Studies by the Australian Vet Association tell us that out 4 of 5 dogs and cats over the age of 3 having some level of dental disease. That’s a lot of sore mouths! And because they can’t (or won’t) tell us that they’re suffering, it’s up to us to keep an eye on our pets’ oral health.
Just like with us, regular brushing is the best thing you can do to prevent dental disease. But we know that’s often easier said than done. So if you can’t brush their teeth, what can you do?
Plaque vs tartar
Although the two words are often used interchangeably, there is technically a difference between plaque and tartar. That fuzzy feeling you get when you don’t brush your teeth? That’s plaque. It’s a bacterial film that builds up on teeth over time. Plaque is easily removed by brushing or using dental chews.
When plaque hardens, it becomes tartar. Once it’s at this stage, no amount of brushing or chewing will remove it – it needs to be removed with specialist dental equipment.
Bones or no bones?
That is the question… And there isn’t really a right or wrong answer. Bones can help to remove plaque from teeth, but they’re not without their risks.
If your pet is a vigorous chewer and you give them very hard bones (like cow thigh bones), they can actually cause tooth fractures. For that reason, we always recommend giving softer bones like chicken legs or brisket bones. The risk with these softer bones, however, is being chewed too small and causing impaction or damage to the bowels.
We don’t recommend marrow bones – they’re too fatty and can cause other health issues like pancreatitis.
Never give cooked bones. Cooked bones become extremely sharp when they are chewed, and can cause significant internal injury.
If not bones, then what?
There are a huge range of dental chews available these days. The key is to look for something that takes time and effort for your pet to chew – this will give it the best chance of manually scraping off that plaque. As with bones, you don’t want a chew to be too hard or it might cause a tooth fracture.
Raw carrots are a great option – they’re cheap, low in fat, and you’d be surprised how many pets love them!
What about water additives?
Water additives work by killing the bacteria that builds up in the mouth and causes gingivitis (AKA red, swollen gums). It won’t physically remove plaque from the teeth, but it’s a good option for those pets that won’t eat dental chews (or eat them so quickly that they can’t do their job).
We recommend having your pet’s mouth checked annually to keep on top of their dental health. If you think it’s about that time, give us a call or book online today.