Poor dental health
According to the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS), EIGHTY PERCENT of dogs and SEVENTY PERCENT of cats contract periodontal disease by the age of THREE!
Despite the apparent wonders of scientifically engineered foods, and their ability to perfect our pets’ diets, dental diseases run rampant. Why? Quite simply, exclusively-fed processed pet foods. The process by which these foods are made kills most of the good bacteria (probiotics) and natural enzymes that would’ve been found in those raw meats, vegetables, etc.
Many pet owners also don’t sufficiently satisfy their dogs’ natural inclinations to chew. No chewing, and eating food void of natural plaque-fighters is a potent one-two punch in the gut of your dog’s dental health.
And poor dental health has proven to be linked to all kinds of serious, even deadly, health problems—including heart disease, kidney and liver problems.
"Doesn’t dry kibble clean teeth?”
Do you eat a pretzel after eating a box of candy to clean your teeth? This is probably one of the more insidious selling points propagated by the feed-your-carnivorous-pets-endless-doses-of-sugar-filled-carbohydrates crowd.
Dry kibble really doesn’t have the texture, or hardness necessary to be effective at removing plaque via chewing; besides, these foods don’t get chewed anyway. Dogs and cats aren’t designed to chew their food—they tear and gulp. Just look at the way their teeth are designed. Anyone who has ever fed their pet has witnessed this instinctive behavior. Pumping dry food as a way to clean teeth is really pretty shameful in our opinion.
“What is the best natural way to clean my pet’s teeth”
RAW! Since we just covered dental issues above, we’ll quickly touch on what raw can do for teeth. The probiotics (read: good bacteria) that are preserved in raw foods will compete with bad bacteria for survival in the mouth; preventing bad bacteria (plaque) from thriving. Raw bones are a particularly useful food (yes, eating bones is natural), because chewing them helps clean teeth, they’re a great source of good bacteria, the acidity of the meat helps kill bacteria in the mouth, and they are balanced sources of necessary minerals including calcium, magnesium, etc.
Important note: NEVER, EVER give smoked or cooked bones to your pet. In the process of cooking or smoking the bone becomes brittle and can splinter into needle-like pieces. These pieces will puncture and cut a pet’s digestive system and have the potential to cause irreparable injuries and/or death. ONLY GIVE RAW BONES
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