Let me share with all of you wet-nosed pet owners a rather elucidatingly telling story about a visit to my vet and our conversation about tartar-removing products. I had been using this product relatively consistently for the past few months with ostensibly no discernible results, to my chagrin. During my dog's annual wellness check-up/exam, I asked my doctor about the condition of my dog's teeth and mentioned that I was using tartar-removal products in tandem with brushing my dog's teeth almost every day. He immediately deprecated all of those products that "claim to remove tartar" because they "don't work," and he suggested that I discontinue usage of these products. (After doing some searching on the web, it turns out that it's not uncommon for vets to decidedly denounce tartar-removal products). My vet added that my dog will likely need to have a cleaning in 1 or 2 years (which entails putting the dog under anesthesia and cleaning her teeth for a couple hundred bucks). Although I was heavily disheartened by the input that the "doctor" had given me, I continued using my tartar-removing Nylabone product as well as Arm & Hammer's "Clinical Dental Pet Care Foam" for the next few days, and GUESS WHAT. After the third day when I went to brush my dog's tooth, I noticed that the HUGE deposit of tartar that had accumulated on one of her canine teeth had COMPLETELY SLID OFF! IT JUST SLID OFF LIKE MAGIC. So DON'T tell me that these products don't work because I've experienced first hand that they do, in fact, work. This is a bona fide testament to how duplicitous some (if not most) veterinarians can be. My mom has continually been telling me that the veterinarian merely feigns affection for your pet and genuinely wants your pet to be alive, but not necessarily healthy, so that the vet can capitalize on the treatments indicated for different diseases/illnesses that manifest. I try to see the good in people and always give them the benefit of the doubt; however, the events that unfolded here evidently indicate that either (1) my vet is an utter imbecile or (2) my vet is, indeed, a sly sleazeball who would rather see my dog undergo expensive treatment that requires anesthesia than see her health improved via substantially safer means (not to mention considerably more economical means). At any rate, I plan on continuing to use Nylabone's "Liquid Tartar Remover" and Arm & Hammer's "Clinical Dental Pet Care Foam" until all of the tartar has been removed from my beloved little doggy's teeth. I've already witnessed prodigious improvement in her oral health; most of the tartar buildup on the right side of her mouth is completely gone, and her breath doesn't stink anymore! I am truly elated at how much my dog's oral health has improved, and once again thoroughly enjoy my dog's kisses. For all those pet owners who don't want to subject their dogs to the dangers of anesthesia or to the risks and complications of using a tartar scraper and attempting to do a superficial tartar scrape, yourself, (which, by the way, doesn't even remove tartar that builds up under the gums), this is what has worked for me: 1. Brush your dog's teeth as often as you can throughout the week--of course no more than once or twice a day. 2. Use this Nylabone product in your beloved wet-nosed cheerful ball of love's water 3. Use Arm & Hammer's "Clinical Dental Pet Care Foam" after brushing your dog's teeth Lastly, don't lose hope, and HANG IN THERE! Just when you're about to give up, stupendous results may lie right around the corner, as it did for me! Unfortunately, I can't tell you with 100% certainty that my success in reducing tartar on my dog's teeth is attributable solely to this Nylabone product, but I can tell you that this was one of three things that I've instituted in my dog's daily care which may or may not have contributed to my success. However, take comfort in knowing this: It IS possible to remove that rank and unsightly tartar buildup via safe and economical means. And remember, don't believe everything that your vet tells you! As my mother says, "They are regular people who are trying to make money and pay off their mortgages. Don't be so quick to put them up on a pedestal." P.S. In light of recent events, I'm definitely going to change vets. If you're curious as to which vet I used to attend, it was "Rocky Gorge Animal Hospital, Resort & Spa." I'm never going to bring my poor pup there ever again. What's worse is that this wasn't the first offence, either, but that's another story for another time.
