Dental treats supporting oral hygiene

The prevention of oral diseases in dogs has been enriched with an excellent solution – dental treats for dogs – these products provide the dog with the pleasure of biting and tasting, protecting the dog’s teeth against plaque build-up.

It is not without reason that it is said that healthy teeth mean a healthy body. Oral diseases in dogs are usually caused by improper care of their teeth. The deposited plaque mineralizes, turning into tartar. This, in turn, contains bacteria that lead to gum and periodontal disease in dogs.

If the dog’s body is weakened, the number of bacteria multiplying in its mouth may lead to inflammation of the gums. This is the first of four stages of periodontal disease. The next ones are:

• Early periodontitis
• Moderate periodontitis
• Severe periodontitis

Periodontal disease mediators are absolutely not a problem that begins and ends in the dog’s mouth. Unfortunately, the inflammatory process leads to damage to the epithelium of the gum pockets, which leads to the migration of bacteria and toxins into the bloodstream. In this way, e.g. as a result of bacteremia, immune complexes may be deposited in the kidneys, which leads to glomerulonephritis. Liver and even heart muscle dysfunction may also occur.

Dental diseases can therefore lead to serious, even life-threatening, diseases of distant internal organs. Treating such diseases is definitely more expensive than systematic removal of tartar, and what’s worse, it leaves irreversible changes in the dog’s body.

For this reason, it is much better to prevent oral diseases in your dog than to treat your dog when the problem is already visible.

Prevention against dental plaque includes brushing teeth using special veterinary toothbrushes with soft bristles and following an appropriate diet.

It would be optimal to brush your dog’s teeth once a day after the last meal, but for many owners this is too much. Therefore, in dogs with good oral hygiene, the number of brushings can be reduced to 3 times a week.

Correct brushing technique involves performing circular movements with the brush inclined at an angle of 45° to the tooth surface.

Read also: Dog teeth and oral care

The source of problems in a dog’s oral cavity is usually an inappropriate diet – dogs that are fed food rich in carbohydrates with a low content of nutrients may be at risk of tooth decay.

A dog’s diet is also related to the oral microbiota, which plays a significant role in periodontal disease. Available research shows that dogs fed dry food had higher salivary pH and lower sulfur concentration in exhaled air, compared to dogs fed wet food. Additionally, the number of bacterial taxa associated with oral health was higher and the number of bacteria causing poor oral health was lower in dogs fed dry food. Dogs fed dry extruded food had less problems with unpleasant oral odor and less plaque accumulation, which is closely related to dogs’ oral health.

In order to ensure proper prevention of healthy teeth, it is worth giving your dog dry food, which, thanks to its hard granules, can support the abrasion of the plaque. Foods with the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate may be particularly beneficial, such as Josera MiniWell and MiniDeluxe, which reduces the concentration of calcium in saliva, thus minimizing the risk of dental tartar in dogs.

Dental treats can also have a beneficial effect on your oral health. Research conducted in this area confirms that dogs that received chewable snacks in their daily diet had significantly fewer bacteria in the oral cavity that lead to periodontal disease. Josera dental treats from the Denties line may be a good choice. Their special star-like shape ensures pleasant chewing while massaging the gums. The composition is equally important. Denties are grain-free teethers that contain cellulose, which supports tooth cleaning.

Best practices for using dental treats

Dental treats for dogs have been designed to help maintain proper oral hygiene for dogs. Their regular administration reduces dental plaque and enables dogs to fulfill their natural need of biting, which also improves their mental well-being. The appropriate shape of dental treats, e.g. a star shape, additionally massages the gums while biting, which improves their blood supply.

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A wide range of high-quality Josera treats for dogs

Appropriate dosage

When giving your dog dental treats, you must remember that excess food may lead to overweight or obesity. Using preventive measures to protect your dog against oral diseases cannot lead to other health problems. Therefore, you should always follow a simple rule regarding the dosage of each type of snack. Their content in the daily food dose should not exceed 10-15% of the dog’s calorie requirement. This means that this amount of calories after snacking should be subtracted from regular meals throughout the day. Denties dental treats contain approximately 64.5 kcal in one chew, which makes the calculations easier.

Dental treats were created for the daily care of dogs’ teeth, but it is up to you whether your dog will receive them every day or, for example, 3 times a week.

Check: What treats for dogs?

Oral diseases in dogs are much more serious than an aesthetic problem. Accumulating bacteria can lead to the formation of tartar, and their further multiplication can lead to gingivitis and periodontal disease. These diseases have a negative impact on tissues – the dog’s teeth may fall out, and bacteria entering the bloodstream may damage distant organs: kidneys, liver, heart.

Regular oral hygiene, combined with feeding your dog appropriate food, e.g. Josera MiniWell, and Denties dental snacks, can reduce the number of bacteria that adversely affect oral health. An appropriate diet has a positive effect on the oral microbiota, reduces the number of unfavorable bacteria, prevents the deposition of dental plaque, mineralization and unpleasant odor from the dog’s mouth.

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