Comprehensive Guide to Your Dog’s Dental Care: Beyond Raw Diets
Caring for your canine companion’s dental hygiene is crucial for their overall health and well-being. While a raw diet significantly contributes to dental care, additional measures and specific products are essential to maintain optimal oral health.
The Role of Raw Diets in Dental Care
Feeding your dog a raw diet can be immensely beneficial for their dental health. However, it’s important to understand that even with this diet, dedicated dental care remains vital to prevent issues like plaque build-up and tartar formation, which can lead to dental problems.
Nature’s Toothbrush: Raw Meaty Bones
Raw meaty bones serve as nature’s toothbrush, helping to clean your dog’s teeth naturally. Choosing the right bones is crucial—consider factors like your dog’s size, breed, and age. While bones like beef bones, marrow bones, or other heavy weight baring bones can pose risks, there are a few options for dogs to chew on.
Raw Meaty bone examples, based on size and age, are as follows:
Small Breeds & Young Pups: Chicken necks, wings, and feet; Duck feet.
Medium Breeds: Duck necks and feet; Chicken carcasses and thighs; Turkey wings.
Large Breeds: Lamb, venison, and goat ribs and necks; Chicken and duck carcasses; Turkey wings.
Very Large Breeds: Venison and turkey necks; Goat and lamb ribs; Turkey and duck carcasses.
Always monitor your dog’s tolerance and stool after bone consumption, adjusting bone content if necessary with boneless foods.
It is vital to remember though that raw meaty bones or a raw diet, are not enough on their own for optimal dental hygiene. There are some products that can help too, including tooth brushing
We have a few options that we recommend:
Fresh Breath Treats and Homemade Toothpaste
Breath fresheners:
1 cup of kefir
½ chopped parsley
½ cup of chopped mint
Blend ingredients together then pour into ice cube moulds and freeze
Once frozen transfer to an airtight container in the freezer
Home Made toothpaste:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
Sprinkle of parsley leaves & mint leaves (equal portions)
Incorporating these options into your dog’s routine enhances their dental care regimen, ensuring thorough oral hygiene alongside a raw diet. Remember, while these recommendations are beneficial, regular monitoring, supervision during bone consumption, and tailored care according to your dog’s needs are key to their dental health.
By combining natural dental aids, specialised products, and tailored care, you can ensure your furry friend enjoys optimal oral health, contributing to their overall vitality and happiness.