Hey everybody! I know it's a little late in the month, but there's no better time than right now to talk to you about your pet’s dental health. 

Did you know that teeth are the pathway to your dog's or cat's whole body health? The same as it is with you, the more sugar remains on your teeth the more issues you're going to have.  If you look in your pet’s mouth and don’t see healthy pink gums and white teeth then you need to create better dental habits.  90% of pet’s have dental disease by the age of 3 years!!!  

Terms:

Plaque: a biofilm bacteria that forms within 24-48 hours of eating a starchy food.

Tartar: Calcified plaque on the teeth.

Gingivitis: Inflamed gums, (reversable), caused by plaque

Periodontal: Deep attachment around the roots, attaching the tooth root into the jawbone.

Periodontal Disease: Once the infection runs under the gumline affecting the deeper areas, you have disease. 

Once it gets under the gum line you wind up with periodontal disease. This is extremely serious. And I'm going to scare you because once your pet has this, infection takes hold and you've got a pathway directly into the bloodstream which means it travels into the major organs; heart, kidneys, liver and beyond.  Am I trying to scare you?  Yes. 

To make a long story shorter (too late!) I am going to tell you to brush your pet’s teeth daily. If you cannot brush daily, then every other day.  If you cannot do this, then you need to find alternative methods.  HINT: paying your groomer to brush your pet’s teeth once a month when you visit is throwing money away.  Yep. I tell my clients this when they ask.  Will I do it and take their money?  Sure!  But they are advised that it is a temporary fix and the only plus is that they have fresher breath for a few hours. 

In this blog post we are only talking about what you can do at home.  We will discuss different types of dentistry in a follow-up blog and we are free to talk further with you in the store!

Myth 1:  A major myth is that kibble helps scrape the plaque and tartar off your pet's teeth. This is incorrect. Kibble is highly processed and contains enough sugars and starches to create the plaque you see. Dog's jaws are meant to rip, tear and grind before they swallow.  They are not created to ‘chew’.  Cat’s teeth are meant to rip/tear and swallow.  Cat molars are meant to shear meat not grind.

Myth 2: Every time you head to the grocery store, and you pick up a box of green dental treats.  You are not actually giving them something that will remove the plaque from the teeth.  I will not name the brands, but a lot of these treats are filled with glycerin, wheat flour, wheat gluten, synthetic dyes and more unnecessary ingredients.  All of which are unhealthy, creating digestive issues in some pets and do NOT help with the teeth.

One of the best things you can give your dog for dental health is raw meaty bones. RAW bones, with meat on them.  NOT cooked bones.  Raw bones will not splinter.  Cooked bones have the high probability of splintering and creating tears in the stomach or intestine.  Chewing / Scraping on raw bones will help all the way into the gum line.  If you have been feeding cooked bones and have not had any issues, you are lucky!  But do not expect that to last.  Emergency surgery is scary and expensive!!!

If raw bones are not an option, a good bully stick can help.  I do not recommend hard chews, like antlers.  These can break the teeth. 

There are several products on the shelves that can help deter disease, but these need to be used in conjunction with good oral care.   When researching, make sure they are not filled with additives that are unnecessary.  Who cares what color it is?  Your pet? No!  If it has dyes, toss it.  The best Holistic products on the market are going to contain pre/probiotics, enzymes, and kelp powders. Kelp contains enzymes that can work with the saliva to soften and reduce the existing plaque and helps inhibit the forming of new plaque. We carry several holistic items in our shop that can help.

Did you know that Raw fed dogs and cats are at less risk of dental disease due to the diet being lower in starches and higher in enzymes?