Impact of nutrition on dental issues in dogs

Abstract

Oral health is a strong indicator of the general overall health of dogs. Even though changes in feeding methods have improved dog health by reducing or preventing diseases associated with nutritional deficiencies and excesses, dental issues, especially periodontal disease (PD), remain among the most common oral health concerns. The study was based on a survey as well as an evaluation of the oral health of dogs that had been presented to a veterinary clinic. 130 dogs were examined for oral health, and 100 respondents (dog owners) filled the questionnaire. The time required to complete the questionnaire was approximately 4 minutes and it included simple questions so that there were no problems of misunderstanding the questions/answers. The survey consisted of a total of 7 questions, designed to cover the proposed objectives, with single or multiple answer options. The questions focused on the age of the dogs, sex, type of diet (dry, wet, mix), frequency of diet administration, use of dental rewards, dental hygiene at home, oral health problems. It was concluded that the majority of dogs over 4 years of age that were fed wet food had oral health problems (p≤0.05), and those dogs that received home dental hygiene had significantly fewer oral problems. It was also observed that oral problems in dogs fed once daily were significantly fewer than those of dogs fed twice or more times a day (p≤0.05). Although additional research is needed to understand the processes and potential benefits for dogs, dietary modifications may have an impact on the management of periodontal disease.