This new product Aaquadent is put in cats drinking water to freshen breath and prevent plaque. However I've just seen it contains Xylitol, which is a sweetener and has been implicated in liver failure in dogs. Apparently there is no information on whether it affects cats similarly, but I find it worrying as we all know how cats livers arent able to deal with many chemicals etc. It also contains chlorohexadine - don't think I'd want my cat drinking that either - I found this about chlorohexadine: 'never meant for ingestion, and long-term effects have not been studied.' .
This is some of the blurb:
'Virbac Animal Health has announced the arrival Vet Aquadent, an innovation in pet dentistry. Pet Aquadent is a refreshing palatable solution that is simply added to pets’ drinking water to freshen their breath. It contains both chlorhexidine and xylitol molecules, well known in human dentistry for their effects on dental plaque and tartar. '
And this is some of the report about its toxicity in dogs:
'While vets have suspected that the sugar substitute xylitol can make dogs sick, there is now further clinical evidence of an association between the product and possible liver failure in dogs. A clinical report appearing in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) in October discusses the sometimes fatal conditions developed by dogs that have ingested xylitol. Xylitol, a sweetener found in many sugar-free chewing gums, sweets, baked goods and toothpastes, is a naturally occurring ingredient that may have far-reaching negative health effects on dogs.'
