Can probiotics help your pets dental health? | How Probiotics Can Transform Your Pet’s Dental Health
The so called good bacteria and better dental health connection…
Is it really a thing?
Turns out yes, and the microbes that populate your dog and cat’s mouth can have NOT only a dramatic impact on their dental health, but also on serious disease prevention, such as heart disease.
You should be supplementing with a probiotic.
An easy way to do that… .
For dogs: www.thedogsupplement.com
For cats: www.thecatsupplement.com
Can Probiotics Enhance Dental Health in Dogs and Cats?
Probiotics have garnered a lot of attention, particularly for addressing gastrointestinal (G.I.) issues in humans, dogs, and cats. A healthy gut is vital for systemic health as it is home to over 70% of the immune system. This makes the gut microbiome—a rich ecosystem within the G.I. tract—critical to your pet’s health, influencing not just digestive health but their overall wellbeing.
Are Probiotics Beneficial for Dogs and Cats?
In the gut of a healthy dog or cat, beneficial bacteria help break down food particles, aiding in digestion. An imbalance, however, can lead to harmful bacteria overpowering the gut, causing issues like diarrhea, flatulence, and poor appetite, which can affect your pet’s general appearance and health. Administering a probiotic formulated specifically for pets can restore and maintain this crucial balance of flora in their digestive tract.
Probiotics and Pet Dental Health
Moving beyond the gut, the oral cavity—the gateway to the digestive system—also possesses its own unique microbiome. Periodontal disease can disrupt this delicate balance due to chronic inflammation, leading to:
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- Gingivitis
- Red, bleeding gums
- Increased plaque and tartar buildup
- Loose teeth
Oral Health: A Gateway to Overall Health
The implications of oral health extend far beyond the mouth. Research suggests that bacteria and the inflammation associated with periodontitis could influence several severe health conditions, including:
- Endocarditis (heart infection)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Pneumonia
- Diabetes
- Immune system disorders
- Cognitive dysfunction
Integrating a probiotic into your pet’s oral care routine can help minimize the disruption of the oral microbiome, which often accelerates the progression of periodontal disease. Probiotics have also been recognized in human dentistry for managing dental caries, periodontal disease, halitosis, and even assisting in oral cancer care by maintaining oral health during treatment and recovery.
Personal Insights on Probiotics and Pet Dental Health
Many pet owners, including myself, have observed the benefits of probiotics for dental health in pets. For example, consider my own dogs: Tula, despite being an active chewer, develops dental tartar quickly after cleanings, whereas my previous dog, Lewis, who ate more hastily, rarely suffered from dental diseases. This disparity highlights the potential role of beneficial oral bacteria in preventing dental issues.
Dr. Jones’ Proactive Health Tips
To support your pet’s dental and digestive health, I recommend incorporating a tailored probiotic supplement into their routine. My formulations, Dr. Jones’ ULTIMATE Canine Health Formula and Dr. Jones’ ULTIMATE Feline Health Formula, are designed to foster a balanced microbiome, thereby enhancing both oral and overall health in pets.
These insights and recommendations underscore the importance of probiotics not just for G.I. health but as a holistic approach to maintaining your pet’s health, including their dental well-being.
I have a 10 year old Maltese. We give him dental chews and Dr jones ultimate canine supplement plus digestive enzymes and Dr jones anxiety chew as well. We brush his teeth as well 3 x s a week.
However most his teeth are white excepts his cuspids.he will not allow us to scrape this off and he has light pal he on the front teeth. I will order the plaque off chews too but my question is do we still take him to the vet to get a cleaning scale and polish or wait and see if these additional cleaning products a chance to work or do we get his vet cleaning. My concern is he is 10 years old and the last time we had this done he was probably only 5 years old and it took him 3 days to eat again. Since then we changed his diet and he gets lots of extra help as I stated above so I’m reluctant to get them vet cleaned and hoping the tarter on the cuspids will fall off but I’m not sure if it’s worth the risk of infection. I keep close eye on his teeth watching for any redness soreness or worsening conditions. Any suggestions on this matter. Thank You!!
Hi Donna, Dr. Jones is moving away from suggesting Plaque Off, as he hasn’t seen good results with it. Are you giving your dog any raw bones, or dental bone treats? If you are not comfortable with giving raw bones, there are many good dental chewables out now that work very well, ones with oyster shells / etc that are abrasive and do really help.