According to a study, more than 80% of dogs over 3 years old have developing periodontal disease.
It's HUGE when you consider the significant consequences of these diseases…
What is periodontal disease?
To better understand dental health, we talk about plaque and tartar. Bacteria in the mouth proliferate and produce a biofilm on the teeth called plaque. When plaque remains on the teeth, it hardens into tartar, which then becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. It's a vicious cycle…
An overabundance of bacteria attacks and weakens the gums and teeth, creating cracks that allow them to enter the bloodstream and cause serious damage to organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart, to name a few. Diseases caused by dental bacteria are called periodontal diseases.
Where does the proliferation of dental bacteria come from?
2 famous phrases that our parents constantly repeated to us when we were young apply well to the situation we are talking about, even among our canine friends:
Here is the first one:
"Stop eating candy and sugar, you'll get cavities."
The bacteria that produce dental plaque love sugar… When you know that most kibble contains between 40 and 60% sugar and that this food constitutes the diet of most dogs, it's not difficult to make the connection… Dogs eat too much sugar…
I say it, repeat it, and repeat it again: a well-balanced, fresh raw diet containing a maximum of 15% sugar (most often in the form of fibre) is the best food to prioritize for preserving the health of our dogs! The example of dental health proves it once again…
I’m convinced that high-sugar diets like kibble are the main cause of periodontal disease in dogs.
The second one:
"Brush your teeth or you'll get cavities."
In addition to reducing carbohydrates in the diet, the small amount of plaque that forms must be able to be eliminated by mechanical action.
The ultimate solution: dental cleaning? Personally, the more I can avoid anesthesia for my dogs, the better I feel and they feel better too… I haven't had any of my dogs' teeth cleaned in the last 25 years. And despite not having them cleaned, I had a dog who lived to be over 15 with almost no tartar.
I recommend offering dogs a more natural solution that mechanically cleans their teeth at least 2-3 times a week.
You'd be surprised how effective a dog can be at chewing a bone 2-3 times a week on reducing tartar buildup… often in just 1 week, very dirty teeth become very clean… It's hard to believe sometimes, but try it and you'll see…
Giving dogs chew bones 2-3 times a week is, in my opinion, the best way to keep their teeth clean. Of course, since no method is perfect, there's also a downside to giving bones to our dogs; you have to give them the right bones, in a controlled environment, and under supervision.
Finally, some products like Plaque-Off or Animora gel are worth trying on your pet to see if they can help reduce plaque if reducing carbohydrates and chewing activities aren't enough to achieve 100% perfect dental cleanliness…
In conclusion, if we care about our dogs' health, we can’t tolerate dental tartar, even in small amounts. If we don't address it, sooner or later we'll have to have our pet's teeth cleaned, and that's not a trivial matter; it's a procedure performed under anesthesia. It's also possible that it’ll be too late and the veterinarian will have to remove some of your pet's teeth. This will certainly not be painless for the animal.
Finally, my personal experience
I haven't had any of my dogs' teeth cleaned in the last 25 years.
My secret: they eat a fresh, raw, balanced diet with a maximum of 5%-10% vegetables, mostly leafy green vegetables, and receive bones to gnaw on 3 times a week under supervision.
Don't let your dog's dental health slip through your fingers; the solution is so simple and the consequences of neglecting it are far too dangerous.
Karine Simard, agronomist, M.Sc.
Expert consultant in canine nutrition
