Pet toothpaste vs human toothpaste: why you must never swap them

The question comes up in every conversation about pet teeth: can I just use a bit of my own toothpaste? The answer is no, and the reason is not marketing. Human toothpaste is formulated on the assumption that it is spat out. A dog or cat swallows every bit.

What is in human toothpaste that pets should not swallow

• Fluoride. Useful on human teeth when it is spat out; not something a pet should swallow twice a day.
• Xylitol. A sweetener in many human pastes and chewing gums that is well documented as harmful to dogs even in small amounts.
• Foaming agents. Sodium lauryl sulphate and similar detergents make human paste foam, which pets dislike and which is not meant to be eaten.
• Strong mint. Unpleasant for most pets, which makes the whole exercise harder than it needs to be.

Bicarbonate of soda, sometimes suggested as a home-made alternative, is salty and unpleasant and gives a pet no reason to cooperate. Coconut oil carries the brush nowhere. Neither is a toothpaste.

What a pet toothpaste is made of instead

A pet toothpaste is designed to be licked off a finger and swallowed. It has no fluoride, no xylitol and no foaming agent, and it is flavoured with something a pet actually wants, such as beef, chicken or cheese, so the paste is the reward and the brush is just how it arrives. Petsmile Professional Pet Toothpaste, the one we stock, is built around the manufacturer's Calprox® formulation, is VOHC Accepted for plaque control in dogs, and lists its full ingredients on every tube.

Why the flavour matters more than you think

Nobody can brush a pet that will not open its lip. Human toothpaste fails on taste before it fails on anything else; a pet toothpaste in a flavour your pet likes turns the daily brush into a treat with a bristle attached. Start by letting your pet lick the paste from your fingertip for a few days before any brush appears. Our flavour guide covers fussy and sensitive dogs.

How to read a pet toothpaste tube

• A full ingredient list, not just 'natural flavours'.
• No fluoride, no xylitol, no sodium lauryl sulphate.
• Directions that say it is safe to swallow in normal use and need no rinsing.
• The species it is intended for. Petsmile is marketed for dogs and cats; the VOHC credential is listed for dogs.
• A VOHC seal if the product claims plaque control: the Veterinary Oral Health Council reviews the evidence behind that specific claim.
• Clear language. A toothpaste for daily care should not be promising to cure anything.

What a toothpaste does, and what it does not

A pet toothpaste on a soft brush, used daily on the outer surfaces of the teeth, disrupts plaque while it is soft. That is its job and it is enough. It does not shift tartar that has set, it does not repair teeth, and Petdentist® products are non-medicinal daily-care products not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. If your pet has bad breath every day, red or bleeding gums or a tooth that looks wrong, the vet comes first, and the toothpaste keeps the clean mouth clean afterwards.

If your pet has already had some of your toothpaste

A single lick of a fluoride paste is unlikely to cause harm, but a pet that has eaten a quantity of toothpaste, or any amount of a product containing xylitol, should be checked by a vet without waiting for signs. Keep human toothpaste in a closed cabinet; dogs in particular find minty tubes interesting.

Questions people ask

Can dogs and cats share a tube of pet toothpaste?

Yes, Petsmile is marketed for both and one tube can serve a multi-pet home, though each pet should have its own brush.

Is a 'natural' human toothpaste without fluoride safe for pets?

Not necessarily. Many still contain xylitol, foaming agents or essential oils in amounts intended to be spat out. Use a product made for pets.

How much pet toothpaste do I use?

A pea-sized amount per session on the outer surfaces of the teeth, once or twice a day. A 119 g tube of Petsmile lasts a single-dog household one to two months.

Read next: Choosing a toothpaste flavour for a fussy dog, How to brush a cat's teeth without a fight, Shop toothpaste.

About the author. Dr Deepak Songra BDS (GDC 68552) is a dental surgeon with more than 35 years in clinical practice and the founder of Petdentist®. He is not a vet. He lives with Merlo, the Cavapoo you will see across this site.

This article is general information about daily care, not veterinary advice. Petdentist® products are non-medicinal daily-care products for dogs and cats and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are worried about your pet, please see your vet. Petdentist® is the trading name of Pet Dentist L.L.C-FZ, Meydan Grandstand, 6th Floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE. UK orders are dispatched from Northampton.