Biotene For Bad Teeth

[maximum]

Max has really bad teeth, and is down to 13 teeth. He has a dental coming up and I have to basically decide if we take the remaining teeth out to avoid future dentals (he is 11) or keep them and try everything possible to keep them. To this end, I was looking at buying Biotene to help him out, after reading about it here on GT. But when I went to buy it, I saw that it had xylitol in it - which I thought was a huge no-no for dogs!!??

 

Sooo, is there another type of Biotene out there that doesn't have Xylitol? I don't think I want to use it, if it does have xylitol in it...

[rschultz]

wow, i didn't know that was bad for greys. someone on here told me to use small amount on gauze to rub her gums. I have been using it for a year now, no problem. why is it bad for them? Now i wonder if i should stop?

[CaliforniaGreys]

I've been using it for almost 2 years and it was my vet who told me to use it.

I also called UC Davis to ask about it and it's safe to use on the dogs

[maximum]

I am not sure exactly why it is so bad, but this is from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association;

 

http://www.ovma.org/pet_owners/pet_health/...s_for_pets.html

 

It's also listed on the ASPCA website under their poison control section. I think the danger to pets is a fairly recent discovery; I only heard about it in the past couple of years (or less) - maybe why a vet thought it was okay?

Edited September 16, 2009 by maximum

[dmdsmoxie]

Xylitol causes dogs to

secrete insulin so their blood sugar drops very quickly. The second

thing that happens is liver failure.

 

Maybe there is such a small amount in Biotene that it has no effect on the dogs.

 

Dick

[KF_in_Georgia]

Petrodex breath spray for dogs also contains Xylitol in very small quantities. It appears to be safe in those quantities, but I'd be afraid of the risk that a dog could get hold of the bottle and take too much--especially a dog that might have other health issues.

 

I tossed my bottle of Petrodex. I decided it wasn't worth the worry, let alone the risk.

[Guest LindsaySF]

If the xylitol is in small enough quantities it is supposed to be safe. I wouldn't keep it around though for the same reason as the poster above me.

 

 

[silverfish]

I think it must be in small enough quantities to be safe, especially if vets are recommending it. If you look at the ingredients list of things like toothpaste (human) it's enough to make your hair stand on end. There are some preservatives in there you would not want your child to get into, and yet we use it every day. Even the flouride is enough to make you think, and yet .. here we all are, still using it.

 

 

[kudzu]

We all keep so many things in the house that are dangerous to our dogs that it would not occur to me not to have Biotene around just for fear of dogs getting to it. I have mouth rinse upstairs in my bathroom that contains xylitol & after reading the info on Biotene was thinking of getting some for all of us, dogs included. Rather than refuse to have it in the house, you could take the precaution of putting it on some gauze, safely put it back out of reach & then take the soaked gauze to your victim... er, I mean your hound.

[CaliforniaGreys]

Maybe there is such a small amount in Biotene that it has no effect on the dogs.

 

This is exactly what UC Davis and my own vet told me. My vet would not have me using something that would be harmful.

 

But if people have any concerns about it, they shouldn't use it.

[tbhounds]

Check out petkingbrands.com--no xylitol in the veterinary formula.

[ahicks51]

Off-topic, perhaps, but for calculus control, some people swear by ProDen PlaqueOff:

 

http://www.plaqueoff.com/