Dental Care  

Dogs squeeze 42 teeth in their mouth, while cats have 30 

  • Kibble is not chemically designed to clean or scrape off plaque and tartar 
  • It is important to brush as often as you can or offer chews for your animals to help minimize the bacteria build up
  • Because kibble is so processed and contains starch, sugars, and binders create more plaque and tartar 
  • Raw food helps reabsorb enzymes from meat to help prevent build up 
  • Also less carbs, starches, sugar and less process 
  • High Moisture content helps with digestions and dental health as well 
  • Raw bones, dental chews, and certain toys help clean teeth, massage gums, and strengthen enamel 
 

80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some level of dental disease 

  • Broken teeth and roots
  • Gingivitis 
  • Tartar build up 
  • Periodontal disease
  • Abscesses or infected teeth
  • Cysts or tumors in the mouth
  • Malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth and bite
 

Gums  

  • Healthy gums should be “Shrimp-Pink”
  • Unhealthy gums will appear to be red and inflamed, Pale or white can be caused by anemia
  • Gingivitis is caused by ‘plaque’ which is composed mostly of bacteria. Plaque can accumulate on the tooth surface especially in the space underneath the gum line.Gingivitis is also caused by the body’s oral immune system reacting to the plaque bacteria on the teeth
 

Bad Breath 

  • The bacteria from decaying food that causes gingivitis and infection in your dog’s mouth also results in abnormally bad breath. We don’t expect doggy breath to be “minty fresh,” but any type of sour, acrid odor is indicative of some kind of disease process in your pet’s mouth or other internal organs.
  • Digestive issues also tend to be the culprit of bad breath! 
  • Good gut= healthy dog! 
  • A lot of the time a digestive enzyme, prebiotic or helping heal the gut leads to fresher breath and better dental health in general 
 

Plaque and Calculus 

Dental plaque is composed of the food particles and saliva that mix together to form a sticky film on your dog’s teeth. If the plaque is left on the teeth, it will harden into a thick, bone-like formation called calculus (or tartar), which can cover the entire tooth and hide an underlying infection. 

This is very common with feeding kibble long term and lack of brushing  

It is important to remember some smaller and larger breed dogs have a genetic predisposition to gum or dental problems that may need medical attention along with proper care and hygiene  

Solutions:  

Bones  

  • These are great for scraping plaque and tartar off teeth 
 

Supplements  

  • There are supplements you can add to your dogs water or food to help strengthen enamel, prevent plaque from sticking to their teeth and prevent 
 

Less processed diet  

  • Kibble is filled with sugar, and starch which causes plaque and tartar. 
  • Less processed foods, create less plaque build up and is easily digestible