sainsbury's for some pooch treats and I noticed their own brand Dental Sticks which are described as "a daily chewing treat." The dog pictured on the packet looked so like Woody I just had to order them. I think I would have done so even if they had not been 90p cheaper than the Pedigree equivalent. They make no claim to reduce tartar build up but label them "for healthy teeth and gums".

I couldn't actually see what they looked like in the picture on-line but I did note that there were seven sticks and the total package weighed 180g, just the same as Pedigree. When they arrived in my on-line order I noted that the cellophane packaging was cheaper looking than the Pedigree foil lined version which is resealable but, as they never last long, this seemed unimportant. Upon opening the packet, with my trusty hound watching me expectantly, his head on one side, I could not believe how similar they were to Dentastix. They are the same size ( about 5.25 inches long) , a very similar cross shape although whereas Pedigree ones are an exact cross, Sainsbury's are, what I can only describe as, an "off centre" cross, and much the same texture. The only really noticeable difference is that Sainsbury's are a darker shade.

I checked out the ingredients to find they were exactly the same. Both contain cereals, derivatives of vegetable origin, minerals (sodium tripolyphosphate and zinc sulphate), meat and animal derivatives and EU permitted colourants and preservatives. There are slight differences in the nutritional breakdown as follows:-

Protein
Sainsbury's 6% Pedigree 10%
Oil & Fats
Sainsbury's 2% Pedigree 1%
Fibre
Sainsbury's 7% Pedigree 3%
Ash
Sainsbury's 3% Pedigree 7%

I am not an expert in dog nutrition but, as these are not my pooch's main diet and I think he gets all the nutrients he needs from his dog food, this does not particularly concern me.

Woody did not seem to notice any difference as he seized one and set off to enjoy it in his favourite place (next to the radiator). In fact it seemed to last a little longer than those he was used to. And so we switched allegiances and he has now been on these for about two months. So far, I have not noticed any deterioration in his gnashers and no recurrence of his whiffy breath. I also note that the extra fibre has not had any unfortunate side effect! It seems he enjoys them just as much and so I feel no guilt that I am saving quite a few pence. Of course I will keep an eye on him to ensure his pearlies are not suffering but after a couple of months I am hopeful this will not happen.

However before I recommend them to all dog owners I have to point out that, as far as I can see on Sainsbury's website, they are only available in the size recommended as suitable for medium to large dogs; there is no weight specification to clarify this description. Pedigree do four sizes Toy, Small, Medium and Large. The ones I used to buy are described as Medium but the small print specifies Medium - Large, defining this as dogs in the weight range 10-25 kilos. Sainsbury also only do one size of pack which contains 7 sticks whereas Pedigree offers sevens and also larger packs containing twenty-eight. I can only assume Sainsbury's are capitalising on the most popular variety and size of pack!

Twenty four hours ago, I would have said we will be sticking (no pun intended!) to the Sainsbury's version because at £1.04 a pack they are so much cheaper than Pedigree Dentastix which usually retail for around
£1.90. However today I discovered that Tesco do an own brand version which looks very similar (same number of sticks and same weight) and they are only 98p so Woody and I might have to set off on another intrepid consumer adventure. After all, in these hard times and especially now I am coming up to retirement, I need to count the pennies more when buying my own food supplies and I am sure Woody won't mind if I do the same for him. In fact I doubt he will even notice!

Summary: They worked for Woody!