We’ve been talking about how we can help our pets have healthy mouths all month here on the budding blog! We’ve discussed before how important nutrition is for our pups, and their dental health is no exception. Here are a few of our favourite Dog Dental Health Foods for great teeth and gums!
🐶Raw, Meaty Bones
It is best to avoid feeding cooked bones as these can splinter, and dogs should be supervised while chewing on bones, but these can act as great natural toothbrushes to clean food and debris off the tooth and reduce tartar formation. Chewing on bones can lead to dental fractures, so it’s a good idea to keep a close eye on your dog while enjoying bones. Raw bones are also a great source of calcium which is necessary for strong, healthy teeth!
🥕Dog-Friendly Vegetables
Sometimes you want a handy treat to give your dog dental health for training purposes. Pieces of carrot are a great training tool that also acts as an antioxidant. These crunchy treats help mechanically clean the surface of your bud’s teeth as they chew. Sweet potato is a vegetable that contains vitamin C and calcium, among others. These healthybud chews help keep your pup occupied and the chewing action helps clean while they chew!
🍖 Dried Beef Tendon Chews
This is another great option to get some good mechanical chewing action in. While many of us are working from home due to COVID-19, beef tendon chews provide a healthy and entertaining snack to keep your dog occupied while you get some work done. Did you know healthybud just started offering tendon chews? Make sure you select the appropriate size chew for your dog and always supervise them in close proximity when they’re enjoying a chew.
🍏Pup-Approved Fruits
There’s lots of fruits that our four-legged pals can enjoy! You may have heard that cranberries can help prevent bladder infections, but they can do more than just that! They are also a great source of antioxidants and can even help prevent bacteria from adhering to the surface of the tooth. Another great fruit snack for your furry pal are blueberries! These are low in calories, another wonderful source of antioxidants and vitamin C, and are great for bone health. Healthy bones = healthy teeth! Since this small and mighty fruit is also a good source of vitamin K which aids in the absorption of calcium.
🌿Dill, Fennel, And Parsley
Dill has antimicrobial properties, and has a long history of being used to clean the mouth and provide fresher breath. Fennel is a close relative of dill and also acts to freshen breath while providing vitamins C and A, and calcium. Lastly, parsley offers similar antimicrobial and fresh breath properties to dill and fennel. Make sure you avoid spring parsley as this variety is actually toxic to our pets!
Make sure any treats you feed your pup is no more than 10% of their daily food intake. It’s always best to check with your vet before adding anything new to your dog’s diet! And remember, good nutrition is the best base for Dog Dental Health, so have fun and see what of these tasty treats your bud likes best!
