Many owners ask me how they can best care for their pet’s teeth. A healthy mouth not only means fresher breath, it can also minimise the risk of infection and prevent future dental treatments.
While brushing our dog’s teeth every day is the best way of caring for them, this may not be possible for a range of reasons. We should persist with trying the toothbrush and, at the same time, can offer regular dental sticks to help prevent plaque build up.
The important of Good Dental Hygiene
When food cakes on to teeth, bacteria proliferate. This leads to red gums, visible calculus build up, a foul smell and oral pain. A large proportion of adult dogs have dental disease and may be suffering in silence.
It is often presumed a dog will stop eating when their teeth are hurting but this is rarely the case. Most dogs will soldier on, eating their meals and acting normal despite severe dental disease and chronic pain.
The Knock on Effect
Dental disease can lead to a range of issues, not least a poorer quality of life. The bacteria burden can mean that infections spread around the body, affecting organs including the liver and heart.
If teeth aren’t kept clean, calculus builds up and the gums become swollen and inflamed. The teeth loosen in their socket and become wobbly, eventually requiring extraction.
Signs of dental disease
It is not always easy to tell if your dog has dental disease but signs can include:
- Red or inflamed gums that bleed easily
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- A visible yellow or brown build up on the surface of the teeth
- Drooling
- A preference for wet food
- A change in how your dog chews
How to care for those Pearly Whites
Protecting your pet’s teeth isn’t rocket science. The best things we can do are to:
-
Brush our dog’s teeth daily using a doggy tooth brush and tooth paste
- Use products such as enzymatic gels we rub on the teeth and powders we add to the food or water; these products can reduce plaque build up
- Feed dry kibble rather than wet food, especially if you have a small breed dog or one genetically prone to dental disease
- Offer a daily dental stick*
*Remember to factor this into your dog’s daily calorie intake, reducing their meal portions so they are not being overfed.
The Reality
Realistically, how many of my clients brush their pet’s teeth every day? I’d be willing to bet it is less than 5%. In fact, the majority of my clients do not brush their pet’s teeth at all. This can be because their pet won’t allow it or because the owner simply is not aware of the importance.
When tooth brushing is not an option (due to a pet’s anxiety or aggression), we should try to slowly introduce it. Unfortunately, this won’t always be successful.
Why Dental Sticks help
Dental sticks are a very useful tool, especially for those canines who aren’t big fans of the toothbrush. The abrasive surface scrapes along teeth, preventing plaque from sticking to the surface of the tooth and even breaking off chunks of calculus.
The benefit of this ‘scraping’ is that the incidence of periodontal disease is reduced. The real beauty of the dental stick? To your dog, they are a high value treat!
Why choose Pooch and Mutt?
As is always the case with Pooch and Mutt, they’ve designed a product with your pooch’s health and wellbeing at the forefront of their mind. Not only are these dental sticks shaped to clean deep between teeth, they are designed to last longer, ensuring your dog gets plenty of chewing time. This chewing keeps those gnashers sparkling white, while also provide your dog with something enriching to be doing (while you’re having a brew and putting your feet up!).
Pooch and Mutt’s Dental Sticks are supplemented with SHMP (sodium hexametaphosphate) which is an anti-staining and tartar preventative ingredient used by human dentists.
Three Great Options
You can choose between the calming ‘Hemp & Sage’ dental stick, refreshing ‘Spirulina & Mint’ superfood stick or vegan friendly 'Peanut Butter' dental sticks.
Hemp & Sage: For those dogs who are anxious, prone to stress or a little bit ‘loopy’, this dental stick is worth trying. Hemp is a naturally stress reducing ingredient, that may even improve sleep quality. Sage has medicinal effects and has been used since ancient times. It is a herb that is high in anti oxidants and that can reduce bacterial load and plaque formation.
Spirulina & Mint: If you’re keen to keep your dog’s breath smelling fresh, the mint in this stick will do the trick. A natural antimicrobial, mint kills bacteria in the mouth. Spirulina is an algae; a powerful antioxidant that can reduce oral inflammation and bolsters the immune system.
Peanut Butter: Not only are these delicious Dental Sticks grain-free, they're also VEGAN, completely plant powered and suitable for dogs with a sensitive stomach or poultry allergy.
Shop all now alongside our other dental products here
Comments (8)
Do your dental sticks contain any wheat or gluten please. My dog is so allergic to these ingredients that I have found it hard to find a dental stick that doesn’t result in gastric upsets.
I placed an order for dental sticks wondering when I will receive. Thank you
Hi @ANNE, our dental sticks contain whole wheat and oat flour so unfortunately I don’t think they would be suitable for your dog.
Hi! @Marion , please contact our customer service team for assistance with this, they will be able to look for your order and give you an update. Thanks!
Our 2 year old whippet has been on P&M wet and dry food since she was a pup (apart from the time there was a problem with the manufacturer) but she is back on it and loves the new dental sticks. She used to have whimzies but went off them. Thanks for the info which is very helpful as she had a bad tummy problem at 11 months (possible colitis) but seems to be thriving now on P&M food and treats and we rarely feed her anything else!
Hi there – my dog is allergic to corn, peas, pork, soyabean, rice and turkey. Would the mint denta stix be ok for her?
Fiona
Hi,
What products do you recommend to brush your dogs teeth with? My Miniature Schnauzer can have low fat things beloe 8% fat, do you know anything?
Hi Hannah,
Our Peanut Butter Dental sticks are super low fat and might be a great option for your pooch to try! :)
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