How to keep your dog's teeth clean -- Merrick Fresh Kisses review

Nothing like doggy breath, huh? Hot and sometimes -- especially depending on what you feed them -- quite stinky.

But just like humans, stinky dog breath could be a sign of tooth decay. And just like humans, tooth decay in a dog can lead to all sorts of health problems.

That's why we've got to keep those teeth clean, right? And to do that, we'll show you how to brush a dog's teeth in a few easy steps, plus -- use a good dental treat. We recommend Merrick's new Fresh Kisses™ dental treats.

DISCLOSURE: This post and giveaway is sponsored by Merrick Pet Care. The opinions and ideas in this post are my own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business.

Countdown to Christmas, Day 3: WHIMZEES new Brushzees

Our Countdown to Christmas continues!

Every Tuesday and Thursday we unwrap a new gift to giveaway for your dog and for the dog lover in your life!

• Countdown to Christmas, Day 1: Beagles Go Around the World coloring book
• Countdown to Christmas, Day 2: One Fur All wax melts

This Tuesday, we're giving away a treat that will keep your dog busy and help clean their teeth.

DISCLOSURE: All prizes and review samples in Lulu's Countdown to Christmas Giveaway were provided for free, but no other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Virbac VeggieDent Chews

What dog doesn't love Greenies? And everyone is coming out with some kind of dental treat these days.

So when I got the offer to try a dental chew normally only available through veterinarians, I said of course. Brushing Lulu's teeth is a pain! A treat is much easier.

These are the CET VeggieDent Chews by Virbac Animal Health. We got them from Entirelypets.com.

The ingredients are simple and designed to be soluble: Corn starch, glycerin, soya proteins, rice flour, palatable agent, sorbitol, corn derivatives, water, potassium sorbate, chlorhexidine digluconate.

It reminds me of a really thick fruit leather in terms of texture.

Chewing it is supposed to help reduce plaque and loosen tartar. And dogs NEED to chew it, not gulp it down. Would Lulu do what she's supposed to?

Well it's not easy to chew, but Lulu certainly wasn't going to gulp it down. It took her several minutes to get through one treat. Bite, chew, chew, chew, chew. Bite, chew, chew, chew, chew. She couldn't wreck this treat the way she does, say, Dentastix or even the Greenies meant for her size.

PROS:

• One a day can help keep teeth problems at bay, as the package says.
• Soluble, so it won't cause a digestive problem.
• Lulu likes it.
• A bag of 30 is only $10.99 on the Entirely Pets.com site, which is cheaper than Greenies.

 Time will tell if it really does help Lulu's teeth.

 CONS:

• Very little all-natural here.
• Made in Vietnam.
• Chewing is extremely important in order to make this treat work for your dog's teeth. If your dog is not good at chewing, if they take treats down whole, you either need to break it up and give them small pieces, or don't give it to them at all. The package says not chewing these treats properly could actually be harmful to the dogs.
• Older dogs may not be able to chew these as well, depending on how good their teeth on. Lulu did not find these as easy to chew.

DISCLAIMER: This post was written on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network and EntirelyPets.com, I received a product for review as well as compensation for my time. Like all reviews on this Blog all thoughts and comments about the product are my own.