ORAL AND DENTAL HEALTH FOR YOUR DOG
Dental diseases are very common in dogs. By age 3, over 80 percent of dogs have some form of dental disease, also known as periodontal disease. Dental disease can have serious health consequences for your dog, so maintaining good oral and dental health is very important for their overall feeling of health and wellbeing.
What Is Dental Disease?
Dental disease affects the teeth, gums and structures that support and surround your dog’s teeth. It begins with plaque build-up on their teeth. This plaque contains bacteria and food particles.
Plaque that stays on the teeth hardens into tartar. When tartar is above the gumline, it's easily visible, and your vet can remove it relatively easily during a professional dental cleaning.
However, a set of clean white teeth doesn't necessarily mean that your dog's mouth is healthy. Tartar that makes its way below the gum line can be a significant issue.
Tartar below the gum line causes inflammation and can not only cause damage to the structures supporting their teeth but also cause infection. If dental disease reaches this stage, dogs may experience serious dental problems and pain.
Signs of dental disease in your dog can include:
Broken teeth
Loose teeth
Bad breath (halitosis)
Bleeding mouth
Refusal or inability to eat and drink
Drooling
Just as we desire good dental and oral health, we should offer our dogs no less.
Apart from the obvious implications tooth loss or damage, oral pain and bad breath have for their overall health, the most serious implication is the potential for organ damage.
Bacteria in the plaque can enter the bloodstream and spread to the heart, kidneys and liver. This spread of bacteria, called bacteraemia, can damage organs and make dogs very ill. Good oral health will help prevent bacteraemia and subsequent organ damage.
While brushing your dog’s teeth is obviously a very effective way of keeping their teeth clean there are natural ways to provide preventative support for their oral and dental health.
There is a common myth that dry dog food kibble is an effective way of removing plaque and calculus from your dog’s teeth. In short it can, and does, have a small impact in removing some of the plaque at the top of the teeth however it could in no way be considered effective dental health measure.
Bonza includes a number of ingredients specifically selected to provide support for your dog’s oral and dental health.
Brown seaweed (Ascophyllum Nodosum) has been clinically proven to reduce oral plaque and improve gum and teeth health in dogs (1). The seaweed blend used in Bonza’s vegan dog food contains this brown seaweed (Ascophyllum Nodosum) to help support your dog’s oral health.
Brown seaweed has also been shown to reduce periodontal disease and bad breath in dogs.
In a study, treatment of adult dogs with edible treats containing Ascophyllum nodosum for 90 days reduced plaque deposition by 40% and calculus formation by 20% ( 5)
In addition to seaweed, Bonza’s plant-based food includes Echinacea, Sage and Chamomile which all have a positive effect on dog’s oral and dental health and are particularly effective against gingivitis and periodontal disease which also contribute to dog’s bad breath (2, 4).
Echinacea is used to treat inflammation including the gingival tissues in the mouth. It was found in research to be as effective as Chlorhexidine Mouthwash in reducing oral microbial flora ( 3)
Bonza’s plant-based ingredients help support your dog’s freshest breath and overall dental and oral health..