We all know the importance of dental health; and choosing to feed your dog plant-based is one step to ensuring that they have both healthy teeth and gums.
Any painful gum infections or tartar build up can impact so much on your dog’s overall quality of life, but also on their general health where bacteria in the gums could enter the blood stream if those gums are badly inflamed, and result in heart or kidney disease that may end up irreversible.
I see it time and time again in elderly pets with sore, red gums and smelly tartar-coated teeth from years of eating scraps and licking the plates of owners at the end of meals that are full of sugar-laden sauces and foods (yes, we are as guilty of this as any family!)
A simple solution to preventing this, is to feed plant-based and brush their teeth each night. We do it with Ruff, as being a stray, he had very bad teeth (photo showing his ‘sore’ side before having a dental and going plant-based).
He does not particularly like having his teeth brushed – we use logic gel (contains enzymes and is flavoured but no animal proteins in it) and a soft toothbrush, but we make it into such a fun game that he sits patiently and then gets SO excited about his reward – a Veggiedent dental chew!
We have reviewed the main plant-based dental chews available that we recommend that are affordable and as ‘natural’ as they can be (for a treat!) as well as effective to help clean the teeth.
There are some that we do not recommend too below.
16 year old Border Terrier Nancy’s owner noticed an amazing result after transitioning her from meat-based to a wholesome plant-based diet:
Her teeth have self-cleaned! Since being very young, Nancy has had a tartar problem. We have tried brushing and other solutions, but we realised one day that (after transitioning) something about the diet seemed to be cleaning up her teeth!
We have reviewed some dental chews below that we recommend and have used
Soopa
Soopa are a dedicated plant-based company in Ireland and we are very happy with the ‘superfood’ ingredients in their dental chews. They are popular, but the chews do not last very long.
Lily’s Kitchen Woofbrushes
Lily’s Kitchen Woofbrushes have a spongey texture to get down to the gumline and supposedly wipe away plaque. We have not tried them, but many of our plant-based dogs seem to love them.
Benevo Sweet Pawtato Knots
Recommended sweet potato & rice based knot-shaped chews from Pawtato! Reasonably priced and sustainable company.
Veggie Dent Chews
We use these chews on Ruff – he loves them and although flat, they do last for a while. More expensive than other brands, but only plant-based dental chews that are vet recommended.
Whimzees
Whimzees are very reasonably priced and made in Holland. They have natural ingredients and last a long time.
Edgard Cooper Apple & Eucalyptus
We have reviewed some dental chews below that have a warning, but are still fine to use as shown below
Benevo Pawtato Tubes with Mint & Parsley
These tubes are very reasonably priced with healthy ingredients, but we have tried them on Ruff and although they last a long time, due to their tube shape, they get caught in your dog’s teeth as happened with our little Ruff! He then chose to leave it so it must have hurt his gums!
GoodWood Chewable Stick Coffee Tree Wood
Instead of feeding bones, we want to allow our plant-based dogs the enjoyment of chewing, and these natural wood coffee tree posts are very popular. The only concern that we have with them, is that your dog (especially if young), may not differentiate between the natural wood stick he is allowed to chew and the expensive dining room table leg!
The dental treat below IS NOT RECOMMENDED!
Antos Antler Dog Chew
Please DO NOT feed these antler chews to your dog. I have seen first hand the damage that these very hard chews do to your dog’s teeth as dogs can fracture their molars when chewing them! I even had a Staffy with the strongest jaw who had a fractured and very painful molar from being given an antler chew, so not to give to your dog.
I believe in doing it properly
The word is out now that dogs can be fed a vegan/vegetarian diet and the discussion has started
Moopy and his anal glands!
Anal gland problems are very common and can be very distressing if not treated correctly
Do we need to worry about DCM with a legume rich diet?
DCM or dilated cardiomyopathy is one of the biggest concerns to most owners feeding their dogs a 100% plant-based diet
Bruno and Ruby are thrilled that we now sell 10kg Solo Vegetal!
IT IS SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN YOU THINK TO FEED AN AVERAGE 25kg DOG ON SOLO VEGETAL!
Brave Breta Survived Cancer
We asked the top vet oncologist in the country for her opinion on whether a vegan diet could protect our dogs from cancer
We feature on BBC Live!
The more we feature and spread our message, the greater the impact we will have with promoting the healthiest and certainly the kindest way to feed our pets today and in the future!
Raw dog food ‘may be fuelling spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria’
Researchers found that all of the raw dog food samples contained antibiotic-resistant Enterococci, including bacteria resistant to the last-resort antibiotic linezolid
We feature in the August Issue of Vegan Life
She has written the article with such an in-depth understanding of the importance of dogs going plant-based – all just so positive for the future!
The Vit D3 and Vegan Dog Food Debate
Which dog foods in the UK can be classed as fully vegan?
Mother nature is crying out….and we are listening!
“I don’t think we are going to become extinct. We are very clever and very resourceful”
The kindest pet owner you can be
As we come out of lockdown, we advise on how to be the kindest pet owner that you can be!
How much oil should you feed your dog?
Something that so many owners who transition to plant-based notice with their dogs – how soft the fur becomes!
