A healthy canine or feline mouth is teaming with bacteria – most of which are normal and natural. It is important to control plaque buildup in order to ensure most of this bacteria are healthy bacteria. Plaque is a mixture of bacteria, saliva components, and remnants of epithelial cells and white blood cells along with some broken down food particles. It is sticky and should be removed from the teeth daily. When not removed plaque becomes tartar (or calculus) as mineral deposits and organic material build up and harden on the teeth. Tartar generally looks like a yellow-brown layer on the teeth near the gum line.

As plaque and tartar build on the teeth, the balance of healthy bacteria is thrown off and the opportunity for disease arises. As the tartar builds up under the gums they become inflamed and sore. Slowly the gums begin to separate from the teeth and recede. Plaque builds even more rapidly in the upper, softer part of the teeth and infection begins. In cats, cavities develop with even more opportunity for infection. (Dogs are less prone to cavities). The bacteria and toxins are absorbed into the blood stream where they circulate and begin to build in kidney, liver, and heart tissue. The toxins released can even affect brain tissue. The inflammatory process involved can aggravate deteriorating joints.

Doing Your Part

Though some oral diseases such as cat cavities are rather mysterious, others aren't mysterious at all and simply come from neglect. First and foremost, it's important to check your pet's mouth daily for signs of injury and improperly erupting teeth. Don't forget that many animals enjoy having their mouths stroked. Turn it into a game of some sort to make it easier for yourself and for them. Proper care doesn't only entail being observant and taking your pet to the vet at the slightest provocation, it also means rolling up your sleeves and being active to help prevent problems in the first place.

Steps to prevention of periodontal disease:

Healthy Diet - You guessed it – a healthy diet is important for dental health too. The healthier the animal, the better the immune system. A meat based diet is essential as meat helps maintain a healthier mouth environment. God desgend our carnivorous pets to eat raw meat with the bones. If you feed exclusively a commercial diet of kibble or canned food you are asking for trouble. The dog at your feet (or on your sofa) has neen bred down from the wolf, and its digestive system is virtually the same despite thousands of years of domestication. They have very short intestinal tracts geared to the consumption and digestion of raw foods. The cat on your lap is a true or “obligate” carnivore (meat only diet) and is specially designed by nature to hunt small rodents and birds. Her digestive tract, as well, is intended to assimilate raw meat best.

Commercially prepared kibble has become the standard diet for most pets in our culture. It is relatively cheap and quite convenient. Knowledgeable guardians and many veterinarians, however, are becoming increasingly aware of the true nutritional needs of companion animals and are taking a proactive approach to nutrition by choosing quality of ingredients and carefully controlled preparation over cost and convenience. For most dogs and cats, a home-prepared raw food diet is best. I know that with some, this is not always feasible, however, as a Natural Pet Care Educator and Nutrition Consultant, I do my best to offer the healthiest options available for all life-styles and feeding choices. Whatever food you choose to offer your pet, putting some thought into your decision now can produce big rewards over his or her lifetime and very probably help him/her avoid serious and costly illnesses caused by poor nutrition and feeding practices.

Dental Exercise - Chewing on hard food such as raw bones and treats such as tendons, or bully sticks helps exercise the teeth and gums and even helps scrape off plaque, helping to prevent tartar buildup. I feed chicken necks to my Boston Terriers daily, for larger breed dogs you can feed turkey necks (Remember – poultry bones do not splinter when raw.) I also give them raw marrow bones or knuckle bones (some guardians also give thier dogs oxtails) for healthy chewing exercise.

When I was working in veterinary clinics, we would occasionally have a raw feeder such as myself bring thier dogs in for a check up. The vets were always so surprised to see that dogs that are given plenty of raw bones rarely if ever, needed a dental cleaning!

If you are not willing to at least give your pets a raw bone to clean his/her teeth then you need to begin to be proactive with either brushing daily or use a doggie mouth wash, drops or supplements.

I can hear some of you saying, "But what about hard, dry kibble and crunchy treats?".... Crunching kibble and dog biscuits does not qualify as dental exercise nor does it remove plaque from the teeth. Eating kibble and biscuits generally leaves behind small bits of food material that easily stick to the teeth and contribute to plaque buildup. (Those commercials that showed the dog eating a bone-shaped biscuit followed by a big smile with sparkling white teeth were convincing – but fantasy).

Brushing - Many of us refuse to brush our pets’ teeth even once a week. Just think of the condition our mouths would be in if we didn't brush our teeth regularly. The same goes for our pets. The earlier you get into the practice of brushing, the better-- especially for our finicky cats. Use a toothbrush designed for pets with very soft bristles to avoid damaging their delicate gum tissue. For cats in particular, the finger toothbrush is a great alternative. It's a device that fits over your finger and is easy to navigate through a cat's mouth. Refrain from using human or baking soda toothpaste because it can upset their stomachs. There are beef and poultry-flavored toothpastes out there that animals love.