Ever wonder what makes dental diets so much more special than any regular kibble?

We all have busy schedules, which can make it difficult to stay on top of our pets’ dental hygiene just like we do for ourselves every day. Or perhaps your pet will not tolerate you trying to brush their teeth.

85% of cats and dogs over the age of 1 year are affected by dental disease, and over 80% of pets over the age of 6 suffer from periodontitis (serious gum infections). It is because of this number that the veterinary world has worked hard to improve and prevent dental disease in our pets in the form of a maintenance diet, and treats to go alongside brushing.

You may wonder what makes these diets so special, or how a dental kibble is more effective than a regular kibble when it comes to dental health.

These diets are formulated to be complete and balanced to meet your adult pets nutritional needs with the additional formulas to make them great for cleaning your pets teeth such as:

    • Larger kibble sizes to allow for full coverage of the tooth when your pet bites into it
    • Each kibble is constructed to withstand deeper tooth penetration before shattering, creating a scrubbing action. This acts like a toothbrush and reduces the accumulation of plaque.
    • The dental kibble is coated with sodium tripolyphosphates which bind to calcium in the saliva. This helps prevent calcium from attaching to the tooth surface therefore creating tartar build up
    • Plaque reducing ingredients help prevent plaque formation due to their antibacterial and anti-adhesive properties. Essentially, they act like mouthwash and help reduce the accumulation of plaque.
    • They also has to chew the kibble more due to its size
    • Most companies offer dental diets designed for small dogs so that they aren’t having to chew on the same size kibble as a large breed dog would, smaller kibble for smaller mouths!

It is important to note that not all dental diets are built the same. Veterinary Exclusive diets have been through multiple clinical trials and tests that show us they can back up their claims written on the labels. They also have additional ingredients that provide other benefits to your pets’ health such as:

    • Added Omega 3 fatty (EPA & DHA) and Omega 6 fatty acids to help with joint health and inflammation especially for large breed dogs
    • Ingredients that help reduce risk of urinary crystal and stone formation for our cats and small dog breeds.
    • Highly digestible ingredients and prebiotics to support digestive health, decreases stool quantity and improves stool firmness

All these additional benefits are what make these diets perfect for your pets overall health!

If you wish to discuss which products would be best suited for your pets dental health, call today and schedule a dental exam with one of our veterinarians and we can get your pet on the right path to a healthy mouth!

-Becky, RVT