By Gabbie Bird and Dr. Teri Sue 

Does your pet have stinky breath, and are you concerned about tartar and plaque buildup around their teeth? 
Our pets’ oral health tells us much about their overall health, so this month we are sharing about all things teeth and gums, our recommendations around dentals, and how we can keep our pets’ gums healthy and teeth shiny and clean throughout their lives. 

The most common oral issues we see includes gingivitis (red and sometimes swollen gums), build up of tartar (yellowish build-up on their teeth), and calculus (really hard gunk on their teeth!). 

These issues can develop for a number of reasons, like poorly sourced vitamins and minerals (including proteins) from the diet, a poor bite (their teeth don’t close like they should), they aren’t chewing enough (abrasive action) and other internal stressors such as poor digestion, allergies, infections, arthritis, etc.
Most often, poor teeth mirror a poor digestion, an unhealthy gut microbiome, & a weakened immune system. Diet (once again) is key for so many reasons!

The immune system is responsible for flushing the teeth and gums with cells that fight plaque and bring nutrients to the beneficial oral microorganisms. Up to 80% of immune function lines the gut, so if the gut is struggling – the immune system is then working hard at the gut and can’t get the rest of its jobs done (teeth, ears, skin, etc).

Abrasive action is necessary, more for dogs than cats. Counter-intuitively, kibble improves abrasion, but weakens the microbiome in the gut that is responsible for keeping teeth clean and gums healthy. Kibble does more harm than good (but sometimes can’t be avoided).

Dry foods contain carbohydrates, or sugars that promote an unhealthy oral and gut microbiome. Our pets make energy (“do life”) best by eating foods made of proteins and fats.  Carbs cause low-grade chronic internal stress as pancreas work harder to produce insulin and move sugars out of the blood stream. Excess weight and obesity creates added stress. Stress weakens the immune system, and cycles back to poor oral health as now there are bigger problems to manage.

To provide the abrasive action that maintains clean teeth, chewing is essential. Contrary to what most veterinarians suggestion, we recommend feeding raw bones regularly to cats and dogs. We teach you how to teach your pet, so it’s safe to help prevent choking or any digestive issues which occurs when a pet is extremely deficient and they know that bone contains what they need. They will do whatever it takes to swallow it – the idea is to give them abundant nutrients (well balanced raw diet with extras as recommended), and create a relaxed, non-competitive environment. Twenty minutes of chewing does so much more than we could ever do by trying to brush their teeth once or twice per day! 

In addition to the abrasive action, raw bones that can be eaten safely provide building blocks for healthy, strong teeth (and joints!), making them a great diet addition to maximize your pet’s nutrition depending on sourcing and how the meat animals were raised. (Request our Raw Bones Handout for more information, or consider enrolling in our Diet and Nutrition presentation).

Because our pets are unable to tell us their mouth hurts, it is important to know the potential signs of dental pain. If you notice bad breath, difficulty eating with or without weight loss, excessive drooling, visible tartar build up, or changes in behavior (irritability, aggression, pawing at mouth/discomfort when touched around mouth), we recommend scheduling an appointment to have your pet’s mouth examined.
 
We have other oral health care tricks too! We use ozone to help break down tartar and calculus which kills infection and reduces inflammation and pain.

A non-anesthetic dental is a less invasive service to remove tartar and plaque without the stress of anesthesia. Owen is certified veterinary technician with over 20 years of experience, who gently works with your pet to scale off the tartar and calculus from their teeth. He uses our ozonated saline to rinse and flush the mouth. We have 2 dental days every 3 months – if interested, please request information about scheduling.

Oral health is such an important part of our pets lives, leading to an extensive amount of supplements, water additives, toothbrushes & toothpastes marketed for dogs & cats – many of which have ingredients that do more harm than good. Remember dental issues are a sign of deeper imbalance, so products marketed to solve such issues are more of a bandaid than a cure.

While working on dental issues with supplements and ozone, it is crucial to also strengthen the immune system, improve the diet, and build a strong microbiome. 

Our fur mineral tests help to understand how your pet’s metabolism and mineral levels are affecting their oral health.

Certain blood tests can identify underlying disease – did you know an often missed cause of gingivitis and stomatitis in cats is a bacterial infection called Bartonella, or “Cat-Scratch Fever”?

We often prevent the need for routine anesthetic dental procedures through diet and necessary support, it is surprising and remarkable!

However, sometimes further treatments and dentals are necessary if there are significant issues causing our pets’ pain. Examples include loose/rotten teeth, severe periodontal disease, and sometimes broken teeth – if the pulp is exposed causing pain or infection (ozone can be used to manage both).

Knowing this, we can take preventative measures to keep our pets’ teeth healthy for lifetime, and potentially avoid dental procedures all together. 

Diet is the foundation of optimal wellness, including oral health. An anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense whole food diet provides the fundamental building blocks for our pets’ immune system to function optimally – keeping teeth clean and gums healthy. It also feeds a healthy microbiome that prevents bad breath and gingivitis.