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The search for a good dental chew can sometimes feel eternal—you want something that lasts long enough to clean a dog’s teeth, is appreciated by your pup, and doesn’t add too many calories to their diet. Yummy Combs is the latest entrant in the crowded dental-treat market, and it’s taken off fast.
The unusual honeycomb-shaped treats were created by Greenies co-founder Dr. Joe Roetheli and won 2024 Product of the Year in the dog treat category among a national survey of 40,000 shoppers.
We tested it on three dogs of different sizes who also have different mouth shapes: Mini Schnauzer Woof Woof, French Bulldog Finn, and Golden Retriever Petunia.
In this review, we’ll examine how Yummy Combs work, which size treat your dog would need, and the pros and cons for each mouth shape so you can decide if the popular dental chews are a good fit for your pup.
Do Yummy Combs Really Clean Your Dog’s Teeth?
Yummy Combs were designed to take tooth-cleaning a step further than your average dental chew by scraping tartar and calculus off all sides of the tooth with a shape similar to a slice of a honey comb.
Dogs, depending on their mouth shape and availability of space between their teeth, can badly need the 360-degree cleaning that standard stick-style chews don’t provide. That’s especially true in instances where dogs don’t feel comfortable with having their back teeth brushed.
Treats that have earned the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal by clinical trials may make up the difference if tooth brushing can’t be done daily or thoroughly, says Dr. Ellen Lowery, Veterinary Oral Health Council Executive Director.
“The gold standard for teeth cleaning at home is tooth brushing daily,” she explains. “But I always say that good oral care is typically a combination of things that fit both the dog and the pet parent.”
So no, you can’t throw away your dog’s toothbrush—but Yummy Combs may have an edge over other dental chews in their ability to supplement your regular routine.
Key Features of Yummy Combs
- Honeycomb shape: As a dog moves the treat around their mouth, it scrapes between their teeth. However, some dogs won’t have enough tooth spacing to make use of this feature.
- Variable sizes: Yummy Combs come in five sizes, starting with XS for dogs between 5.5 and 12 pounds and extending to an XL size is for dogs over 100 pounds. Size makes a difference—to avoid choking hazards and risk to teeth, a large dog shouldn’t be eating a medium or small dog chew and vice versa.
- For adult dogs only: Puppies under six months shouldn’t have Yummy Combs.
- Flavors and allergies: Choose between chicken or fish and egg recipes.
- Anti-choking and digestible: Yummy Combs are designed to be thin and dissolve fast, says Dr. Joe Roetheli. The thickest part of the XL Yummy Comb is a quarter inch, and the use of “Slick’M” causes the treat to digest quickly.
- Moderate calorie content: Calories vary based on the size of the treat.
| Size | Calories | Suggested Dog Weight |
| XS | 22 kcal/treat | 5.5 to 12 pounds |
| S | 49 kcal/treat | 13 to 25 pounds |
| M | 69 kcal/treat | 26 to 50 pounds |
| L | 115 kcal/treat | 51 to 100 pounds |
| XL | 173 kcal/treat | 100+ pounds |
Rover Test Pups Woof Woof, Finn, and Petunia Test Yummy Combs
Mini Schnauzer Woof Woof gives Yummy Combs four paws up
Woof Woof, my Mini Schnauzer, loves a crunchy treat he can devour—and will devour it in one sitting. Other times, I’ll find Yak cheese under my pillow because he saved it for later and I didn’t see him hide it. He can also be finicky. There are treats he won’t touch at all.
But Woof Woof sniffed up the bag before I got the treat out. He swished the chew back and forth in his mouth and even angled it. He dropped it a few times and gnawed off a couple of combs, then got back at it. It took him about three minutes to finish.
I gave him the dental treat for several days as part of his morning wakeup routine to ensure he liked it once it no longer had that new-treat feeling. Woof Woof doesn’t have allergies, so he had both the chicken and fish and egg flavors.
Woof Woof drops the treat occasionally but stays engaged.
French Bulldog Finn says it’s a no-go
French Bulldog Finn is a Greenies fan, but he tries to gulp treats. At 29 pounds and with a flat face, he had a tough time chewing the treat and essentially said no thank you. It looks like Yummy Combs may not work well for Brachycephalic breeds, who should generally consult their veterinarian when choosing treats because of their unusual mouth shape and close-together teeth.
Petunia the Golden Retriever gives high marks
Golden Retriever Petunia was a definite fan of Yummy Combs. She finished the treats in less than a minute and confidently held them in her mouth without dropping them (as Woof Woof did).
Recommendation: Yummy Combs Are Great Dental Treats Where Tooth-Spacing Permits
Our reviewers found Yummy Combs excellent dental treats for most dogs:
- Veterinary experts give them high marks for their ability to reach areas standard dental chews don’t target
- They pleased our picky and treat-loving pups equally
- We liked the price, the calorie content, and the digestibility
There are, though, some dogs who might not find Yummy Combs a good fit:
- Dogs with loose teeth
- Dogs with chicken and fish allergies
- Dogs with close-together teeth or crowded mouths
- Dogs (and dog parents) who prefer longer-lasting chews
If your pup isn’t a good candidate for Yummy Combs, there isn’t another flossing-style dental treat that will serve the exact same function—but Greenies can be a good substitute for dogs. All the treats recommended by the veterinary Oral Health Council are clinically tested and can improve pet oral health, says Dr. Lowery, so there’s no shortage of impressive choices.
