WHY DOES THE HEALTH OF OUR DOGS' TEETH MATTER?

It is a fact that 85% of our dogs and cats have periodontal disease by the time they are 3 years old. What is periodontal disease and why does it matter?  Periodontal disease is the most common infectious disease of adult dogs. It is a progressive, cyclical inflammatory disease of the supporting structures of the teeth and is the main cause of dental disease and early tooth loss in dogs and cats.

Is it also important to understand that periodontal disease can lead to other major health problems, including, heart, kidney and liver disease, diabetes and various other infections.

Why does it matter?  We all know that teeth can cause a great deal of pain.  Very few of us like going to the dentists but prefer that to the pain of toothache.  Our dogs can also suffer pain from their teeth and yet they have limited means to complain.  They may stop chewing or go off their food but unless we keep a close eye on their dental health they often have to suffer in silence.  Bad breath is often the first sign of trouble but how many of us just put that down to "doggy breath".  Periodontal disease in dogs is not reversible;  by the time that stage is reached the damage is already done and the tooth structure is severely compromised.

We are a nation of animal lovers and we all want to do the best for our pets.  Our cats and dogs are carnivores.  We have already seen that our dogs are related to gray wolves and domestication has NOT changed their teeth structure or their short digestive tracts.  So why do we feed them on MANUFACTURED, PROCESSED food?  The truth is that the processors of human food are also the processors of our dog and cat food and it based on science rather than what is ACTUALLY good for our pets.  Glossy marketing pictures and ads are used to convince us that the ingredients used are of top quality and are nutritionally complete.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Recent reports have shown just how much sugar/salt is included in our processed food, just to make it more palatable.  If the food manufacturers do this to human food for profit, can you imagine what they are capable of doing to our pets' food?