The value of natural dog treats in preventing tooth decay and gum disease are many. Whole animal based natural dog treats like bones, cartilage and jerkies physically scrap the teeth clean preventing tarter and plaque.
They also have very low bacteria count (when oven dried), and very low sugar (sine most animal products are very low carb or carb free). They even have the benefit of stimulating saliva production to assist breaking down the dog treat and strengthening gums to keep teeth securely in their sockets. But they do so much more than just this.
In this article we will look at the lesser-known benefits of natural dog treats (animal based whole treats) for a dog teeth and general well-being.
While many owners might be unaware of tooth decay or gum disease on their dogs, very few are oblivious to bad dog breath.
THIS is how natural dog treats also prevent bad dog breath and maintain a clean smelling mouth.
Natural dog treats made from WHOLE animal products (ie not shredded MDM), remove food debris and bacteria from teeth and gum surfaces. As an added bonus the mechanical motion of chewing these treats freshens a dogs breath by decreasing odour causing substances in the mouth.
Not only that, but some natural treats contain enzymes or natural compounds that have natural deodorising properties, further reducing halitosis.
Nutritional benefits of animal based natural dog treats to dog teeth.
Most people know that cow’s milk is great for their children’s teeth, but some kids are lactose intolerant. Some people might think that any plant matter that contains calcium is good enough for their dog’s teeth, but not all calcium compounds are the same – they are not all as bio available as animal bones are for dogs bodies that extract the most useable calcium out of the bones.
Feeding dogs bones that they are able to safely eat is a great way of cleaning the debris off the teeth, but also they provide calcium and phosphorus in the right form, and in the right ratio (1 to 1) as required by aafco dog food guide tables.
Dog chewing to relieve boredom
While this is a little out of the scope of why natural dog treats are valuable for dental hygiene, it should be noted that all dogs have a natural instinct to chew. It is a very primal need from the evolution of them from wolves. If you don’t provide them with something like a nutritionally appropriate straight meet jerky – they will often decide to chew on something inappropriate and dangerous to them, such as electrical cords, wood or metal objects.
Besides directing their attention to something healthy, nutritionally valuable and providing dental health the value of chewing releases endorphins in dogs, which can promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. This is the opposite of stress, and on occasions the endorphin release can counter stress so much, that it can help with separation anxiety somewhat.
But what are ‘natural dog treats’ ?
I can stress this enough. Just because a brand or package says ‘natural’ on its advertising, doesn’t make it so.
For instance, in the human world, did you know that Asbestos is a NATURAL material. When it remains in the ground, unbroken, it is fine. When it is dug up, and made into materials for walls or heat shielding, it creates little fibres when it is broken that lodge in the lungs and kills most of the humans who breath in enough quantity.
Likewise for decades the tobacco industry bought medical experts in to talk about the health benefits of smoking, how it opened up the lungs so you could breathe easier. I doubt that there are that many people around now that still believe that.
The only problem is that both of these things took decades for true health experts to actually prove that the materials were dangerous, and in the meantime many people have died.
That might seem unrelated to the dog treat industry, but many claim that rice, wheat and any other over processed ground grain or vegetable matter is a natural ingredient your dog should eat. For a species such as the domestic dog that is mostly carnivore still, loading it with carbs has the potential to bring on many things, including diabetes. Thyroid issues, pancreatic issues, many things that dogs never seemed to have an issue with are common place now days.
But with massive dog food manufacturers having teams of lawyers on standby, very little caution or warnings about feeding supposed natural, but not natural for dogs to eat are still making up the majority of dog food and dog treat ingredients by weight.
JUST because it can be grown in the ground, doesn’t mean that it’s a natural food for a carnivore species.
How about ‘organic’ then? It’s curious that plant matter is seemingly accepted unopposed as natural in dog food and dog treats, but not everyone can claim a WILD animal is organic.
The definition of organic often means being produced without the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides. NO use of artificial additives.
Now if you have a wild animal, roaming around in the wild (NOT FARMED) – then by that definition, any wild animal should be automatically considered organic. The issue is not that a meat must be tested to show that it doesn’t include any of these additives, because the land in most countries and the water supplies are so polluted, that virtually nothing alive could be considered organic, there will always be trace amounts of bad things in their body.
But again, the definition has been hijacked by the large corporations so that you are supposed to only use the term, legally, if you BUY a licence to do so, by some Organic association in your state or country.
REALITY or common sense has nothing to do with natural or organic dog treats, it has to do with who can buy the name and have a legal team to defend it.
And that is why there is so much confusion in the market about what is good for humans, let alone their dogs.
CONCLUSIONS
So you can either mask a dogs bad breath (typically caused by bacteria feeding on sugars from carb laden plant matter dog treats, or feed them animal based dog treats that naturally clear debris from teeth and naturally have enzymes to remove odours.
All while adding precious animal-based protein that dogs really need.
The most common dental dog treat people use (non-commercial) is still dog bones. They are the most natural way to scrape the bad stuff off your dog’s teeth. Just choose the right type and size, for your dog’s ability and chewing skills.
By the way, the true definition of natural dog treats, whether it be dental or just a training treat, should be that it is MEAT only, not that it has been certified by some governing body that a large corporation has paid to endorse it.
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