Most dental chews are meat-based, which rules them out for the small number of dogs on a strict vegetarian or novel-protein diet — a genuinely meat-free chew is a narrower category than the shelf suggests.

WHIMZEES make this one from potato starch, glycerin, powdered cellulose, lecithin, dried yeast, malt extract and lupine, with natural green and orange colourants from alfalfa and paprika extract. It contains no meat, gluten, GMOs or artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and it's shaped like a toothbrush specifically so the hollow, knobbly surface gives a dog's teeth something to work against as they chew. It analyses at 1.1% protein, 7.2% fibre, 2% fat and 2.4% ash.

• Meat-free, vegetarian recipe
• No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
• Gluten-free
• Protein 1.1%, crude fibre 7.2%, fat 2%
• Recommended for daily use
• Not suitable for dogs under 9 months

On sizing. The figures here — and the 8.5cm length — come from the smallest size in the range; this comes in more than one size and the card we hold doesn't give dimensions for the others. Choose based on your dog's size the way you would with any dental chew, not by this figure alone.

Who it's for: owners of a dog over 9 months who wants a daily dental chew without meat in it, whether for a vegetarian diet or a sensitivity to the usual chew proteins.