For many pet parents, oral care can be a frustrating experience. The new product line introduction of TropiClean Enticers by Cosmos Corporation provides a wonderful example of how our team took an innovative, approach to develop a product that meets pet parent needs and helps to establish a healthy routine for dogs and cats.
Seeing a New Way to Serve Pets and Their Parents
Dental disease is one of the most common kinds of disease veterinarians see in dogs. In fact, it has been estimated that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will experience some kind of dental disease by the time they reach three years old.
Most dental problems can be held at bay through good oral care, and there is no lack of products on the market designed to keep pets’ mouths clean and healthy. This led us to ask: Why are dental diseases still so common? And what can Cosmos do to better serve pets and pet parents in this regard?
It turns out most pet parents simply find it frustrating to keep up with their pet’s dental care. A survey of dog owners revealed that their dog’s refusal to let them use a dental care product was the #1 reason they lacked any interest in at-home dental care routines.
Our team at Cosmos wanted to explore this further. We surveyed pet parents and learned the #1 quality they valued when purchasing new pet oral care products was that dogs actually enjoyed the taste of the product, increasing the likelihood the dog would try the product without a chase around the house. Those with cats expressed similar values.
A Different Approach
Many pet dental care products already exist on the market, but many of these products were developed according to what interested humans when it came to dental care. Products featured minty flavors to cater to pet parents who were used to human dental products with fresh, clean smells and tastes.
Of course, those are not the flavors that interest pets—their palette is simply formulated differently. To get a product dogs and cats would prefer, our team identified flavors dogs and cats crave most.
The result was TropiClean Enticers. Enticers offers brushing and no-brushing gel options that are applied to the pet’s mouth to eliminate harmful bacteria, and they come in flavors proven irresistible to pets. For dogs, that includes Smoked Beef Brisket Flavor, Hickory Smoked Bacon Flavor, Honey Marinated Chicken Flavor, and Peanut Butter & Honey Flavor. For cats, that includes Honey Marinated Chicken Flavor, and Seafood Medley Flavor (coming soon). These flavors help make oral care a positive experience for both pet parents and their pets, and it took a lot of work to get it right.
Putting Enticers to the Test
Developing Enticers’ flavors didn’t happen overnight; it was a labor of love that took our formulation team years to perfect. Their goal was to find ingredients that were both effective and that would maintain the flavor of the product. In the end, they found a naturally derived active ingredient that could destroy 99.9% of harmful bacteria1 in the mouth and help remove plaque, without affecting flavor.
Our team did extensive palatability trials to ensure the flavors we created really were the ones dogs and cats preferred. It didn’t matter if a pet parent thought beef brisket would be a good flavor if their dog didn’t agree! Enticers flavored gels proved to be up to 3x more appetizing2 to dogs than leading competitive oral care gels.
Our team also evaluated the action of Enticers. Did the gel coat the teeth in the way needed? Did it destroy harmful bacteria? Did it help remove plaque? We can now say with scientific certainty that Enticers gels are effective oral care products.
We also had a panel of veterinarians weigh in on the product. Enticers addressed a need full circle, from veterinarians noticing dental disease to a vet-recommended product for pet oral health.
Innovation is Part of the Culture at Cosmos
TropiClean Enticers is a great example of how we drive innovation here at Cosmos:
- Our team saw a space in the market, and a better way we could serve pets and pet parents.
- Our team then talked to pet parents, asked questions, and—most importantly—listened. In fact, there were some surprises…for example, we discovered pet parents didn’t care about their pets having minty fresh breath nearly as much as getting their pets’ teeth clean.
- We worked hard to get a formulation that worked. We drew on our more than 10 years of experience in delivering pet dental care products to create one that would provide flavor appeal and work effectively while still using naturally derived ingredients from plant and mineral sources. Enticers are also free from sulfates, parabens, dyes, and artificial colors.
- We got creative. For example, our team studied how restaurants describe food on their menus to learn appetizing ways to describe to humans the flavors meant to appeal to their pets.
- We evaluated the products extensively, so we could be sure it does what we say it does.
- Sustainability was a consideration as well. Most Enticers packaging is recyclable, and our gel and toothbrush duos feature bamboo toothbrushes.
We sought to find a better way to provide pet dental care because we care about pets and their caregivers. Enticers has made that undeniably irresistible for pets and enticingly easy for pet parents.
1Within 15 minutes upon application against 14 common bacteria associated with plaque and tartar
2Based on the amount of product willingly consumed by dogs over a fixed time interval. Applies to competitor average compared to TropiClean Enticers Smoked Beef Brisket as the top-performing flavor.
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