5 TIPS TO PREVENT GUM DISEASE NATURALLY
“Over 80% of dogs over the age of three have active dental disease.”
Do you want to know How to spend less money on dental cleanings and help prevent gum disease?!
Milka, our french bulldog and her pearly white teeth are now 5 years old and guess how much money we’ve spent at the vet on dental cleanings?
We have not spent a single dirham, euro, dollar, or penny on dental cleanings!
Now, before we tell you how we were able to do this, here's what you need to know: According to VCA Hospital, “Over 80% of dogs over the age of three have active dental disease.” (1) We, along with many health professionals believe this may be because most dogs consume a highly processed dry food diet high in carbohydrates.
So how do we keep Milka’s teeth white and manage to avoid expensive dental cleanings at the vet? Sit tight because you’re about to find out.
We always focus on prevention
With Milka, we like to focus on prevention and wheteher we want to help prevent dental disease or joint issues, it starts with her diet. We feed a fresh raw meat diet to be more specific.
We do not feed dry kibble and here’s why…
Carbohydrates in kibble are generally much higher than what you would typically find in a commercial fresh food diet.
Unfortunately, our dogs do not produce the enzyme, amylase in their saliva which is crucially important to begin the pre-digestion of foods high in carbohydrates.
The enzyme, amylase, is what clears carbohydrates from the teeth.
A thin layer of plaque is created by bacteria from the kibble and now begins to live on the teeth.
This is how tartar develops and if it is left untreated or if we continuously feed foods high in carbohydrates, this can turn very hard and can develop a yellow layer on the teeth.
So in short, carbohydrates fuels the growth of plaque, which can lead to any of the 4 stages of periodontal disease ranging from gingivitis, early, moderate, and advanced periodontal disease.
Give a dog a bone
You see, this phrase didn't just come from anywhere.
To help keep Milka's teeth pearly white, we feed nature’s toothbrush (aka raw bones). We feed raw poultry bones like chicken necks, duck necks, and turkey necks throughout the week as a nice snack. Feeding raw poultry bones provides a great natural cleaning for the teeth and gums without all the carbs you find in kibble.
IMPORTANT: Not all dogs are good with any type of bones. Make sure you always watch your dog closely while chewing on bones so you can interfere if you need to. Never feed cooked bones.
Brushing teeth
We do make it a habit to regularly brush Milka's teeth with truly safe and non-toxic natural 4-Legger dental powder & coconut oil.
The dental powder consists of only 3 ingredients, which all work together to help keep Milkas teeth plaque-free and her breath smelling minty fresh.
Coconut oil contains lauric acid and caprylic acid, medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties which has been found to fight the bacteria which is responsible for bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease.
Pre & Probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that fight bad bacteria. Prebiotics are food for the Probiotics, they help the Probiotics survive and flourish.
We add a range of different Adored Beast Pre and Probiotics as a regular addition to Milka's food to enhance gut health, lower inflammation and build her immune system. But Adored BeastLove Bugs are said to be particularly beneficial for dental health as well as they start to fight the bad bacteria in the mouth when your dog consumes them.
There are also a range of prebiotics that can be dissolved in water and help fight plaque and dental disease with each zip of water your pet drinks. The product we use is called TEEF!, it is of course non-toxic and safe, and we conveniently dissolve it in water. Milka doesn't mind it al all and her teeth have been thanking us for it.
Win-Win Dental chews
Another way to keep Milka busy and keep her teeth clean at the same time is to give Milka safe, and non-toxic dental chews like bully sticks, antlers, and himalayan dog chews. These items take time for her to consume, so they last a longer period of time.
They also keep her mentally stimulated and release some build up stress she may have in her body.
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