2-year-old Papillon with early tartar

Thick tartar on a 2-year-old Papillon is a real warning sign — and unfortunately not as rare as it should be. Small breeds like Papillons have teeth crowded into tiny jaws, which accelerates plaque and tartar build-up dramatically, and dental disease is one of the most common sources of chronic pain in dogs that owners simply don't notice until it's advanced. For a dog this young to already be showing heavy tartar, it's worth acting decisively now rather than waiting for the next vet visit to escalate. Has your vet already flagged this, or is it something you've spotted yourself? And does your Papillon tolerate having their mouth handled at all?

That 'a bit gunky' comment is worth taking more seriously than it sounds — vets often underplay early tartar to avoid alarming owners, but at two years old that build-up will compound quickly without intervention. The good news is that she's calm with handling, which is genuinely half the battle. Before I suggest a product, one more thing: is the tartar mostly on the back molars, the canines, or spread across all teeth? That helps me understand whether you're dealing with a diet or saliva chemistry issue versus pure crowding.

That's classic crowding-driven tartar — the back teeth in small breeds sit so close together that saliva can't flush them properly, and plaque hardens fast back there. Brushing is still the gold standard, but you need the right paste to make it count. I'd go with Vet's Best Enzymatic Dog Toothpaste. It uses a glucose oxidase enzyme system that breaks down the biofilm bacteria actually feed on, rather than just sitting on the surface like most pastes. Crucially, it doesn't require rinsing and dogs generally accept the flavour well, which matters when you're building a new habit with an adult dog. Because she tolerates handling, you have a real shot at getting daily brushing established — and starting at two means you can genuinely reverse what's there and prevent serious disease. Use it with a soft finger brush initially to keep the contact gentle on those back teeth.

Brushing daily with an enzymatic paste is by far the most effective single thing you can do — genuinely nothing else comes close. That said, for a dog already showing early tartar at two, I'd add one supporting habit: give her a raw carrot or a dental chew like Whimzees a few times a week. The mechanical abrasion on those back molars is useful, and Whimzees are low-calorie enough not to affect her diet. What I'd avoid is relying on water additives or dental sprays as substitutes — they're marketed heavily but the evidence for them is thin. Brushing plus occasional chewing is a genuinely solid protocol for her age and situation.

Yes, absolutely worth raising it. If the tartar is already visible and thick, a professional clean under anaesthetic would remove what's there and give you a clean baseline to maintain with brushing. It sounds daunting but it's a routine procedure and in a healthy two-year-old Papillon the anaesthetic risk is low. Once she's been scaled, consistent daily brushing with the enzymatic paste will keep her in much better shape going forward. Getting ahead of this now really does make a significant difference to her long-term health and comfort — dental disease caught early is very manageable.