Gum disease (periodontal disease) can affect dogs as much as it does humans. Dental disorders in dogs can cause decreased appetite, damaged or missing teeth, or even organ damage if bacteria enter the bloodstream via infected gums.
Oral issues, such as bad breath, a source of pain, saliva, bacteria, and food buildup on teeth (plaque), teeth with a hard yellow or brown residue which is called tartar, gums that are swelling or bleeding, will affect dogs as much as they do humans.
Excellent ways to keep the dog’s teeth in good shape are professional cleanings and brushing his teeth. Dental treats for dogs may also show some oral advantages.
Moreover, they must be used with caution. Active chewing dogs have less plaque build-up. Furthermore, some dog dental treats and diets can reduce plaque by up to 70%.
The chew’s shape and texture’s mechanical action tend to decrease plaque development on the tooth surface. Additives may be included in chews to help minimize plaque as well as calculus.
Sodium tripolyphosphate (Na5P3O10) and also zinc sulphate (znso₄), two active ingredients in some dental chews, bond with calcium (Ca) in saliva and thus reduce calculus formation by reducing calcium (Ca) availability. To help freshen breath, other active ingredients are added to the dental chews.
Here it comes with homemade dental chews. Homemade dental chews are inexpensive. You don’t need to be an expert in this. Moreover, homemade dental chews are healthier than the market ones as well as you can provide your dog with his/her wishes.
Every homemade dental chew is unique, but not every chew has the same properties or qualities as another. You have to make sure that any additives are harmless and beneficial for dogs.
The product design is appropriate for the task at hand; when choosing a chew to recommend for passive oral home care. Here are some recipes of homemade dental chews:
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Treats
For making this dental chew, you will need some sweet potatoes or ham, some coconut oil, some cinnamon, and some utensils.
At first, you have to slice the sweet potato and take them into a bowl. Preheat your oven for 250⁰F or 130⁰C. Drizzle coconut oil onto the sweet potato slices and spread the oil all over the slices.
Then lay them out on an oven pan (keep an aluminium foil paper underneath). Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon powder.
Put the pan into the oven for 2-2.5 hours. The time is needed according to the thickness of the slices of sweet potatoes. You are doing this just to dehydrate the sweet potatoes. Cool them down and store them.
Rice Flour-Oats Treat
This recipe is a little more complex, but the ingredients are all highly nutritious to your dog. Your dog’s breath will be livened, and there will be no bad smell, and his coat will be polished as well.
Most importantly, he’ll enjoy the flavor for sure.
First, you have to Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Collect the following ingredients.
More than 2 cups of cups rice flour, some rolled oats, some baking powder, around two cups of finely chopped parsley, some finely chopped mint, grated carrot, grated low-fat mozzarella cheese, a few ml of extra virgin olive oil, water as needed.
Mix all the flour, oats, and baking powder in a big mixing bowl. Combine the cheese, parsley, leaves of mint, ground carrot, and olive oil. Slowly add water as much as you need and mix it together until it forms a dough.
You can add more water if necessary; the dough should be kind of moist rather than crumbly. For a few minutes, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters from a sheet of dough.
You have to bake for 20-30 minutes. Another significant sign is to bake until the cookies’ edges begin to brown before serving, cool on a cooling rack, and put in an enclosed bag.
Meat Chews
Here you need- broth, ground bone, gelatin, some mint leaves. This is a quick and easy way to make dental chews for your dog that they’ll enjoy.
Gelatin is also beneficial to joint and hip health. These can stay in the fridge for a week or two. To grind the bones finely, use a meat grinder.
You should freeze the ground bones if you aren’t going to use them immediately. To make these, break some of the bones into half-cups, so you don’t have to thaw the whole batch.
Around 3-4 tbsp gelatin with 1 cup broth(chicken/beef), 1.5 to 2 tbsp dried leaves of mint, half cup of ground bones. In a saucepan over low to medium heat, heat the broth. Stir in the gelatin until it is fully dissolved. Reduce the heat to low until it begins to boil.
Simmer in the mint. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the bone. Thoroughly mixing it together. Based on how gummy or rough you like your chew, Keep cooking on low for another 20 to 30 minutes more or less. Chill the mixture in ice cube trays. Store in the refrigerator.
Final Note
Chews from parsley, mint, and coconut oil mixture or cheese chews are also good treats. Just research a bit which thing your dog loves and is also healthy. You can also make homemade chews very easily like so.
Dental dog treats or dental chews aren’t all created equal. Some may be safer or more effective than others. You have to make a good match and match your dog’s size, preferences, and personality to the treat or toy.
Aggressive chewers, for example, may require a firmer product. Keep edible treats to a minimum. Based on the type of edible treat, it may dissolve too quickly for your dog’s teeth to affect.
Furthermore, these treats can quickly add up to a lot of calories. The basic rule is that the smaller the dog, the fewer treats they will end up receiving. Talk to your veterinarian if you need any kind of suggestions.
