Because I’m incorrigibly lazy about remembering to brush the dogs’ teeth, I’m always interested in new offerings in the dental chews category. So, when Chewy offered us the chance to try Merrick’s new Lil Brush Bones product, we jumped at the chance.
We received the bag for little dogs, but our girls don’t discriminate when it comes to treats!
This was Pyrrha’s reaction as soon as I unzipped the bag:
These chews, more than other dental chews, have a strong aroma (not bad, just noticeable).
As you can see from this blurry photo, they were both VERY eager to get the chew.
They loved the treats! (But they aren’t the most discriminating reviewers, I have to say; I’ve never seen them turn down anything even mildly edible.)
Brush Bones have a pleasingly short (and natural) list of ingredients:
Potato Starch, Vegetable Glycerin, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Cane Molasses, Chicken Fat, Natural Chicken Flavor, Water, Alfalfa Nutrient Concentrate (source of chlorophyll), Lecithin, Dried Cultured Skim Milk, Parsley
I’ll admit it’s always a bit hard to gauge the effectiveness of dental chews based on a few-time usage, but I particularly like that these treats are gluten- and grain-free (most popular dental chews have a lot of gluten and starches in them). An 11-oz. bag sells for $12.99 at Chewy.com.
Do you supplement your brushing regimen with any kind of dental treats?
Disclosure: We received a bag of these chews from Chewy.com in exchange for our honest review.
Doggerel 
Honestly, I use raw meat bones for this same purpose. I can’t always get them as often as I’d like (I have to get them through a family member since they HAVE to be beef — Riley’s tummy doesn’t like the pork bones from the local farmer’s market), but there’s a noticeable difference before and after on her teeth.
I can see a bit of plaque on her teeth beforehand; post bone chewing, she’s managed to scrape it all off by chewing at weird angles and trying to get every bit of bone chewed.
We give our dogs crushed/granulated rawhide treats. It is almost as good as raw meaty bones at removing tartar. The one problem is finding affordably priced treats not made in China are like finding a needle in a haystack. American-made is great, but not when they cost more per pound than training treats.
I use raw meat bones as well. Since I have been giving my dogs 3-4 bones per week I never have to brush their teeth and they are sparkling white. My Vet always comments how clean they are.
We go to a local (respected) butcher to get them. They even have them pre-cut and sell them as dog bones.
My girls get a variety of chews: TerraBones, Whimzees (these are my favorite, they are shaped like hedgehogs or alligators!) and moose antlers.
Hi
I give my dog Greenies. They are expensive but seem to help alot.
Research this, please. I would NOT give my dog Greenies. If you google “problems with Greenies” you will be shocked. Here’s a link: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/greenies.html
We tend to use Dentasticks. While I don’t really enjoy supporting the company, they do in fact seem to be effective in tooth cleaning.