The Dental War on Dogs

We had a comment asking for an update on our Dental Dilemma: VetzLife Oral Care Gel post, so here it is! Mum had completely forgotten been giving it time to work before putting up the final review. We have generously allowed her to add some boring human notes at the end. Disclaimer: This product was NOT provided to us, nor have we been paid to review it, more's the pity.

Dictating our post.

Important Note: Ask your human to buy the salmon flavour. Mum bought the peppermint because salmon was sold out. Rookie mistake Mum, we love stinky fish, remember?!

The Dental War on Dogs

On Capture, Torture and Tactics

We were captured just before bed time, and just after we woke up to have it smeared into our mouths. That's right, twice a day. Blech. This torture went on for several weeks. Enemy thought she was so clever getting us when we were sleepy. She has no hope of catching us when we're fully awake and cruising around at warp speed. Note to self:  Do Not Sleep.

Enforced Cuddle Time was put into effect for 30 minutes after each application. Enemy and Male Enemy tried to invoke Stockholm Syndrome response by giving massages, brushing our hair, and talking sweetly during this time. No nibblies were provided, so we did not fall for it.

Our chewies were held hostage for the first week, and we didn't even get our usual raw bones rations. We're sure this is a direct breach of the Crested Code, someone call the authorities!

After an eternity, Enemy dropped torture routine to once a day, and then once every few days. Clearly worn down by Crested Courage in the face of Human Horribleness.

Boring Human Notes:

I was mildly concerned at their reaction to the peppermint gel, so I tried some on my own gums, and it did make them warm and tingly. Not enough to burn, but I can understand why the pups disliked the sensation. I've since tried them with the salmon flavour, which they don't mind as much. 

The recommended dose is twice a day for ultra grotty teeth, once every other day for maintenance. The directions recommend withholding food and drink for at least 30 minutes after application, which is why they have Enforced Cuddle Time. Pretty easy to apply as long as your dog doesn't mind having their mouth messed with. Just smear onto grubby teeth, gums or lips and it'll spread around with the saliva.

We are guilty of hiding the chewies for the first week because we wanted to see if there were any clear results. It softened the tartar and assorted grossness, but it wasn't until their pig ears, kongs, and chicken wings were given back for their chomping pleasure that it really started to remove the gunk from their teeth. Possibly this would have happened over time just using the gel, but the pups were driving me crazy dancing around every night demanding something to chew on.

Overall, I'm satisfied that VetzLife Oral Care Gel performed as it should. Their teeth became cleaner with minimal extra trauma and certainly for far less expense than veterinary intervention. We've continued to use it on a maintenance basis, and any build-up from eating bikkies disappears quickly. And the vet hasn't been nasty to them since.

"We Don't Like Bath Days" or "Two Reviews: Aristopet Shampoo"

Well, we told you that Min had bought something in the grooming section. She always does. Unimpressed.

    

First up, she produced Aristopet Natural Solutions White Highlights Shampoo and started telling Steve that it would make our grubby bits "whiter and brighter". Why? All the better to see us with next time she decides to hunt us down for a bath?! Sure, we'd stained our hair a tiny bit by digging in the mud. Um, and pushing each other into gross stuff. Oh, and by wrestling in freshly cut grass... all innocent doggy type activities.

THEN she produced another bottle, Aristopet Professional Groomer Silky Shampoo, and said that this would be our ordinary shampoo. Just how many baths are we expected to endure?

Ella: I love the bathroom. The cool tiles feel nice against my belly on hot days. There's usually a bit of water to lick (I looooooove moving water). It's also super fun jumping in and out of the bath tub... especially when there's an unsuspecting human in there, heh heh heh.

Baths for bathing, however. Oh, the indignity.

Jack: Above is me telling her to run. She never listens. Maybe if I push over the bottle next time, we can both escape...

Review: 

Cleansing:  Both shampoos cleansed without hurting our eyes or skin, and didn't make our coats dry and knotty (something that many more expensive brands have failed on). They foam and disperse well which makes working it through our thick coats easier on the humans.

Smell:  The scents are pleasant without being overpowering, and leave just a gentle whiff for our cuddling Granny/Nanna to tell us how good we smell.

Economy:  Neither are expensive (Min nabbed them on sale for $10 and $7, so add a few bucks). Only a small amount is needed to get excellent results.

Results:  As advertised. Our white/cream hair looked refreshed and blindingly clean. Our hair has never felt silkier and smoother. We smell good to the humans without giving Migraine Min the head pains. The humans tell us that it's been easier to brush and maintain without matting too. We all love that last one, since spending less time being brushed means more time on the rampage for adventure, fun and treats!

Since the humans like the smell so much, we decided to share it by drying ourselves on their bed.

Yes, the bed was made before we had our bath. Perhaps the humans would like to consider the consequences of their actions next time.

Review - Plush Cuddler Bed

Well, it turns out that Min does intend for us to sleep in our new beds instead of hers. HERS. That's what she called the queen size one in OUR bedroom. Hmph.

After a night, morning, and lunch in our new beds, we decided to take the higher paw and review the Plush Cuddler Bed in case any of our other dog friends are interested in their own snuggle spot.

Comfort: Oh yeah! Plush fabric means softness, snuggliness, and warmth.

Durability: We've only been using them for 24 hours, but there's been some hardcore snoozing, rolling, playing, and dragging around, and they're still the same shape. No holes or weakened spots. Stitching and zips appear firm and sturdy. We will update if needed at a later date.
Hygiene: 100% polyester, fully machine washable. Can be unzipped so that bed is flat for ease of washing.
Other:  Each corner unzips, so that the covers can be reversed. Also handy in hot Brisbane, as they can be used as mats on days that require sprawling more than snuggling.

Goodnight. This reviewing business has made me sleepy.