Day 7 – About dental health

As my usual days off are Fri/Sat Ziggy will get weighed again at the end of this week. The diet is going well so far. Currently I’m feeding about a patty and a half of Nature’s Variety Organic Chicken per meal.  Occassionally I feed only a patty and add in some frozen vegetables from Natural Pet Pantry.

 Some of you who read this will think something along the lines of “What about dental care?  Doesn’t Ziggy need to eat kibble to keep her teeth clean?”  In short, no.  Though this is a common myth, it is indeed a myth.  I think that S. Somerville, an ATB employee who researched the matter thoroughly, says it best in the informational handout she wrote for ATB entitled Dental Health and Your Pet: 

       “Dog and cat teeth are designed to rip and tear at fresh meat and bones, not to crunch kibbles.  Carbohydrate based matter, such as kibble, requires animals to adopt an unnatural chewing style which can often lead to particles becoming lodged in between the teeth.  Once there, the carbs break down into sugars that can contribute to further tooth decay…While canned food does not offer any abrasive properties, the high moisture content helps to rinse the teeth and keep them free of food particles.  The low carboydrate content of high-quality canned food also means a lowered amount of simple sugars introduced into the body.  The top choice for dental health, however, is a diet based on raw meat and bones.” 

While raw meat and bones are still the prefered diet for optimum dental health, there are other  methods and products that kibble users might consider adding to their pet care routine. There are several kinds of dog and cat toothbrushes and toothpaste out there on the market.  The brands we carry here are Petrodex and Veterinarian’s Best.  These are toothbrushes like you would buy for yourself but there are also “finger-brushes” which are caps you put over your finger tip which have soft rubber bristles to rub off the tartar and plaque. 

It’s easier said than done to brush most dog and cat teeth however.  Fortunately there are also some supplements that help matters.  We carry two such supplements which work in different ways to combat tartar and plaque.  The first is called Denta Treat and it is made by Wysong.  It is made with cheese enzymes that eat away at the tartar and plaque on contact.  It is administered by sprinkling it on top of whatever you’re feeding.  The second, which I have tried with Ziggy (and noticed an improvement in her breath) is called PlaqueOff.  This is a strain of seaweed (strain D1070) which only grows off the coast of Sweden.  It works systemically to keep the tartar and plaque from binding to the teeth in the first place.  Additionally it softens the tartar and plaque that are already in place.  Though aproved in Europe for humans as well as animals, it is still pending FDA approval in the US for human consumption. 

Dental disease is the number one health problem faced by dogs and cats over the age of three.  It’s estimated that approximately 85% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of gum disease which eventually leads to tooth loss and other complications (read: vet bills).  No matter which products you choose to use or what methods you choose to employ, it’s important that you stay on top of your companion’s dental health.

 - Mag & Ziggy