What is the Most Affordable Daily Dental Treat?

I recently posted about Bright Bites daily dental treats, which had me pondering the actual cost of feeding dental treats every day. Little things like that really add up! I love collecting data, so I took a tour of the major online retailers to see how much, or how little, it would cost to feed my dogs a daily dental treat every day.

The Criteria

Photo by Erin Koski

For the purpose of comparison, I chose to include only products that were both marketed and packaged for daily use. Though I can find many individually-wrapped dental treats at my local pet stores, I only included those that could also be purchased in a larger quantity. Few people are going to buy 30 individually-wrapped Bright Bites for the month, but plenty will buy four bags of 8. A company that sells a bunch of dental chews in one bag is definitely taking that "daily dental care" thing seriously.

I also chose to specifically compare products intended for a size range that included both of my girls. So most of these are labeled for medium or regular-sized dogs. Sisci Godzilla weighs 28 pounds, and Zip weighs 36 pounds.

The Results

Cheap

The absolute cheapest dental chew marketed for daily use is Dingo Dental Sticks, at 17-cents each if you buy the bag of 48 sticks on Amazon. The next cheapest is Purina's DentaLife treats at 23-cents each if you buy the package of 40, followed by Pedigree DentaStix, Purina Beneful Healthy Smile Dental Twists, and Milkbone Brushing Chews, ranging from $0.33 to $0.41 per chew. Yes, these are all grocery-store brands, mostly made from by-products. I expected them to all be made in China, but surprisingly all but the Dingo treats are made in the USA.

Standard

Greenies makes the classic daily dental chew, before them I don't remember anything being marketed for daily use like that. Their price point is right in the middle of the pack at $0.81 per regular-sized chew in a package of 36. Bright Bites were slightly more expensive at #1 per chew, along with KaNoodles and Ilio TeethTreats.

Absurd

Every time I see Cloud Star's Dynamo Dog dental chews I am horrified by the price. In the largest package sold, these things will set you back a whopping $2.31 per bone. Yes, they are grain-free and potato-free, but they would also cost $70 per month to feed on a daily basis. Yikes!

Surprise!

Pretty much all of the dental treats (with one freakishly expensive exception) are made from wheat, rice, potato, rawhide, or a combination of these. Many of the more affordable ones are made with chicken by-products as well. I decided beforehand that my personal standards for a dental chew product was that it had to be made in the USA without by-products. I expected the least expensive daily dental chew that met these standards to be somewhere in the middle of the price range. 

Nope! It's Pedigree DentaStix, the third from the bottom at $0.33 per chew. Made in the USA. No by-products. Crazy.

I was also very surprised to see Missing Link's Once Daily dental chew towards the cheap end of the spectrum. This product also contains a daily dose of Missing Link's skin and coat supplement, and somehow it's only $0.52 per chew. I had dismissed the idea of daily dental chews as being too expensive, but it looks like they can be surprisingly affordable!

Treat Tuesday: Bright Bites Daily Dental Treats

Bright Bites are star-shaped dental treats that are fully digestible. They are usually sold in large bags, but one of my local pet stores also carries individually-wrapped bites. The treats come in cinnamon, spearmint, and peppermint flavors.

Good For:

• Giving the dogs something to gnaw for several minutes
• Making their breath minty fresh
• Possibly reducing plaque and tarter if your dog takes their time and chews very thoroughly

Not Good For:

• Being an affordable daily treat
• A substitute for professional dental care

How Much We Like Them

The girls thoroughly enjoy chewing these things. However, the fun little stars cost $1 each when purchased in a big bag, and the manufacturer recommends your dog gets two of them each day. That's $60 a month in dental treats. How much are Greenies? I think I need to do a daily dental treat research project...

Treat Tuesday: Dingo Better Belly Rawhide

Dingo's Better Belly rawhides are apparently what I buy when I'm in a hurry and don't take the time to read the package. I had no idea that these were from Dingo Brand until I looked them up online. I have never purchased a Dingo rawhide product before, because the vast majority of their products are made in China. The rest are made in Vietnam or Cambodia. Knowing what I know about rawhide production, I am pretty wildly uncomfortable about feeding beefhide products produced in countries that don't also produce a bunch of beefhide.

These are made in Vietnam, probably from USA-sourced hide that must be preserved and treated because shipping makes them yucky. Like Digest-eeze rawhides, these are treated with something that makes them break down and digest much faster than regular rawhide.

Good For

• Dogs that try to swallow things whole
• Families that aren't worried about dog treats sourced from Asia
• Lasting a bit longer than a bully stick

Not Good For

• Lasting as long as a high-quality rawhide
• Owners concerned about the quality of pet treats produced in Asia
• Dogs with sensitive stomachs.

How Much We Like Them

I am mildly embarrassed to have purchased these. I thought they were a rawhide alternative like SmartBones. Oops.

Treat Tuesday: yakyChurro

Yakkety yak, it's the yakyChurro from the Himalayan Dog Chew company, the same people who brought us Yaky Charms and the Yaky Stick! I was given this yakyChurro at SuperZoo, and I knew Ru would love it. The original Himalayan Dog Chew, made from hardened yak cheese, can be a little too hard for some dogs to really enjoy. Tha yakyChurro is made with the same yaky goodness, but with potato starch added to made a softer chew. In addition to the original yak flavor, yakyChurro is available in fish and vegetable flavors.

Good For: Smaller dogs and less enthusiastic chewers. Dogs with allergies to anything but dairy and potato. Dogs that sometimes swallow their chews whole.

Not Good For: Huge power chewers, this would basically be a quick snack.

How Much We Like It: I don't think Ru the chihuahua has ever chewed anything for so long in one go. He ate the entire thing.

Treat Tuesday: Earth Animal No-Hide

I've been seeing these No-Hide rawhide alternative chews by Earth Animal everywhere. I had avoided purchasing them because they all contain eggs, but I decided to let Sisci try one after seeing some daycare dogs devour them. Brisbane is allergic to eggs, and also happily eats anything edible he can find. Sisci isn't always great about finishing her goodies, so I monitored her carefully to make sure she didn't leave any leftovers for Briz.

Good For: Lasting about as long as a bully stick, but not as long as a rawhide or yak chew. Being delicious and engaging for about 20 minutes. Dogs that may gulp down the entire chew, as it is totally digestible.

Not Good For: Dogs with egg, chicken, or rice allergies. Surfaces you don't want covered in traces of white goop. Lasting as long as a quality rawhide.

How Much We Like Them: At $10, the No-Hide was just not worth the money. Bully sticks are cheaper and don't leave gunk all over my throw pillows.

Treat Tuesday: Night of the Living Chimichangas

These Night of the Living Chimchangas treats arrived in our zombie-themed Loot Pets February subscription box. Of course, they are made of chicken. Although I have two dogs with zero food allergies, neither Sisci nor Ru is as into food as Brisbane. When I give them a chewy treat like this, I can never be sure whether they are going to chomp it down, nibble on it and leave crumbs everywhere, or hide it in the couch cushions. Brisbane, who is allergic to everything, is VERY good at finding crumbs and hidden treats. 

Good For: Taking a light chewer about 10 minutes to polish off. Stuffing inside a Kong. A quick snack for a most dogs.

Not Good For: Long-lasting glorious chew time. Dogs allergic to chicken or wheat.

How Much We Like Them: I finally got Sisci and Ru to eat them all while Brisbane was at the vet for a week. It was a chicken-duck-turkey-egg-corn-barley-sweet-potato extravaganza. Then I cleaned up the crumbs.

Treat Tuesday: Twistix Vanilla Mint Dental Chews

Our original bag of Twistix Dental Chews came in our March BarkBox last year. This is the only reason why we had Yoghurt Banana flavored dental chews. Blech. Sure, the dogs liked them, but I had flashbacks to all the horrible banana-flavored Laffy Taffies and Jelly Bellies I've ever suffered through. These Twistix Vanilla Mint Dental Chews are much less bananariffic.

Good For: Occupying Brisbane for maybe five minutes. Giving him nice minty breath for a little while.

Not Good For: Actually cleaning teeth in a meaningful way. Fixing the actual causes of nasty horrible dog breath. Lasting a good long time.

How Much We Like Them: Obviously enough to try a non-banana flavor. Also enough to swap them into a different bag when I realized the current one had a giant price sticker across the front.

Treat Tuesday: Twistix Yoghurt Banana Dental Chews

I hate banana-flavored candy with the passion of several Christs, and immediately felt bad for my dogs when I looked at this picture and realized I had fed them banana-flavored treats. It's ok though, because the Twistix Yoghurt Banana Dental Chews are actually made with real bananas instead of the artificial banana-flavor that haunts my dreams. I'm not crazy about real bananas and I'm not supposed to eat them either, fortunately my dogs quite enjoy them and are willing to handle any and all banana emergencies that may arise. These arrived in our March BarkBox, had I picked them out myself I would have gone with Vanilla Mint or Pumpkin Spice or literally anything other than banana.

Good For: Occupying Brisbane and Ulysses for about ten minutes and making them smell slightly minty.

Not Good For: Lasting longer than a similarly-sized bully stick, actually cleaning teeth.

How Much We Like Them: Enough to chew them until they're all the way gone, unlike rawhides and yak chews. I just ordered a bag of Vanilla Mint ones. My husband also just reminded me that I routinely toss my banana, coconut, and bubblegum-flavored Jelly Bellies to Brisbane, so I guess I shouldn't feel bad about feeding them banana treats. I'm just mildly perturbed that banana-food managed to sneak into my house under false pretenses.

Treat Tuesday: Starmark Everlasting Treats Liver

Contrary to what the name would have us believe, Starmark's Everlasting Treats do not, in fact, last forever. Starmark has been moving away from the Willy Wonka-themed product names for a while now, so I assume they will be changing these to something serious in the near future. I would like to suggest Edible Gnawing Discs or something equally unimaginative. I also insist on pronouncing the word "gnaw" with a G like Captain Hook in the Peter Pan play. "Guh-naw".

Good For: Tossing straight to the dogs when I want them to spend a while guh-nawing. Stuffing inside the Everlasting Bento Ball and Everlasting Treat Ball. Lasting about as long as a bully stick. Being tastier than the chicken, hickory, or vanilla flavors. Rolling under the furniture and getting lost without rotting.

Not Good For: Actually motivating the dogs to chew the entire thing out of a toy unless doctored up a bit. Lasting forever, or any longer than a bully stick when not wedged into a toy. Noticeably cleaning teeth.

How Much We Like Them: Enough to keep buying them and jamming them into those toys. I think I have four packages in the cupboard right now.

"My Dog Doesn't Like Everlasting Treats"

I am a big fan of Starmark dog toys, but sometimes it's hard to get my dogs on board. I know there are more natural, healthier things for them to gnaw, like raw bones, but I can't beat Everlasting Treats for their ability to remain ungross while spending weeks lost under the furniture. We do raw bones pretty frequently, but outdoors or in bare crates. I'm not about to give anyone the opportunity to gnaw a beef rib on the couch.

Everlasting Treat Ball with treat inserted upside down.

As far as raw bones versus Everlasting Treats go, the dogs are strongly in favor of the bones. They're all willing to gnaw an Everlasting Treat on its own, but put it in an Everlasting Treat Ball or Bento Ball and it suddenly ceases to be worth the effort. I tell them "Look, you and I both know that you would be happier spending the day blissfully gnawing this thing than just staring at the wall in your crate." But they refuse to touch them, sometimes for weeks. Putting smelly, exciting treats and peanut butter in the middle does not spur them to start chewing. I tried dribbling fish oil into an Everlasting Treat Ball once, which inspired Briz to gnaw for hours but also got smelly, impossible-to-clean fish oil all over the crate, bed, floor, and Uly.

When I watched Starmark's Everlasting Treat video recently, I noticed that they sometimes had the Everlasting Treats inserted into the toys upside down. The treats are dome-shaped, and normally go in the toy with the domed side facing out to provide a nice chewing surface. An upside down treat leaves very little to grip and also leaves a handy little bowl.

Upside down treat filled with peanut butter.

I filled that bowl with peanut butter and froze the whole thing. By the time Uly had slurped off all the frozen peanut butter, the treat had gotten to that slobbery, smelly state where it apparently become irresistible. He spent several hours working on this project, ate one of the Everlasting Treats and started working on the second when he had to take a nap to recover from all that effort. The Treat Ball is quite scratched up and no longer looks brand new, but that just means it is finally being used as intended.

Most of my local stores only carry chicken-flavored Everlasting Treats, which Brisbane can't have and Uly and Ru won't eat. Lemos carries liver flavored treats, and Petco carries the interlocking nut-and-bolt Everlasting Treats in chicken flavor, but nobody has non-chicken Everlocking Treats. I ordered this one from Amazon. These are easier for the dogs to get a grip on, and aren't as good a value as the original Everlasting Treats, but sometimes I buy them just for the cool factor. This time around I put one of the treat "nuts" inside the Bento Ball dome-side down, screwed the bolt through it, and then wound the second "nut" on the outside. Brisbane might find this setup worth chewing, but I made it even more exciting by squirting some canned cheese in the bowl and through the bottom before sticking it in the freezer.

I am beginning to wish I had gotten a large Treat Dispensing Jack instead of the medium, since the holes in the medium are small enough to make funnel-filling it ineffective. Brisbane and Uly don't like getting anything bigger than kibble out of it. I bet they'll enjoy getting the Cheeze-Wiz out. Not sure I'm going to enjoy washing it when they're done, though.

Product Review: Zukes Z-Bones

Zukes Z-Bones are digestible potato-based dental chews. They come in three flavors and four sizes for dogs ten pounds and heavier.

"Hold this Briz, it'll make a nice picture."
Photo by Erin Koski.

A lot of companies are making digestible dental chews these days. I think Greenies were the first ones I heard about, and those originally weren't digestible. After multiple cases of intestinal blockage in dogs that prefer to gobble rather than gnaw their dental chews, Greenies changed their formula to something that wouldn't get stuck. I like to think that, during the Greenies fiasco, other companies took the opportunity to introduce their safer chew bones. Obviously it worked, because Greenies no longer has the market cornered.

"Come on, open your mouth."
Photo by Erin Koski

The Z-Bones are made from potato and peas. They do not contain cornstarch, wheat gluten, or synthetic chlorophyll. Other ingredients include rosemary, fennel, alfalfa, parsley, apples, pumpkin, and cherries. Zukes says the texture of the bones is ideal for polishing teeth. I prefer raw bones to keep Brisbane's teeth white and shiny, but this makes a nice non-perishable chewy treat. Brisbane certainly enjoys them.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Tasty chew bone that freshens breath, available in multiple sizes and in bags as well as individually wrapped. Contains no poultry, egg, wheat, or corn. Helps freshen breath in a relatively clean doggy mouth at least temporarily.

Cons: I don't think these will actually keep a dog's teeth clean even with daily use. The bone is too quickly consumed to have much scrubbing power. Raw bones or daily tooth brushing would be much more effective as eliminating the underlying causes of doggy breath.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bottom Line: This is something I use as an occasional treat to keep my dog busy. Z-Bones are non-perishable, individually wrapped, and not nearly as icky as raw bones or bully sticks. Less effective than the aforementioned animal parts, but also less objectionable in certain circumstances.