Ferplast GRO 5939 Double-Ended Toothbrush for Dogs & Cats - 19cm

The Ferplast GRO 5939 Double-Ended Toothbrush for Dogs & Cats is a two-headed pet toothbrush — a large angled head at one end and a small one at the other, on a 19 cm handle long enough to reach the back teeth without putting your fingers there.

Key Features

• Two heads of different sizes on one handle: the larger for the big cheek teeth, the smaller for the incisors at the front and for cats and small dogs
• 19 cm long overall (2.3 x 19 x 1.5 cm). The reach is the point — it gets you to the back molars, which is where the plaque that matters actually sits
• Soft plastic bristles, angled at the head so they meet the tooth surface along the gum line
• Weighs 35 g, so it is easy to control one-handed while the other hand steadies the muzzle
• Ferplast rates it for both dogs and cats, of all sizes
• Supplied in mixed colours — the one you receive may not be the colour shown
• Made by Ferplast, the Italian pet products manufacturer based at Castelgomberto, near Vicenza

How To Use It

• Build up to it over days rather than starting with a full brushing. Let your pet lick the paste off your finger, then off the brush, then brush two or three teeth, then a few more
• Use pet toothpaste only. Human toothpaste contains fluoride, and some contains xylitol, which is seriously toxic to dogs
• Hold the bristles at roughly 45 degrees to the gum line and work in small circles, concentrating on the outer surfaces — that is where plaque builds, and it is the side a pet will tolerate
• The upper back teeth, the big carnassials, matter most and are the ones most often missed
• Daily is the target. Three times a week is where most owners land and it still helps; once a fortnight does very little
• Rinse the brush after each use and stand it to air dry. Replace it once the bristles splay

Good To Know

• Brushing stops plaque hardening into tartar. It does not remove tartar that has already formed — that needs a scale and polish under anaesthetic at the vet
• Do not start brushing a mouth that is already sore. Red gums, a bad smell, a broken tooth or a pet that flinches when you lift its lip all mean a vet check first. Brushing painful gums teaches a pet to fight you
• Never force it. A pet that has been pinned down for toothbrushing once will remember, and the habit is much harder to build after that
• Small dogs and flat-faced breeds are the most prone to dental disease and the hardest to brush. The smaller head exists for exactly that
• The colour is not selectable. Stock is mixed and ships as it comes