My clients are always asking questions about their pets’ teeth and how to keep them healthy. It’s an important issue that I want to address today. Dogs’ and cats’ teeth usually start life bright and white, then slowly turn yellowish brown with age. The reason is because daily use and tartar can turn them pastel shades of yellow, green or brown.
We can understand why chewing and rubbing can change the enamel, but what does tartar have to do with this process? Tartar is the accumulation of minerals and bacteria from the saliva that form at the gum line. Humans floss to get rid of this accumulation of plaque, tartar and bacteria. In animals gum disease begins with the brownish/yellowish/greenish crusty deposits of tartar and plaque near the gum line. Bacteria thrive underneath this shelter of plaque and tartar and can easily attack and destroy the attachment of the gums to the tooth. Fortunately not all individuals develop really bad tartar and receeding gums that can lead to putrid breath and a painful mouth.
This leads us to prevention and what we can do to help our pets’ teeth remain healthy. The good news is that most dogs do not develop painful teeth problems and only have discoloration and mild tartar throughout their lifetime. However, the dogs that do produce lots of tartar leading to receeding gums, painful loose teeth, or abcessed teeth need our help. So grab that bag of crunchy biscuits, feed dry kibble and stay away from canned food…right? No. Absolutely not.
I know this defies intuition, and I admit that I too used to be a kibble believer. But, in fact, I have not seen a difference in the health of teeth and gums with different types of food–canned or dry. And I’ve seen enough problems caused by kibble and biscuit treats (ranging from obesity and seizures to all sorts of allergic reactions) to make me avoid dry food. Let me put it to you this way, if you ate a bowl of big stale cookies every day, would that keep your teeth and gums healthy? Or your body either? Of course not.
Here’s the truth: The health of teeth and gums is linked to breeds, and some individuals produce more tartar and have the tendency for receeding gums. The toy breeds (small house dogs), some herding dogs (Corgi, Sheltie), and the squished-face dogs (Boxers, Bostons, Bulldogs) have the “terrible teeth” tendencies.
Whether you own one of the dentally challenged breeds, a poodle or an amiable mixed breed (mutt)…and yes, I know, they really own us…there are three ways you can deal with tartar:
- Veterinary dental cleaning
- Brush your pet’s teeth
- Encourage healthful chewing
Professional dental cleaning by your vet is effective but more expensive than regularly brushing your dog’s teeth or helping them chew away tartar buildup. The truth is I don’t know too many people that will brush their dogs’ teeth consistently enough to make a difference.
But the good news is letting your dog chew on smoked pork bones, knucklebones or frozen chicken thighs every 2-3 weeks keeps most dogs’ teeth really clean. I’ve seen this with my own dogs’ teeth and it’s the reason I make the right kind of chewing part of the Dog Dish Diet regimen. Now there are several cautions. These are important, but if you take care, you can help your dog enjoy strong, healthy teeth for years to come and, in many cases, without the expense of veterinary dental cleaning:
- Do NOT use baked or barbecued chicken or steak bones… these can be brittle and sharp.
- Do NOT use big, baked beef femurs…these can break teeth.
- DO use smoked or raw pork or chicken bones…thighs are just the right size and the bone is raw and flexible.
Here’s the bottom line: If your dog is prone to eating big chunks of bone or too much bone (what I call a gulper) or you feed the wrong type of bone, it could cost you or your dog dearly. That is why I favor the smoked pork bones or frozen chicken thighs every 2-3 weeks, to keep my dogs’ teeth clean. I will probably never have to clean my dogs’ teeth again!! Bone Appetit!
I welcome your questions on this and other subjects important to pet owners.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Dr. Greg, this sounds like great advice for dogs. But what can we cat owners do to help keep our pets’ teeth and gums healthy? My local vet needs to anesthetize my cats to clean their teeth. My cats are getting up there in years and I worry about this procedure. At the same time, brushing cats’ teeth is not a pleasant experience for either them or me. Any advice? Thanks.
Raw chicken? Is that safe for a dog?
I have had clients feed raw chicken for years. Frozen raw chicken does not get the chance to incubate and grow nasty salmonella or e coli bugs. Dogs are remarkably able to stomach eating garbage, dead stuff, and poop. Healthy pieces of chicken will not harm them, but a human with immunity issues should exercise caution using this practice. A few bugs could be transmitted to the owner or others in the house. Clients have used this practice for twenty years, and I became a convert about 10 years ago, with great reservations also. Now I believe it is a safe and healthy practice.
Hello Dr. Greg. I have been trying to find a way to get my dog’s teeth clean and when I was looking online I came across your website. I would like to compliment you on your accomplishments working with dogs. I have a Kuvasz named Pocona. I got her at 4 months old and she is now 1 year old. I have had problems with keeping her teeth clean, even with using a toothbrush on her teeth. Kuvasz are very sensitive to being sedated so I am nervous to have to take her to the vet to get them cleaned. I am willing to try what you do with your dogs, and let her have bones. She has some brown tarter buildup on some of her back teeth, do you think that letting her chew bones will eliminate the buildup and the need for a dental cleaning at a vetrinary clinic? Please let me know your advice.
Thank you for your time
Sincerely,
Pauline
Pauline,
Depending on the type of chewer your kuvasz is and the type of chew she likes, you may be able to maintain her bright smile with this practice. I have found that smoked pork shanks and frozen chicken thighs from the market work the best because most dogs work on them for a longer time. Do not use baked or barbequed, steak or chicken bones. Those hard round thick bones from the pet store can break teeth. Smoked pork bones or lamb bones from the pet store also work well because your kuvasz can “sink”her teeth into the bone, catilage, and marrow….like the old days. I have demo chewing viedeos on bajagreg1 and drgregdvm youtube
Dr. Greg, a friend of mine also had a Kuvasz (just recently passed away at a ripe old age). Tessy had particularly bad teeth. I’m wondering if the breed is prone to bad teeth and therefore special efforts should be made to find a natural way to keep their teeth clean.
Tartar accumulation and resulting gum infections seem to affect some breeds and some individuals more then others. If your dog develops tartar and red inflammed gums, he or she needs to chew on something that will help scrape the tartar off. I have found that “dry food” or kibble does almost nothing to help. Dogs need a food item they can “sink” their teeth into, like smoked pork bones from the pet store and smoked pork shanks, and frozen chicken thighs from the market. If they are not chewers, veterinary dental care and home dental care are needed.
Hello Dr. Greg.
I appreciate your page here telling others about the benefits of raw bones for our dogs dental health. Many veterinarians shy away from recommending or suggesting raw food and raw bones for our pets. It’s good to see some who are “with it” when it comes to the benefits of natural diets for our dogs and cats. Thank you!
How dow I buy this ?
You can buy
1. smoked pork hocks
2. frozen chicken thighs- look on youtube.com/drgregdvm
3. pigs ears rolled with omega threes- Costco
4. My book to explain everything