Pet chew article

Abstract

Pet chew articles comprising a consumable body having a shape defined by an exterior surface and comprising a main portion and at least one protrusion extending therefrom with the proviso that the shape of the body is such that no point in the interior of the body is more than about 0.2 inch (⅕ inch) from the portion of the exterior surface nearest to the point. As a result, any pieces of the article that are ingested by a consuming animal are small enough that they will not become lodged within the animal's digestive tract. Also a method for improving the dental health of animals comprising chewing or eating by an animal of such an article.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING

The invention will be explained with reference to the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric or perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an other illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of another illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view of still another illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of still another illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a top view of still another illustrative embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

Claims

1. A pet chew article comprising a consumable body, said body having a shape defined by an exterior surface and comprising a main portion and at least one protrusion extending therefrom with the proviso that the shape of said body is such that no point in the interior of said body is more than about 0.20 inch (5.1 millimeters) from the portion of said exterior surface nearest to said point.

2. The article of claim 1 with the proviso that the shape of said body is such that no point in the interior of said body is more than about 0.1875 inch (4.8 millimeters) from the portion of said exterior surface nearest to said point.

3. The article of claim 1 with the proviso that the shape of said body is such that no point in the interior of said body is more than about 0.15 inch (3.8 millimeters) from the portion of said exterior surface nearest to said point.

4. The article of claim 1 with the proviso that the shape of said body is such that no point in the interior of said body is more than about 0.125 inch (3.2 millimeters) from the portion of said exterior surface nearest to said point.

5. The article of claim 1 wherein said body comprises an edible chew base selected from the group consisting of wheat gluten, gelatinized starch, and combinations thereof.

6. The article of claim 1 wherein said body comprises: (a) edible chew base, (b) an effective amount of antimicrobial lipid, and (c) at least one of (1) an effective amount of tartar control agent or (2) an effective amount of a long chain fatty acid.

7. The pet chew article of claim 1 wherein said article is at least about 1 inch (25 millimeters) in both the X and Y axes and less than about 0.4 inch (10 millimeters) in the Z axis.

8. The pet chew article of claim 7 wherein said article is at least about 2 inches (50 millimeters) in at least one of the X and Y axes.

9. The pet chew article of claim 7 wherein said article is less than about 0.375 inch (9.5 millimeters) in the 2 axis.

10. The pet chew article of claim 1 wherein said article is at least about 3 inches (75 millimeters) in at least one dimension.

11. A process for the prevention of tartar accumulation on the teeth of a dog or cat, comprising chewing or eating by the dog or cat of an article of claim 1.