Ask The Experts

I am a holistic veterinarian and am always in search of natural products for my patients.  PetzLife dental products have been a great addition.  I feel like I have a new "tool" against tartar. In my 17 years in practice I have often seen older pets undergo anesthesia for dental cleanings or growth removals, and they were never the same afterwords.  Some even developed seizures.  Petzlife Oral Care has worked on my patients that have had severe tartar and gingivitis.  Before discovering this product we had to perform dental cleanings under anesthesia or resort to keeping the animal on antibiotics (As a holistic vet I don't use antibiotics very often).  Now we can cure the problem while avoiding the anesthesia and the drugs !  

Keep up to good work Petzlife.

Susan Maier, D.V.M.  

I was reading one of my vet journals the other day and in the letters to the editor a couple of veterinary dentists had written in that they didn't believe the oral products could replace daily brushing and were a bit rude about it.  All I could think was....You are so wrong!  Recently I went to a conference and attended a lecture on gingivitis in cats.  There were probably over a hundred vets/vet techs in the audience and the lecturer asked how many people brushed their dogs & cats teeth and about 6 people raised their hands.  If vets aren't going to brush their dogs teeth, you know the general public won't either. 

Dr. Susan Maier 18 year Holistic Vet!!   

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Subject: Cat with Diabetes

Hi,

I am very interested in your product. I have a cat with diabetes who has alot of tartar and his gums are realy red and infected. I need to stay away from anything that has sugar or carbohydrates in it. can you tell me what is in your teeth product?? I couldn't find a list of ingredients anywhere. I am not that good at the computer so that could be why. I will buy the products if there is no sugar

thank you,

Kristin Hicks
 

Subject: Re: cat with diabetes

Hi Bud and Kristin,

Yes, this product would definately be safe and beneficial in diabetic cats.
 

Research done in the last few years on diabetic cats and diet also determined that if you keep your cat on a high protein/low carb diet you can often decrease or eliminate their insulin requirements. This means feeding mainly moist or canned food. There is one dry food that is low carb/high protein made by Innova called EVO. You can find it in health food stores and in major pet stores. It contains no grains at all.
 

Another interesting tidbit....For years we have been told that dogs and cats need to be fed dry kibble "to scrape their teeth" and keep them clean. In fact, kibble is higher in carbohydrates, and carbohydrates turn to sugars at the gum line and actually cause gingivitis and tartar. After hearing this at a conference I started paying more attention to my patients, their mouths, and their diet. The patients with the best looking teeth were my indoor/outdoor cats that liked to hunt and eat mice. The worst teeth did in fact belong to those cats and dogs on a low quality kibble that ate nothing but kibble.
 

Have a great day
 

Dr Susan
 

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Nursing/Pregnant Questions

Hi Bud,

I have been meaning to write to let you know that my order did arrive on Monday.

I know you have probably heard this before, but WOW. We have been using the gel on 5 of our dogs since Tuesday, twice per day. There is a remarkable change in 3 of the 5. To the point of no more buildup at all, and the other two had a lot of buildup, but I can see changes there also. I have already talked to a lot of people about this product, and of course, they are waiting to see our results before they indulge !! This stuff is really a miracle !! We did take a before picture of our worst case (of course), and will let you know the progress. I do think I see improvement just after a few days.
 

We have been using the gel, cuz I did try the spray on one of our house dogs. Couldn't get near her with the bottle the next day !! What do you find a better seller, or easier to use ?

We are really excited !!

Sally Parcher

Hi again,

Fogot to ask a couple of questions. Would the
product be safe to use on a pregnant dog , or

nursing ?

Thanks in advance.

Sally
 

Hi,

I haven't been able to find any info on the
ingredients and use during pregnancy for either humans
or animals. I would think it would be OK for nursing
dogs, but I would worry about using it in pregnant
dogs because some things are actually absorbed thru
the gums and don't necessarily have to be swallowed.
I'll see if I can find out any more info...

Susan Maier
 

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Bud,
Can you recommend a good web site for dog's healthcare.  Cibo is

at night only biting and licking his rear end.  It is almost like he has

flies, but that is not the case, he has Advantage flea control every month.
I brought him to the vet twice, and they cleaned out his anal glands, they

were not that bad, and he is still going at his rearend. The Vet said he

wants to put him to sleep and take a look at what might be going on,

of course I don't want that at all.

Ithought I might be able to find a cream,

he may have an allergy, or I may be able to find something on my own.

PS: I had his yearly check up when was at the Vets
office last week and he
checked his teeth and he said they looked good,
thanks to your product.
Last year they wanted to clean his teeth, and said
they looked bad.

Take care,

thanks,
 

Jim

Hi Bud,

If Jim's vet can't find anything wrong on physical
exam and the dog has had a fecal sample checked for
worms, this would be a perfect example for an animal
communicator consultation.(If Jim is open to that).
The two most common causes for licking at the back end
are full anal glands or tapeworms. Monthly heartworm
preventatives do not kill tapeworms.

Most animal communicators do consultations by phone.

Dr Susan
 

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Dog with Kidney failure!!

Hi

My dog has kidney failure and I am wondering how safe is your product for a kidney failure dog? He has also had liver problems before, and is starting to get heart problems. Do you have any customers with kidney failure dogs who have used your product? Any referrals?
 

I am in Singapore, how long will it take to ship here and how much is the shipping cost for a bottle of gel and spray?
 

Also, after reading your directions, I am still confused about whether I should get the gel or spray or both. Do I actually use the gel as a toothpaste, or do I use the gel like the spray, apply then wait half an hour then brush? Then after waiting half and hour, when I brush, can I use my regular dog toothpaste to brush? I also use a gauze with water and msm/goldenseal for his teeth at the same time. Is that okay?
 

My dog has really bad teeth and gums now, and he has receding gums, alot of little niches in his teeth or between his teeth and gums where the food collects and it's hard to get it out. He just had a dental but the vet tried to avoid removing teeth instead of removing more of the teeth causing him probs and so he is even worse than he was before the dental. It has been more than two months since his dental and he is unwilling to eat now as we think his teeth hurt, and is on antibiotics but it is not helping. Can your product still help? If it can, I really need it asap as we have struggled with him not eating for 6 months.
 

Thank you.
 

Alicia
 

Hi Alicia,

I agree that the Oral Care gel and/or spray would be very beneficial to this dog. I would also encourage Alicia to locate a veterinarian in her area that practices homeopathy to treat the kidney failure.
good luck,
 

Dr Susan
 

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Product information for a megaesophagus dog
 

An online friend recommended your product to me for our Megaesophagus / IBD
dog . We feed a natural diet, but because of our dog's condition, are
unable to give her bones to chew on. Consequently her teeth need to be
addressed. Dental cleaning under an anaesthetic is out because of her
megaesophagus and her age (15 year old Collie). I looked over your website
information and hope that the product will help our girl. I don't have any
questions about the "Life for Teeth" spray, but do about the "Brush Away"
gel. I am wondering what effect the gel would have on the esophagus and
the stomach? I'm assuming that leaving this product on a dog's teeth will
eventually see the product making it's way down the esophagus to the
stomach. Seeing we have to elevate our girl after every meal and after
every drink to insure that everything finds its way to her stomach and does
not get stuck in the esophagus to do damage, I'm concerned what the gel
would do if it gets to the esophagus and has to lay there till we can
elevate her in the morning.

Thanking you in advance for any information you can supply.

Sincerely,

Vicky

RE: Product information for a megaesophagus dog
 

Hi Bud,
A megaesophagus occurs when the muscles of the esophagus stop functioning normally. The throat will enlarge and food can only get to the stomach by gravity. It is a very difficult problem to treat. I don't know of any cures. Most owners control the environment and give food and water from an elevated source. Many owners will also "dance" with their dogs after a meal. By holding up their front legs, they use gravity to get the food to the stomach. It is usually diagnosed by x-ray, as the esophagus will be dramatically enlarged.
 

I would probably just recommend using the spray since it works well and then you won't have to worry about any gel residure sitting in the esophagus long term.
 

Susan
 

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ingredient: grape seed extract

Hi, you guys called and sent some info about your product for teeth. I also
visited your site. Lots of great testimonials. I noticed that one of the
first ingredients is grape seed extract. I know that for some unknown reason
grapes and raisins can be toxic to dogs, sometimes causing renal failure,
and I was concerned about grape seed extract's safety. I'd really like to
try your products and perhaps carry them in my store, can you ease my
concerns?

Thanks in advance,
Sharon Wolff
Bella's Pet Boutique

HI,

I think the issue of grape and raison toxicity, like chocolat toxicity is really blown out of proportion by the media. Yes, they can be a problem....in large quantities. I've had many clients over the years that feed their pets a couple grapes or raisons as a snack, with no problems. But you obviously would not want to give a five pound chihuahua a cup of grapes Many Hunters use to give their hunting dogs a chocolat bar halfway thru the hunt for a "boost". Again no problems. I don't recommend giving dogs chocolat and some dogs are more sensitive to it than others, but again in small quantities it usually won't cause a problem..

Grape seed extract is not toxic. We use a product called proanthozone for allergies in dogs and cats and it's active ingredient is grape seed extract. It's a great product, my own dog takes it for his allergies. We sell it in quantities ranging from 10mg to 50mg. My dog takes 100mg a day and he is a 65lb Border Collie mix.
 

Hope this helps.

Dr Susan

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From: Celeste Yarnall, PH.D

I, too, have had some horrendous experiences with anesthesia.  As a holistic consultant and author ("Natural Cat Care" and "Natural Dog Care"), I avoid it whenever possible.  When I must, I ask for Isofluorane, as this anesthesia I feel is the safest.  I also prefer no preop sedatives (such as Ket/Valium or Propofal [sic?]) because of my first nightmare.  Thirty minutes after the vet pulled my cat's "trach tube" (the tube inserted in your pet's throat), my beautiful, love-of-my-life Siamese cat went into cardiac arrest and died.  How heartbreaking it was to go home from a dental with an empty cat carrier.  I sobbed for days, but she had clearly been over-anesthetized.  They used a new drug pre-op (Propofal instead of Ket/Valium, which is more common), then gave her a pain patch, and pain meds.  This is just too many drugs.  How many times must our hearts be broken before they learn these bitter lessons?  I know they are trying to provide pain control, and vets are doing their best to accomplish this.  However, all to often, the result is fatal.  

                                                                                                  Celeste Yarnall, PH.D

Last year, a client of mine purchased two beautiful, healthy, robust, male kittens.  She took them both in for neutering but only went home with one.  This little guy lost his brother because he had been given an overdose of the anesthesia.   

The next loss was following a spay and teeth cleaning...two procedures I have learned the hard way should not be done together.  Bacteria from teeth cleaning are "stirred up," but who wants to put them under twice?

The teeth of cats and dogs are in horrendous shape from eating cooked and processed commercial pet foods.  This is why I feed my version of a homemade, raw meat diet.  We see much improvement in our animals' mouths. 

However, I welcome the opportunity to test these oral care products by: Petzlife and hope, with all my heart, that it puts an end to anesthesia for dental cleaning.  

Celeste Yarnall

www.celestialpets.com

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Hi,

Just wanted to drop a line to tell you how pleased I am with the Petzlife Oral Care products. I have received very encouraging feedback from my clients who have used it. I have also been using it on my own dogs and, even though I am not as "regular" as I should be with it, my 14 year old Havanese with 'sewer breath' (who sleeps on my pillow) has been a much more pleasant sleeping partner! I've been practicing veterinary medicine for over 30 years and, while I have not had any experience losing a patient during a dental procedure, I much prefer dealing with tartar problems without anesthesia when at all possible and the Petzlife Oral Care products are simply the most effective that I have found, short of ultrasonic scaling. Thanks for a great addition to our dental tool chest!

Joanne V Baldwin DVM
Cardinal Animal Hospital

Dr. Joanne V. Baldwin is a 1973 graduate of Kansas State University. She has been practicing small and exotic animal medicine in Richmond, VA since 1974. Her goal is to educate animal owners to the needs of their pets to optimize the life of the pet and to make the most of the human/animal bond. Her focus is on a combination of conventional and holistic medicine to provide an opportunity for the animal's immune system to assist medical therapy. The ability to decide when to intervene and when to allow nature to do the healing is an integral part of the art of veterinary medicine. Doc raises and shows Havanese dogs and also belongs to Caring Canines visiting, as time permits, with Poppy and Pearlie. She and her longtime companion, Richi, live in Goochland with 4 adult Havanese, Poppy, Posy, Pearlie and Pala, and 3 cats, Willy, Rip and Cinder.