Who Moved My Bone?

Look around your local grocer’s diary section and it doesn’t take long to figure out that Probiotics are all the rage. Recently I was introduced to a new probiotic unlike any other. Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, D.M.D., Ph.D. and the people at Oragenics have just released a new product called Teddy’s Pride® Oral Care. While Teddy’s Pride® Oral Care is not the first probiotic product on the market for dogs, to my knowledge it is the first probiotic specifically designed to promote oral health for your 4-legged friend.

The key to Teddy’s Pride® Oral Care is the patented blend of two naturally occurring microbes: Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus uberis. Studies have demonstrated these bacteria provide a balance between the amount of healthy oral microflora and the disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. In fact an analysis of data from a number of laboratories indicated that the presence of S. oralis and S. uberis provided a good indication of the health of the gums. When these bacteria are present in the sites and around the gums, the sites are much more likely to be healthy.

So the concept behind Teddy’s Pride® Oral Care is simple and elegant. Supplementing your dog’s or cat’s diet with S. oralis and S. uberis helps support health teeth and gums, no more doggy breath and whiter teeth. Longer-term, this could mean less trips to the veterinarian for dentals. If your dog or cat has ever had to have a dental you know it is usually not cheap. On top of the costs there is the additional risk of your dog or cat undergoing anesthesia.

Additionally,

Teddy’s Pride® Oral Care is extremely simple to administer to your cat or dog. It is a very small tasteless and odorless granule that you simply sprinkle over your pet’s wet or dry food once per day;