It's doggy dental time and the results of a unique trial have pointed strongly to a way to achieve good dental health - raw bones.
Jimbo's, the pet food people, organised a three-month trial recently involving eight dogs, their gums and their teeth.
Dental care for dogs might sound like a cosmetic thing - but it isn't. Vets pay a lot of attention to tooth and gum care in cats and dogs because that area of the body can not only be a flag that something is wrong with the pet, it can also lead to nasty problems.
Bacteria on the teeth can cause gum inflammation (swelling and redness). This is an early stage of periodontitis, a disease affecting the structures that support the teeth.
Periodontal disease can cause oral tissue damage, gum recession and tooth loss.
Before & after – the difference bones can make to the dental health of your dog. Photo / Supplied
Bacteria and bacterial toxins may even enter the bloodstream at the gum line and cause further damage to internal organs such as the kidneys, liver and heart.
"Tooth and gum disease isn't always easy for pet owners to notice until it is quite progressed," says Samantha Boston, pet advisor for Jimbo's. "Animals - especially cats - are good at hiding it if they are in pain and often don't show any discomfort until they are too sore to eat properly."
At that point a veterinary visit is usually required, which tends to require heavy-duty cleaning of the teeth under anaesthetic and often involves multiple tooth extractions - nasty.
Jimbo's have long been advocates of the benefits of a raw food diet and decided to see what effect the diet had on dogs' dental health over a longer period. They called for volunteers and found eight dogs - including a bull terrier, a Labrador, an Alsatian and a border collie, plus some other smaller and younger dogs.
"As with all good trials, we had to benchmark," says Boston. "We had to select dogs whose diet did not already contain raw bones and good-natured animals who didn't mind having their mouths and teeth handled. Their owners had to commit their pets to a raw food diet designed by us for 3-4 months."
Then they inspected the dogs' teeth, grading their condition from 0-4, depending on the amount of harmful plaque on the teeth (Grade 0 being none or very little plaque; Grade 4 being a severe amount of plaque and gum inflammation and recession). Of the eight dogs, two were Grade 0, four were Grade 1, and two were Grade 2.
Miele shows off her healthy set of teeth. Photo / Supplied
They gently transitioned each dog onto a raw food diet of 80 per cent meat, 10 per cent bone and 10 per cent offal. Transition is necessary because a wholesale change of diet can upset a dog's digestive system and allowed them to move onto the raw diet over a maximum of 14 days.
After three months, they found 4 dogs were Grade 0 and 3 were Grade 1. One dog (who had been measured at Grade 2 in the beginning) had to be removed from the findings as it had not been fed the provided bones for the period of the trial.
That dog's teeth had not improved but all the other dogs showed the benefits of the diet. "The dogs that started with Grade 0 teeth maintained their dental standard and they were joined by two of the dogs originally benchmarked at Grade 1," says Boston. "The other dog which started with Grade 2 teeth finished at Grade 1. So all who finished the trial showed either improved dental hygiene or maintained it.
"These findings are important to us because we are big believers in the ways raw food can help our pets live longer, healthier, happier lives."
When cats and dogs chew size-appropriate, raw bones, the mechanical action helps to scrape plaque and tartar from the teeth, she says. By removing or reducing bacteria present on the teeth, periodontal disease can be prevented and a high standard of dental health maintained.
"Feeding bones is a great way to do this naturally. For this trial we fed all the dogs on a 100 per cent raw diet, but would suggest that, even if your pet is not on a completely raw diet, feeding a bone a day or every second day would be a great place to start for better dental health.'
• Jimbo's recommend chicken necks for dogs under about 6kgs and all cats and Jimbo's Veal Bones for dogs over about 6kg. For more information, go to jimbos.co.nz
