A big smile with fresh breath and sparkly teeth makes a stunning first impression for most people, but is this the same for dogs? Oral health is often an accurate indicator of your pooch’s overall health, just like in humans. With chronic bad breath, it could sometimes mean that your pup is affected by gum disease (gingivitis), imbalanced gut health, diabetes, liver disease, or even kidney disease. This is particularly common in Singapore, as our hot and humid climate encourages bacteria growth.

Dogs, like humans, are prone to gum disease (gingivitis), which should not be ignored. It could lead to broken teeth, loss of appetite, and also blood infections through the gums.

Fortunately, there are dental chews and oral care kits to help pet parents maintain great oral health for their furkids.

We explain how some of the best dental chews work, and which ones to avoid!

What are Dental Chews & what are they made of?

Dental chews work according to two main methodologies; (i) the mechanical action of chewing that removes plaque, and (ii) presence of an active ingredient such as sodium tripolyphosphate or zinc sulphate which reduces plaque and calculus build-up.

Doggy dental chews tend to be made up of a whole list of vitamins, minerals, binding agents, and fillers. Common ingredients include wheat flour, wheat gluten, oat fibre, glycerin (a type of sweetener), and gelatin (hydrolysed collagen from animal parts).

Natural Dental Chews

Natural dental chews such as split deer or split elk antlers, bully sticks, and yak milk chews, are single-ingredient chew creations that help to keep your pooch’s teeth clean and healthy. They do not contain commercially manufactured ingredients such as wheat, glycerin, or gelatin, which are unwanted and unnecessary for your pup.

These dental chews work on the instinctive mechanical action of chewing to reduce plaque build-up and promote the ingestion of healthy essential nutrients such as calcium and phosphate.

In addition, elk antler chews are less likely to splinter as animal bones or deer antlers due to its natural density & design. They are environmentally sustainable and long-lasting as natural dental chews for our dogs.

Commercial Dental Chews

Being one of the most affordable and popular dental chews, commercial dental chews can be found in most pet supply stores. Most commercial dental chews have a long list of no less than 20 ingredients which often include grains, gelatin (hydrolysed collagen from animal parts), glycerin (sweetener), flour (additive), meat meal, and preservatives.

Commercial chews are often shaped with jagged edges to provide the mechanical grinding against your dog’s teeth to help reduce plaque build-up. They also include active ingredients such as Sodium Tripolyphosphate, which helps to prevent tartar build-up.

However, commercial dental chews are often filled with unnecessary additives and preservatives with a high carbohydrate content (more than 30% for the most popular brands). There is also very little transparency as to what source their “meat meal” and “gelatin” is derived from. This vagueness can mean that you never know what part of the animal you are getting. It could be derived from the tail, the head, or even the feet of the animal.

If you are opting for an affordable solution, commercial dental chews may be of some help, but watch out for any ingredients that your dog may be allergic to before your next purchase.

Grain-free Dental Chews

To tackle the growing trend of “grain-free” food for dogs some commercial pet supplies producers have been manufacturing and marketing grain-free dental chews to attract conscious dog parents to purchase their products. These grain-free chews replace grain starch with potato starch, which is not exactly as healthy for your pups as it sounds.

Potatoes are a common-listed allergy for dogs, although less than protein allergies. Long-term consumption of potato-based products may cause moderate to severe allergic reactions that may be costly to treat. Consuming high amounts of starch will also lead to unnecessary weight gain.

These chews also include natural meat flavours which are often made of animal fat and other meat residues to enhance the flavour and make it more palatable for your dog, but may not necessarily be healthier for them.

In addition to this, the carbohydrate-heavy nature of these grain-free dental chews will require the use of preservatives such as potassium sorbate, a white powder-like substance manufactured in labs. Although potassium sorbate is generally safe for consumption for humans, there are cases of skin allergies caused by this man-made chemical in dogs.

Ultimately, grain-free dental chews are not much different from other commercial dental chews that are bought off the rack. Therefore, do look out for any ingredients that may cause unwanted health issues in your pup.

What BELLY UP Recommends

We recommend a combination of natural dental chews with regular brushing to help keep those sparkly whites in tip top condition. Excessive consumption of commercially manufactured dental chews for dogs (grain-free or not) will lead to an overconsumption of carbohydrates and man-made chemicals.

Also, ensure that your pup goes for annual dental checkups, and gets their teeth scaled when necessary. We will be sharing more about dental scaling in a later blogpost so do stay tuned!

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xo
Nellie