Diets Role in Canine Dental Hygiene

Have you ever taken a good look at your dog’s teeth? Most dog owners are surprised to see brown and yellow tartar build-up stuck to the surface of the teeth.

The plaque buildup is a combination of bacteria, saliva, proteins, and food debris. This mixture forms a film that adheres to the surface of teeth which can lead to rotten teeth and gum disease.

Most plaque forms close to the gum line and creates a place for harmful bacteria to hide which makes it the perfect breeding ground for gingivitis to develop.

Gingivitis is serious because it can spread cytokines which is an inflammatory substance that can travel through the bloodstream and into the liver, kidneys, pancreas, and heart. In addition, dogs that suffer from gingivitis also experience other diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

As you can see your dog’s overall well-being depends on proper dental hygiene. At this point, you are probably wondering how this happened in the first place because you take pride in taking good care of your dog.

Keep reading to find out why!

Diet is the Major Source of Canine Dental Disease

Old age and the lack of dental hygiene is a common contributors to dogs developing periodontal disease. However, you will be surprised to know that improper diet is the major source of dental disease in dogs.

Many dog owners feed their pets a kibble diet and do their best to choose the healthiest options that contain organic ingredients but it still is the main source of the development of gum disease in dogs and here’s why.

Kibble is ineffective at removing plaque along the gumline.
Kibble contains carbohydrates and starches that are binding ingredients that adhere to teeth.
Dogs don’t have the amylase enzyme that breaks down the starch in kibble.

Dogs that have untreated periodontal disease continuously have tartar building up until it pulls the gumline away from the teeth which creates small pockets where bacteria thrive and grow. This causes teeth to become loose and bone to deteriorate.

While this surprising news has caused you to rethink your dog’s kibble diet the good news is a raw diet is a solution to the problem.

Dental Benefits of Raw Bones and Raw Pet Food

Your dog’s ancestors lived in the wild and hunted for their food every day. This means they indulged in raw meat and bones to survive. When dogs chew on a raw bone they need to get through the meat attached to it to reach the bone. This gnawing action scrapes plaque off the teeth.

In addition, raw meat contains live enzymes that naturally destroy bacteria and prevent it from building on teeth. The chewing motion also strengthens your dog’s shoulders, neck, and jaw which attributes to their overall health.

As you can see a raw diet is beneficial for overall health which includes maintaining a healthy oral microbiome.

When dog owners that are not familiar with a raw diet for dogs learn it’s the best they can give their dog, they often vision handling bloody meat every day.