Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Introduction
Let me set the scene: Two months ago, I was sitting on the couch, petting Max after our walk, and his breath hit me so hard I had to lean back. That sour, yeasty dog breath, the kind that lingers in the air even after he leaves the room. I knew I needed to do something about it, but every toothpaste I tried before was a disaster. He hated every single one of them, he would run away, he would fight me, I could never get his teeth brushed. That’s when my vet recommended the Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste. It was $11, a 2.5 oz tube, poultry flavor, supposed to be the one that even the pickiest dogs love. I ordered it same day, because I was desperate to avoid that $300 professional dental cleaning the vet was talking about. After using it for two months, I’ve got so much to say about it, the good, the bad, and the weird little surprise no one warned me about.
Why I Finally Gave Up on That Old Toothpaste
Before this, I had tried every dog toothpaste on Amazon. I tried the chicken flavored ones, the peanut butter ones, even the mint ones, thinking maybe he’d like that. None of them worked. Every time I pulled out the toothpaste, Max would immediately run under the couch. I would have to drag him out, hold him down, and try to brush his teeth, and he would fight me the whole time. He would squirm, he would try to bite the brush, he would drool all over the place, and by the time I was done, I was sweating, and he would hide from me for three days.
It was so bad, I only brushed his teeth like once a month, if that. And his breath just got worse, and worse. The vet said that if I didn’t start brushing his teeth regularly, he would need a professional dental cleaning, which would cost me $300, plus anesthesia, which I couldn’t really afford. I was so tired of it, I almost gave up, until the vet told me about this Virbac stuff. She said it’s the only toothpaste that most dogs actually like, that it’s enzymatic, that it works. I decided to try it, what did I have to lose?
What Even Is Enzymatic Toothpaste, and Why Chicken Flavor?
I had no idea what enzymatic toothpaste was, at first. I thought it was just fancy marketing. But it turns out, it’s different from regular human toothpaste, or even regular dog toothpaste. It has these dual enzymes, that break down plaque and tartar, right on your dog’s teeth. And it doesn’t foam, like human toothpaste does. That means, if your dog swallows it, it’s totally safe. You don’t have to worry about them getting sick, or foaming at the mouth, or anything like that.
And the poultry flavor? That’s the big one. Most dog toothpastes are mint flavored, right? But dogs hate mint. They don’t care about fresh minty breath, they care about meat. This stuff is poultry flavored, so it tastes like chicken to them. That’s why dogs love it so much, they think it’s a treat, not toothpaste. It sounded too good to be true, honestly, but I was willing to try anything. $11 wasn’t that much, compared to that $300 dental cleaning, anyway.
My Story: Putting the Virbac CET to the Test
When the package arrived, I opened it up, and it was this little white tube, with a blue cap. It smelled like chicken, kind of, not the good kind of chicken, more like canned dog food chicken, but not bad. I squeezed a little bit onto my Jasper finger toothbrush, the one I just bought a week ago. And I called Max over, who immediately ran away, like he always does, when he sees the toothbrush.
But then he stopped. He sniffed the air. And he came running back. He stuck his nose right up to my hand, and he started licking the toothpaste off the brush, before I could even lift his lip. I couldn’t believe it. He was licking it, like it was a treat. I lifted his lip, and I wiped his teeth, gently, and he just stood there, licking, while I brushed. I did the top, the bottom, the left, the right, and in 30 seconds, I was done. All of his teeth, brushed, in 30 seconds. And he was still licking my hand, trying to get more of the toothpaste. I couldn’t believe it. I had spent 20 minutes fighting him before, and this was 30 seconds, and he loved it.
After two weeks of using this, his breath was gone. That sour, yeasty smell, that I had lived with for a year? It was gone. And when I took him to the vet for his checkup, she looked at his teeth, and she said, “Wow, his plaque is way better than last time! You’ve been brushing his teeth, right?” I told her yeah, and she said, that’s exactly what she wanted to see. I was so happy, I thought, this is the solution! I finally fixed the dental problem!
The One Thing Nobody Warned Me About
But here’s the thing no one told me. After I was done brushing that first time, I wiped my finger, and I just screwed the cap back on the tube, right? I didn’t think anything of it. I put it under the sink, and I forgot about it, until the next week, when I went to brush his teeth again.
I grabbed the tube, and I tried to open the cap. It wouldn’t budge. I twisted it, I pulled it, I tried to use a towel to get a better grip, nothing. It was stuck. I thought, oh my god, did I cross thread it? Did I break it? I ran it under hot water, for 20 minutes, trying to loosen it, and finally, it popped open. And that’s when I saw it. The top of the tube, the opening, was covered in this hard, crusty, dried toothpaste. It had sealed the cap shut, like glue.
I went to the Amazon reviews, to see if anyone else had this happen. And sure enough, hundreds of people said the exact same thing. If you don’t wipe the opening of the tube, after you use it, the toothpaste dries, and it glues the cap shut. No one warned me about that! All the ads, all the reviews, they just said how much dogs love the taste, no one said “hey, wipe the tube after you use it, otherwise you’ll break your nail trying to open it next week”. That was such a weird little surprise, I almost threw the whole tube away, because I thought it was broken.
After that, I learned. Now, as soon as I’m done squeezing the toothpaste, I wipe the top of the tube with a wet paper towel, before I screw the cap on. Problem solved. But that first time? So annoying.
What I Liked and What I Didn’t Like
After using this for two months, I went through all the pros and cons, and I checked out hundreds of other reviews to make sure I wasn’t the only one with these experiences.
What I Liked
- Max actually begs to brush his teeth now: That’s the big one. Before, he would run away. Now? He comes running, when he sees the tube, because he knows it’s chicken flavored treat time. It’s amazing.
- It actually fixed his bad breath, and reduced his plaque: After two weeks, his breath was gone. And the vet said his plaque was way better, after just two months. It works, exactly what it’s supposed to do.
- It’s safe if he swallows it: No foaming, no weird chemicals, if he licks it all off, and swallows the whole thing, it’s totally safe. I don’t have to worry about him getting sick.
- **It’s cheap, $11 for a tube that lasts 6 months**: That’s nothing, compared to the $300 dental cleaning I was going to pay. And it’s so small, a little bit goes a long way, I’ve been using it for two months, and I’ve only used a quarter of the tube.
- It works for cats too: A ton of people use this on their cats, too, it works the same way, a lot of cats love the poultry flavor, too.
What I Didn’t Like
- The cap gets crusty if you don’t wipe it: That thing I told you, about the cap getting stuck. If you don’t wipe the tube after you use it, the toothpaste dries, and it glues the cap shut. It’s such an annoying little problem.
- Some dogs hate the taste: A lot of people said their dog took one whiff of this, and ran away, like it was poison. It’s not for every dog, apparently, some dogs just hate the poultry flavor.
- It can give sensitive dogs diarrhea: A ton of people said their dog got diarrhea, after using this, even if they only used a tiny bit. The enzymes are too strong for some sensitive stomachs, apparently.
- It’s too big for tiny dogs: If you have a chihuahua, or a yorkie, that 2.5 oz tube is way too big. You’ll never use it all before it expires, it’s a waste of money.
- No pump, you have to squeeze it: It’s just a regular tube, so you have to squeeze it, which means sometimes you squeeze too much, and waste it.
Is This Toothpaste Right for Your Dog?
So, is this stuff right for you? Well, that depends.
If you have a medium or large dog, that’s been struggling to brush their teeth, because they hate regular toothpaste, and they don’t have a super sensitive stomach? Then yeah, this is perfect. It works, it’s easy, it’s gentle, it makes brushing so simple, you’ll actually do it every week, instead of once a month.
But if you have a tiny dog, under 10 lbs? Then this isn’t going to work for you. That 2.5 oz tube is way too big, you’ll never use it all before it expires.
If your dog has a super sensitive stomach? Then you have to be careful. A lot of dogs get diarrhea from this, because the enzymes are strong. You might want to try a tiny bit first, to see how they react.
And if your dog is super picky, and hates chicken? Then this might not work, some dogs just hate the poultry flavor, they won’t touch it.
Common Questions About the Virbac CET
I got so many questions from my friends after I posted about this, so I wanted to answer the most common ones right here.
Does this work for cats too?
Yeah, it does! A ton of people use this on their cats, it works the same way, it’s gentle, it’s easy, and a lot of cats love the poultry flavor, too.
Can my dog swallow this?
Yeah, they can! It doesn’t have any foaming agents, or anything toxic, so if they swallow it, it’s totally safe. That’s the best part, you don’t have to worry about them licking it all off.
How long does it take to work?
Most people start seeing results in 2-4 weeks. The bad breath goes away first, then the plaque starts to reduce, after a couple months.
Do I need a special toothbrush for this?
No, you don’t. You can use a regular dog toothbrush, or a finger toothbrush, or even just your finger, it works with anything.
Can I use this every day?
Yeah, you can! A lot of people use it every day, it’s totally safe, it doesn’t irritate their gums or anything.
My Top Takeaways
At the end of the day, this little toothpaste works, for what it is. It turned the worst chore of the month, into a 30 second thing that I actually do every week. It fixed Max’s bad breath, it cleaned his teeth, it stopped the fight, it stopped him from hiding from me. It’s not perfect, of course, it has a few little flaws, but none of them are that big of a deal, right? You can work around them.
You just have to remember to wipe the top of the tube, after you use it, so the cap doesn’t get stuck. You just have to test a tiny bit first, to make sure your dog’s stomach can handle it. It’s worth it, for how easy it makes brushing.
Would I Buy This Again With My Own Money?
Are you kidding me? I already bought the second tube, so I have a spare. This is the best $11 I’ve spent in a long time. It saved me from that $300 dental cleaning, it fixed Max’s bad breath, it made brushing something we actually do, instead of something we fight about.
All those little flaws? They’re nothing, compared to how well it works. I can brush his teeth in 30 seconds, he doesn’t fight me, his breath is good, his teeth are clean. That’s all I care about. I would buy this again, and again, and again, no question.
If you’re interested in trying it out, you can check it out here: Check Price on Amazon
Final Thoughts
All in all, the Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste is a great little tool, if you know what you’re getting into. It’s not a magic fix for all dental problems, it’s not going to replace a professional dental cleaning if your dog has really bad tartar. But if you just need something to make regular, at-home brushing easy, for your medium or large dog? Then this is perfect.
It’s not perfect, it has a few little flaws, the cap gets crusty, some dogs hate the taste, some dogs get diarrhea, but none of that matters, not when it works this well. It saved me so much stress, it saved my dog’s teeth, and that’s all I care about.
You Might Also Like
- Jasper 360 Dog Toothbrush Review: Does This $14 Brush Work?
- How to Brush Dog Teeth at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide
- Nylabone Dental Spray Review: Does It Freshen Breath?
A Quick Disclaimer
I’m not a vet or professional trainer. This is just my personal experience.