Dr. Katie Kangas, DVM, CVA, CVCP
Glacier Peak Holistics - DVM Board of Advisor
Integrative Pet Care
 

Dr. Katie dispels some of the myths about pet food diets. This is the first part of a three part series.

 Does dry kibble really help to clean the teeth or improve dental health?

 Nope! This is a common misbelief, and even veterinarians were incorrectly taught this for many years. It was thought that dry foods help to crack the tartar off the teeth and keep them cleaner. However, we know much more about dentistry than we used to!  In fact, studies have shown that pets eating dry kibble diets compared to pets eating canned food diets have NO better health status of their gums.  This is because chewing dry kibble foods (and they are often not even chewed!) does nothing to help plaque or tartar at or below the gumline, which is where it really matters, affecting the health of the gums and the mouth. In fact, many holistic veterinarians and pet parents have seen raw food diets (or fresh, low-processed food options) actually promote better oral health. Raw foods are thought to have active enzymes that help serve as anti-bacterial and anti-plaque agents. 
Additionally, raw meaty bones are known to be one of the best options to allow dogs to effectively chew their way to better oral health. Other great ways to support oral health include daily teeth brushing and / or offering safe chewing items that will rub on the gums during active chewing.  Beware of hard items that can break your pet’s teeth - such as antlers, hooves, bully sticks and Nylon bones.  Broken teeth are painful and can lead to dental infection and tooth root abscess.

Is dry food better for keeping pet’s stools firm?

This myth gets supported by the experience of many pet owners whose pets are consistently eating dry food, (especially the same exact type of food), for long periods of time, and then experience diarrhea when any new soft foods or “people foods” are introduced. This type of scenario would be expected with anyone who eats the same diet with essentially zero variety over a long period of time, and then ingests something new. In fact, the absence of variety in the diet will promote these problems, and also promote allergies or intolerances to certain foods as the gut’s ability to digest different things is altered after years of no exposure to variety.

*Stay tuned for part two in November's Newsletter.