Review of Petrodex Beef Flavored Toothpaste for Dogs

You think your breath stinks? You should smell my dogs. His breath is rancid, and at times it smells like he chowed down on dead rotting fish all day long. After brining him to the vet thinking that they may have a cure, they simply told me that in order to promote fresh, or at least unscented breath I had to start taking care of my dogs teeth by brushing them and feeding him toys that promote cleansing of teeth, and treats that also do the same.
She didn't know though that this dog is the most picky finicky eater there is, and he does not care much for toys. How the hell was I going to get him to chew on a nylabone, and play with toys? It just was not going to happen. I took her advice though, even though I knew it would not work. Low and behold, it didn't. No surprise there.
My next step was to manually brush his teeth for him. I knew this was going to be hell, me trying to pry open his mouth. I'd probably get bit, or growled at. Whatever though, his breath was stank, and I was willing to try anything to get rid of the stink and keep his mouth healthy.
While shopping in the pet section at Kmart I found beef flavored toothpaste by Petrodex. That sounded cool, there was no way I was getting any mint flavored paste into Bubbie's mouth, but perhaps he wouldn't give me such a fight if I was to give him beef flavored toothpaste specially designed with dogs in mind. Who knows, maybe the picky little fella would even like it?
The paste was only about $4.00, and it came in a decent sized tube with 2.5 ounces of beef paste in it. The tube itself is white, and has the name Petrodex in large white letters on it. You honestly can miss it easily because it doesn't resemble toothpaste the way they package it. It comes plastered on to a cardboard piece that hangs on racks, so while browsing in the pet section keep an eye out for it, it most likely will be found in the care section next to shampoos, dewormers, and flea drops.
While you are there you can also pick up a tooth brush specially designed for dogs teeth and mouth. That's what I did.
When I got home, I placed a small pea sized drop on the dog tooth brush, and gave it a sniff. It did smell like beef, and actually reminded me of beef jerky grounded down into a puree. It smelled okay, but at the same time, I knew Bubba was not going to like this very much.
I scooped him up, and he put on a big wiggly fight the moment he saw me heading for his mouth with the brush. He kicked, jerked, and finally I was able to pry his mouth open with my fingers and quickly get a few swishes into his mouth. However I did not think that these small quick squishes did very much. What I needed was a finger toothbrush. I should have bought that instead of the hand held one. The hand held brush just makes things difficult while you are fighting with a wiggling dog and holding a brush in the other hand. If I had the finger tooth brush I could of just plowed my finger into his mouth and got in a good cleaning.
After the small attempt, Bubba began to drool all over the place. This is what he does when he is forced to eat something he does not want or like. The foam began, and he looked rabid. I wiped his face, and he went on his way.
ROUND 2! Ding! Ding!
After purchasing a finger brush, I knew things would work out much better this time around. The finger brush gets placed on your finger, you then add a small pea sized drop of the beef tooth paste, and put it in the dogs mouth.
This came actually quite easy compared to the day before. I was able to have more control over Bubba, even while he kicked, and wriggled. I was able to feel the back teeth, and easily brush them. I gave him a good minute of brushing. Again he began to drool and foam. Poor thing! But hey, he needs those damn teeth clean. Bad teeth can be fatal if not addressed. I'll be damned if I'm losing my dog over a rotten tooth.
So... you are all probably wondering; did his breath smell any better?
Simply put...No! After brushing with Petrodex Beef Flavored Toothpaste the only scent that came from his mouth was the stank smell of beef jerky. A few hours later he was right back to his normal fish breath self. However, I knew his teeth were clean, so it left my mind at ease. With each and every vet check thereafter, his teeth did improve, but his breath never did. The vet said that I should try to get him to eat breath freshening treats. That doesn't work though, I don't know how many times I have to tell her, there is no way in hell he's going to eat one of them nasty puppy mints. Not Bubba, not no way, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.
Overall:
The beef toothpaste did improve his teeth over time, although it did not freshen his breath. He hates getting his teeth brushed and foams at the mouth each time, but honestly I can say, I'm semi-satisfied knowing his teeth are healthy. I just wish it could do something for his breath!
Where to buy it:
Walmart, Kmart, or online at www.showdogstore.com.
Tip - Buy a finger toothbrush the same time you buy the paste. Save yourself a trip.