You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

There are many products in the veterinary market which purport to be beneficial in the controlling the accumulation of plaque and calculus....but until recently there has been no independent "seal of approval".

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (R) was established to provide objective and credible standards for giving independent scientific approval for dental products. The Council have developed a strict protocol and methodology for testing which involves the use of a  reference diet as a control.

The VOHC Seal of Acceptance is awarded for products that  :

• Help Control Plaque, or
• Help Control Tartar

Approval of a product allows the Seal to be printed on packaging ..rather like the British Dental Association seal of approval for toothpaste in the UK.

Three products which have been awarded the Seal so far are  :

• Friskies Feline Dental Diet - both categories of award.
• Hill's Prescription Diet Feline t/d - both categories
• Hill's Prescription Diet Canine t/d  (Original Bites and Small Bites) - both categories.

If you would like more information about the scheme visit The Veterinary Oral Heath Council's website http://www.vohc.org/ 

Updated January 2016