The influence of your dog’s diet on oral health
It is very important to understand that your dog’s diet does not only influence his general health but, most important, his oral health. You need to take care of your dog’s dental health as it can negatively influence his general health and well being. Your dog is your best friend and he is totally reliant on you for his health, this is not a responsibility to take lightly.
We all, as humans, clean our teeth every day. We brush our teeth and floss our teeth to ensure good oral health. The latest research has shown that good oral health can actually reduce the risk of heart disease. It only stands to reason that if oral health is so important in humans it must also be very important in dogs.
Just as it is important to brush your teeth regularly it is important to brush your dog's teeth frequently to keep plaque and tartar from becoming an issue. Even wiping his gums with a clean, damp cloth can be beneficial. Training your dog to allow you to brush his teeth need not be a problem if you have the help of a good dog training e-book such as SitStayFetch.
It is general knowledge that diet plays a very important role in oral health in humans as well as in animals. This is another reason why your dog’s diet is most important.
What do you normally feed your dog?
- Do you typically feed your dog canned or dry dog food?
- What kind of treats and toys do you provide for your pet?
All of these things can affect the likelihood of trouble with your pet's teeth.
A dog's diet that is nutritionally sound contains the essential vitamins, minerals, all other nutrients that he need, and enzymes. If your dog’s diet is as good as possible his oral health will be at its very best.
What do I have to feed my dog?
1. Dry food:
Traditionally it is believed that feeding your dog dry dog food rather than a moist canned variety is best for your dog. The tiny kibbles' hard surface rubs against the teeth to remove and reduce plaque. The simple act of moistening the dry dog food with water or gravy eliminates this property from dry dog food. Currently there is a debate going on, on whether this is still the case. There have been incidences of pet food containing harmful ingredients and there have been pet food recalls. So, maybe you should get yourself a good dog training book like SitStayFetch, train your dog to allow you to brush his teeth and switch to a homemade diet.
2. Dog treats:
As is the case with humans, the treats you give your dog are part of your dog's diet, just like snacks are part of a human’s diet. As humans, we tend to want to overlook our snacking habits and unfortunately, most of us tend to overlook the treats we give your dog. Unfortunately this is not a good idea. You have to carefully consider any and all items you feed your dog.
3. What do you feed your dog?
- Do you give your dog bones, rawhides, jerky treats, or dog biscuits?
- Maybe your dog loves greenies or corn starch chews.
Have you ever given thought to the treats you feed your dog? Tossing your dog a rawhide chew might not seem a bad thing but it is like giving him a candy bar. The rawhide, for example, contains calories and is often provided between meals.
We have to remember that the snacks we feed our dog mostly contain empty calories and as in humans that has to be avoided. If you want your dog’s health to be excellent, you cannot afford giving him food deplete of all nutrition! Some treats, on the other hand, provides excellent opportunities to improve your dog’s oral health. Bones and hard dog biscuits all help to keep tartar at bay. The softer snacks, even though your dog may love them, treats such as jerky treats, do not provide much relief from plaque. The healthy treat, on occasion, will also prevent your dog from having bad breath. To find out the best way to incorporate healthy treats into your dog training you can get very good help from a dog training e-book such as Sit StayFetch.
It is important to remember that your dog's diet must be healthy to ensure excellent oral health. As mentioned before dry dog food is very good for oral health as it helps with cleaning your dog’s teeth. Whether dry dog food is best whenever possible, is not so certain anymore. Do consider homemade food and training your dog to allow you to brush his teeth by getting a good dog training e-book such as SitStayFetch. Even for training purposes it is very important to select treats for your dog that will beneficial to your dog’s health and thus forms a part of your dog's diet.
Oral health is very important for your dog’s general good health. Do take the time to get all the information you need to give your dog the best possible diet and you will be rewarded by your Best Friend being in tip-top health.
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