Whimzees vs DentaStix: Which Dental Chew Suits Your Dog?
PawPicked is reader-supported: we may earn a commission from links on this page.
You are standing in front of two popular dental chews and the question is practical: do you want a vegetarian chew in assorted shapes, or the familiar meaty-flavoured stick? On the Amazon listings the two products compared here are the Whimzees Variety Box in size S and Pedigree DentaStix Daily for medium dogs. One caveat comes first: they are listed for different dog sizes, so this is a comparison of approach and ingredients as much as of two identical products.
The differences in one table
| Whimzees Variety Box (S) | DentaStix Daily (medium) | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed for | Size S, no weight band given | Dogs of 10 to 25kg |
| Pack | 56 pieces, 840g | 105 sticks, 2.92kg item weight |
| Shapes | Crocodiles, sticks, toothbrushes | Sticks, light brown and dark brown |
| Main ingredients | Potato starch, glycerin, powdered cellulose, lecithin, yeast, malt extract, lupine, annatto extract colour, alfalfa extract | Cereals, vegetable derivatives, minerals (sodium tripolyphosphate 2.8%), meat and animal derivatives, oils and fats |
| Meat | None listed (vegetarian) | Dried chicken liver and dried beef liver |
| Headline claim | Plaque "up to 80% better than other leading dental treats" | Tartar reduced "by up to 80% when fed daily" |
| Rating on listing | 4.6 out of 5 from 19,729 | 4.8 out of 5 from 1,514 |
Everything in the table is taken from the listings at the time of writing. Check the current price on Amazon, and work out cost per day by dividing the pack price by the days it lasts.
The size mismatch affects who can use which. DentaStix Daily here is the 10 to 25kg pack. The small Whimzees box suits smaller mouths, but the listing gives no weight band, so a dog near 20kg should look at the medium Whimzees listing, whose bullet says 12 to 18kg and which contradicts its own spec fields. In both cases, read the pack and weigh your dog before buying.
The two "80%" claims are not the same claim
Both listings feature an 80% figure, which makes it tempting to call it a draw. They measure different things. DentaStix claims tartar build-up reduced by up to 80% when fed daily. Whimzees claims its chews prevent plaque up to 80% better than other leading dental treats, which is a comparison against unnamed rivals and not a measure of how much plaque or tartar a dog ends up with. Neither listing shows the test behind its figure, so treat both as maker's claims. Whimzees adds that its chews give three times longer chewing time than competitors; again, no comparison is named.
What's inside matters more than the headline
The ingredient lists differ most. DentaStix is cereal-based, with chicken liver and beef liver, so it isn't suitable for a dog that avoids cereals, chicken or beef. Whimzees has no meat and no cereal grain on its list, but leans on potato starch and lupine, a legume. Lupine may not suit every dog, and the listing's "hypoallergenic" description is a claim rather than a guarantee. If your dog has a known sensitivity, that is a conversation for your vet, not a reason to pick either by label alone.
The Whimzees listing includes a guaranteed analysis: 2.0% fat and 13.7% crude fibre among other figures. The DentaStix listing gives no analysis for the stick, only ingredients. Neither the Whimzees box listing nor the DentaStix listing gives a calorie figure, though the Whimzees medium toothbrush listing, a related product, states 89 kcal per 30g piece, which is a useful reminder to check the pack of whichever you choose. All dental chews count towards the daily calorie total, and many vets suggest keeping all treats to around a tenth of it.
Format, chew time and day-to-day use
Whimzees are hard chews that come in assorted shapes. You can't choose the mix in the variety box, and the listing doesn't give the split. DentaStix are one shape, designed to be given daily, and the listing says to feed them that way. Vets commonly point out that any hard chew can be a risk to teeth or can break into pieces, so supervise both and take away small leftovers. Our dental chew safety guide covers sizing and choking.
Be sceptical of anything that sounds like a substitute for brushing, which vets generally regard as the most effective home routine. Neither product is one. Dental chews support routine care; they are not treatment, and a dog with sore gums or bad breath that won't go away needs a vet.
Choose by your dog, not the label
Choose Whimzees if your dog avoids meat or cereals, if you like the idea of variety, or if you have a smaller dog and want a chew with a stated analysis. Be ready to check the lupine and fibre, and be aware you can't pick the shapes. Choose DentaStix if your dog is in the 10 to 25kg range, is happy on chicken, beef and cereals, and you want a simple one-a-day routine with a big pack that lasts roughly 15 weeks. For a deeper look at each, see our Whimzees Variety Box review and our DentaStix Daily review.
If neither fits, the best dental chews for dogs covers more of the market.
Products in this article
Affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.