Detecting Dental Disease in Your Pet: Signs, Causes, and Natural Preventative Care

In today's article, we delve into the critical issue of dental disease in our beloved pets. Alarmingly, research indicates that approximately 85% of dogs and cats experience some form of gum or periodontal disease by the age of four. This issue not only brings about tooth loss and pain, but it can also trigger severe health conditions, including heart, liver, and kidney disease, or even jaw fractures.

We will be exploring:

• The factors contributing to the prevalence of dental disease in our pets
• The importance and methods of implementing natural preventative dental care
• Our top picks from The Golden Bone Bakery's range for natural, teeth-cleaning treats for your pets
• The significant signs of dental disease that pet owners need to stay vigilant about

If your pet has any of these signs they might have dental disease.

Studies show that by the age of 4 years, 85% of dogs and cats will have some form of gum or periodontal disease.  However dental disease can go undetected by pet owners for years, despite the fact it causes pain and discomfort for their pet

Dental disease not only leads to tooth loss but also to other serious health conditions such as heart, liver and kidney disease and even fractures of the jaw.

Why is Dental Disease so common in our Pets?

We brush our teeth every day however we expect our pets to have healthy teeth by feeding them a bit of dry food if they’re lucky!  The ancestors of our pets were able to maintain better oral health by catching prey regularly. While there was always the risk of damaging teeth while catching and consuming their prey the act of tearing and consuming skin and flesh and gnawing on bones kept the teeth clean naturally.  Obviously, this is no longer the case today for most pets!

Natural Preventative Dental Care

Natural teeth cleaning should be supported as much as possible. And it starts with the right nutrition.

Any food or appropriate object that encourages your dog or cat to chew will help reduce the formation of plaque and calculus. Raw bones are an excellent way to keep your pet’s mouth healthy provided you observe some basic rules.  You should avoid very angular bones such as those from tails or the spine; these bones are sharp and often hard to chew resulting in the potential for mouth injuries and big pieces of bone getting stuck in the throat or gut. Softer bones such as those from chicken frames and necks are softer and more easily digested if they are swallowed in larger bits.  If you want to feed larger bones then stick to things like bones from the legs that are too large for your pet to be able to chew chunks off but that they can gnaw on over a few days to help clean their teeth and gums.

Our Natural Goat Horns, Beef Hooves or Smokey Cattle Ears for dogs and Chicken Crunchies for cats are terrific alternatives to bones that will help keep their teeth clean. With a longer shelf life than bones they are a great way to make sure you always have a ready supply of delicious teeth cleaning options available for your pet.

As a final note it is a really good idea to check your pets’ teeth regularly.  If you start when they are young they will quickly get accustomed to the idea that checking their teeth is a normal activity.   A delicious treat at the end of it all is sure to make them even more co-operative! Watch out for bad breath, reduced appetite, dental plaque and inflamed gums.  If you do notice any of these changes or abnormalities you should contact your veterinarian immediately for advice.

Conclusion