Wellness

Is Dry Food Good for a Canine’s Dental Health?

Dry food is good for dogs, and adds balance to their diet, delivering nutrients that aren’t found in wet food. Also, there are practical reasons to feed your pet dry food, it lasts longer in the bowl for example. many people feed their dogs dry food because they believe it’s good for their dental health, but is this true?

It’s certainly true that chewing is good for a dog’s teeth. Dental problems can arise when food particles get stuck in the gum-line and around the teeth, and chewing something hard like dry food can help dislodge these particles. However, in terms of actually maintaining gum and dental health, the power of dry food is limited.

Plaque is relatively common in dogs. This is essentially fossilised bacteria, and just like in humans it can quickly build up because of poor dental health. Dogs are more reliant on their teeth than humans, and will use their teeth to explore their surroundings.

Dry food does not remove plaque, nor does it prevent it from building up. The best way to counteract plaque is to brush your dogs teeth, it’s a simple as that. Toothpaste carries plaque fighting ingredients such as fluoride.

If you have any worries about your dog’s dental health you can look online for more information, Hills Pets is a good resource as well as supplying high quality Hills Pets food, you can also consult your vet about the best products for your pet’s dental health.