Tartar Shield® Pro Care Natural Pet Toothpaste Named a Winner in the 2026 Veterinary Practice News Readers' Choice Product Awards

Veterinary professionals select the VOHC-accepted toothpaste in the Nutrition and Wellness category

NOBLESVILLE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tartar Shield Pet Products, Inc. today announced that Tartar Shield® Pro Care Natural Pet Toothpaste has been named a winner in the Nutrition and Wellness category of the 2026 Veterinary Practice News Readers' Choice Product Awards. Winners are chosen by vote of Veterinary Practice News readers, the veterinarians and veterinary teams who use and recommend products in daily practice.

Clinically validated, chosen by practice

Launched in late 2024, Pro Care is the only toothpaste product that has been awarded the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance for tartar control in dogs, according to the VOHC accepted products list as of October 2026. The seal was earned through controlled clinical trials, which also showed statistically significant reductions in plaque and halitosis. Efficacy was established through a chemotherapeutic mechanism, without mechanical brushing.

Pro Care is formulated entirely from human-grade, natural and nature-derived ingredients and is made in the USA. The formulation is rooted in the work of Tartar Shield® founder, Dr. George K. Stookey, a pioneer in preventive dentistry and a founding member of the VOHC scientific council.

"This award comes from the people who see periodontal disease in the exam room every day," said Nathan Hoover of Tartar Shield®. "Daily brushing remains the gold standard, but many pet owners cannot sustain it. Pro Care gives veterinary teams a clinically validated option that delivers results without depending on the toothbrush, in a formula dogs readily accept."

Peer-reviewed clinical data expected in early 2027

The full clinical program behind Pro Care is under peer review at the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry, with publication anticipated in early 2027. The manuscript (Ayoub et al.) integrates in vitro laboratory findings with results from two randomized controlled clinical trials in dogs.

The paper will detail the magnitude and consistency of Pro Care's effects on plaque, calculus and halitosis across both trials, along with a palatability result practitioners will notice: every dog in both trial populations accepted the product.

Availability

Pro Care is available through veterinary hospitals across the United States and at tartarshield.com. The full awards announcement is published by Veterinary Practice News.

About Tartar Shield Pet Products, Inc.

Tartar Shield Pet Products, Inc., based in Noblesville, Indiana, develops and manufactures science-based oral care products for pets, including Tartar Shield® Soft Rawhide Chews, VOHC-accepted since 2007, and Pro Care Natural Pet Toothpaste. Products are available through veterinary professionals, leading retailers and tartarshield.com.