PetSmile alternatives & is Dawn dish soap safe for dog paws?

Nikki is adorable! Thank you so much for posting pictures. You posted about a number of concerns, so hopefully I can address all of them. As far as her teeth go, it is always recommended to have a full dental cleaning under anesthesia to resolve any underlying problems and pain, then follow up with something like a water additive to decrease additional dental calculus from forming. My favorite dental product is PetSmile, but it does need to be applied to the teeth. https://petsmileusa.com There has been a lot of evidence that increasing the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids in the diet can make a big difference for inflammation and itching. Since a diet change and adding Omega 3 fatty acids to the diet can both cause loose stool, I normally only recommend that clients make one change to a diet at a time (which includes supplements). Both Acana and Wellness make a wonderful fish based diet, so I do not have a preference between the 2 of those. Make sure you do a gradual diet change over a period of days to prevent any GI upset and loose stools. Then, if you still need to add in an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement, you could add something like Nordic Naturals. https://www.nordicnaturals.com/petRet/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, Nikki's itching is more likely to be related to environmental allergies than food allergies. Environmental allergies are usually to things like grass, pollen, trees, etc - all the same stuff humans are allergic to. And these allergies can appear at any age. If benedryl helps, it is considered quite safe to use long term for most dogs (talk with your vet first). If you are trying to avoid medicaitons and side effects, talk with your vet about the cytopoint injection. It is not a medication or drug- it is actually just a protein that blocks the itch receptor and is considered very safe. It lasts 1-2 months in most dogs. If it works for Nikki, it also shows that her allergies are environmental in nature (that shot does not work well for food allergies). There are also many great sprays, mousses, and foot soaks that may help - talk to your vet about these options. Getting back to the food situation, if you have any concerns about the safety of the food, I definitely recommend switching. Though I will say I have several patients on Core Wellness doing fantastic as far as I can tell. For allergic dogs, I do like to avoid the common allergens which are chicken, pork, and beef (it's almost never grains). So sticking with fish or a more "novel" protein like lamb, kangaroo, or rabbit may help. hope this helps and best wishes to you and Nikki!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. A chlorhexidine based shampoo is usually good for these general infections. Also, douxo chlorhexidine pads can be used for the infectious component. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sri Didymus is super cute! You can use hydrogen peroxide, dawn and baking soda. I am not sure if they will work. Worst case is you can clip the fur and it will grow back white. I know that isn't an instant answer but its a reasonable one! Good luck!

The most important part of a home dental care program is actually just brushing the teeth at all and does not seem to make a difference which toothpaste is used unless you use a proven toothpaste. There are actually only 2 toothpastes on the market that have been proven to help improve dental health in dogs. I am attaching a list of approved dental products below. http://www.vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Dogs.pdf So, I would recommend purchasing PetSmile or Essential Healthy Mouth if you are going to use a toothpaste. I have found that homemade toothpastes are not very good tasting (so it makes it harder for you to brush the teeth) and would recommend using a good brush without any toothpaste instead of making a homemade toothpaste. I am attaching a link to a handout below which includes a detailed discussion on home dental care including products for cleaning the teeth. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=640 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. You should not have to use any flea shampoo now that she is on the Nexgard. Those flea shampoos are harsh on their skin and full of chemicals. You can use the L'oreal but it is not really recommended. If you do use it, use it sparingly and don't make it a habit. Dog skin is a different pH than ours, therefore, our shampoos tend to dry them out and strip the natural oils from their coats. I suggest you use a calming dog shampoo like this one. It will not dry her out or strip the oils. You can bathe her frequently with this shampoo with no ill effects. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Oatmeal-and-Tea-Tree-Oil-Infuser-Shampoo-for-Dogs-16-fl-oz/24893174 Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hi there and thank you for your post! Those choices are great- Simparica is an excellent flea and tick preventative and heartgard is an excellent heartworm preventative. The shampoo you mentioned is good too. If she is itching or licking her paws frequently, she may have an allergy to something in the environment (like a seasonal allergy) or she may have a food allergy. You should be okay with the Simparica but you may want to request unflavored HeartGard in case she has a food allergy. Typically if an animal is allergic to grains, it is typically when they ingest them. If you are concerned about the oatmeal shampoo, you may want to try a shampoo that is aloe based instead. I hope this helps!