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Everybody loves dogs. OK, maybe not everybody, but let’s be honest: most people do. After all, who doesn’t love coming home to a pup eagerly wagging their tail because you’re finally home after a long day out at work or school? There are so many reasons why dogs make such amazing pets , and so many reasons why people just can’t get enough of them. However, the one thing that most everybody can agree upon is the fact that dogs are a lot of responsibility. One thing that not a lot of people keep in mind when having a dog as a pet is there dental health. It’s actually rather important to make sure that you give them enough dental care so that you can prevent bad breath and severe plaque. One way to do it is by giving them dental chews. But what are the best dental chews for dogs?
DENTAL CHEW | BRAND | EXPERT RATING | CHECK PRICE |
---|---|---|---|
Nylabone XL Dura Chew W/ Texture | Check Price | ||
Arm & Hammer Gator Dental Toy for Dogs | Check Price | ||
Natural Balance – Edible Dental Chews/Treats | Check Price | ||
Nylabone Puppy Chew Toy (T-Rex) | Check Price |
There are so many different dental chew products out there on the market today, and truly a lot of them are good. But how do you distinguish which ones are good and which ones are to be avoided? If you’re unsure about whether you should give of random dental choose to your dog or not, we are here to help. Today we are reviewing a lot of products so that hopefully we can decide the answer to the question what are the best dental chews for dogs?
Are you ready? Because we sure are.
What Are The Benefits of Dental Chews and Treats for Dogs?
You may be
asking: what is the point of buying a dedicated special dental chew for my dog
instead of just brushing their teeth regularly? This is truly a valid question
to ask – after all, what is the difference between brushing their teeth and
just letting them chew away at a toy or treat? Wouldn’t brushing their teeth
actually be more helpful and effective in the end? Well, there are many
different benefits to special dental chews and dental diets (which are
basically diets specifically designed to help teeth health in the long run).
Just like us humans, our pups are prone to periodontal diseases and issues related
to dental health. In fact, we would argue that dogs actually have it much worse
than us simply because of the fact that dogs use their mouths for far more
different things than we humans do ours. Dogs can also suffer from things such
as bad breath, plaque (a buildup of bacteria, food, and saliva on the teeth, stains
on teeth also known as tartar, pain, and gums that are either swollen, irritated,
or bleeding.
How do dental chews help?
Simply brushing your pup’s teeth and taking them in for regular professional dental cleanings is usually enough to keep these issues at bay. However, the simple fact is not everybody is always able to brush their dogs teeth on a regular basis. Some people may end up coming home from work so tired that they skip brushing their dogs teeth once or twice allocation well, skipping once or twice won’t really hurt but doing it repeatedly over an extended period of time can make a difference to your dog’s dental health.
This is basically where dental chews come in. This is exactly the reason why we have put this article together reviewing many different products to help you decide the answer to the question “what are the best dental chews for dogs. Simply put, dental chews are incredibly helpful to those of us who are far too busy with our daily lives to be able to keep up with daily teeth brushing for our pets. It isn’t a replacement for a good brushing, for sure. However, giving your dog a dental chew now and then when you can’t brush their teeth is better than not doing anything at all.
Furthermore, dental chews are also a great way to supplement your regular teeth brushing habit with your pooch. Additionally, they also help in situations where you want to keep your pet busy. Giving them a dental chew treat it’s actually a fantastic way to distract them or create train them, for example.
How to treat canine dental diseases
Periodontitis is a disease that affects both humans and dogs alike. It is essentially an infection in the mouth caused by bacteria and it has 4 different stages of progression. It often starts with plaque, then proceeds to gums becoming mildly inflamed, and then it becomes gingivitis or gum disease (something that even humans would like to avoid) until finally, it proceeds all the way to periodontitis. Depending on how severe the infection is, tooth or bone loss may be observed if left untreated.
Basically, all four of these stages are easily avoidable by simply establishing a good dental routine for your pet. However, there are times where even the best dental habit and hygiene can still not be enough to stop the progression of this infection – particularly in dogs that are more prone. This is why you should still inspect your dog’s mouth regularly for any signs of dental health issues so that you can get in front of it and treat it before it gets worse.
Signs of dental problems in dogs
Regular dental inspections don’t have to be difficult. In fact, they don’t even have to be a hassle at all! All you really have to do is check your puppy’s or your dog’s mouse for the following signs. Remember that you may have to flip their lip or raise their lips to really see their teeth and gums well.
Stinky breath in dogs
This is a good indicator of a health problem. It is one of the early signs of dental disease, but it can also be a symptom of other ailments. If you smell bad breath on your pup and they didn’t just eat something stinky, take a closer look at their teeth and gums to see if they have plaque or tartar. If not, check their gums for redness or swollenness, but also check to see if their gums are a normal pinkish color (one that is considered healthy). If they have any signs of plaque or gum issues, it may be time to seek treatment by bringing your pet to the veterinarian.
Abnormal Gums
Red and swollen gums are a good indicator of gingivitis that has become established. Sometimes, gingivitis can go unnoticed for a very long time especially if you don’t do any regular mouth checks.
Stained Teeth
A good sign that your dog is having dental problems is by checking to see if their teeth are stained yellow or even brown. You may even want to wiggle your pup’s teeth gently to see if any of them have come loose. If your dog has lost a tooth or 2, that is another sign of worse things to come.
Appetite Loss
One thing that people may not attribute to teeth problems immediately is a loss of appetite. The fact is, a lot of people immediately think that a dog that’s lost its appetite has done so because they have some sort of illness that needs treatment. However, sometimes a loss of appetite could be down to something as simple as painful teeth or gums. Therefore, if you notice that your pet is no longer chewing his dental toys as much as he used to, you may want to go in for a dental check.
What happens if I don’t treat dog dental disease right away?
You may think that if you don’t treat your dog’s dental disease immediately, nothing will go wrong. However, this could not be farther from the truth. The fact is there are some risks involved in periodontal disease – particularly if it goes untreated. For example, studies have found that dogs with untreated dental diseases are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with diseases of the heart. Studies have also found a correlation between poor dental health and or again diseases and damage. This occurs because bacteria enters the bloodstream from the mouth, at which point the heart can suffer.
What are the best dental chews for dogs?
We have talked about benefits of dental treats and chews for pups. We have also talked about the perils of dental diseases and how to spot them. Now, it’s time to talk about which products are the best for helping your pup improve his dental health on a daily basis. In short, it’s time to answer the question “what are the best dental chews for dogs?”
Our Choice
Product Name: Nylabone XL Dura Chew W/ Texture
Product Description: To be honest, when you ask the question what are the best dental chews for dogs, the answer that comes to mind is the Nylabone XL Dura Chew (Textured). Not only will this product last months and months at a time, it will give your dog countless hours of fun and distraction to boot. The XL size of this product is typically designed for dogs that are upwards of 50 pounds, but it is easy to find smaller versions of this product designed for smaller dogs as well.
Offer price: $
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Durability
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Price
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Attractiveness
Overall
Summary
This textured bone comes covered in many different knobs and ridges to give your dog that interesting texture that will keep him biting and chewing for hours and hours. This toy is also designed to slowly get its layers scraped away as your pup chews, resulting in the bone getting a texture that is toothbrush like. As your pup continues to chew on this toy, they will consequently remove the plaque from their own teeth – on top of having tons of fun, as well.
A lot of dogs love chewing by nature, but if your dog is not the type to enjoy mindless gnawing on a toy, you can help them along with more appealing flavors of this product such as beef jerky, peanut butter, chicken, and beacon. This is another reason why we consider this to be one of the best dog shoes you can find because you can simply make it more attractive to dogs who normally wouldn’t care about chewing at all. This makes it easier to improve the dental health of certain dogs who would otherwise not be inclined to chew.
Pros
- Comes in varying sizes so you can choose something appropriate for your pet
- Lasts a very long time
- Different textures to keep your pet entertained
- Entertaining and great for dental health
- Different flavors available
Cons
- Not very good for power chewers
- Dogs that can’t break it may lose interest
Runners-Up
Arm & Hammer Gator Dental Toy for Dogs
This dental toy is a fantastic choice for those who don’t want to give their dog anything edible. Edible toys are all well and good, but in some cases, owners are trying to watch their dog’s weight. If you fall in this category, then you might find the Arm & Hammer Gator toy rather beneficial. This toy comes with a range of different textures to help your dog keep chewing and gnawing with interest. These textures also help when it comes to scraping plaque away! Note that this product also has baking soda infused into it, which helps not only to whiten teeth and remove stains, but also to help with bad odors and breath.
This toy offers amazing value for money considering the fact that it is only $8, which means you can buy a few of these to last you a few months. This breath freshening product also works even heavier chewers since it is made from completely natural rubber. It’s not as good as the Nylabone in terms of durability, but it’s still good enough for medium to heavy gnawers.
Furthermore, this toy is safe for the dishwasher, making it so much easier to use and clean up after. You can even use this toy for fetch, given its rubber nature it won’t break when thrown and won’t damage anything you hit. This is certainly another reason why we have included this is an answer to the question “what are the best dental chews for dogs?”
Pros and Cons of Arm & Hammer Gator Dental Toy for Dogs
✔️Made of natural rubber
✔️Great shape and fun texture
✔️Good for bad breath
✔️Infused with baking soda
❌Not as good for extremely heavy chewers
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Natural Balance – Edible Dental Chews/Treats
When asking “what are the best dental chews for dogs?”, we also have to consider actual chew treats! One such treat is the Natural Balance Dental Chew, which you can substitute for your dog’s daily treat instead. These dental chews are an excellent way to give your pet a nice little treat while also helping their dental health. This particular treat is great for the reason that it contains meat and vegetables along with other natural ingredients. It’s a limited ingredient formula, however, which is fantastic for a dog with a sensitive tummy. There are also grain-free variants for dogs that have gluten sensitivities and allergies.
This fresh and clean formula is in mint flavor to help give your pup that minty fresh breath. However, this treat also comes in different flavors such as the duck limited ingredient formula, sweet potato + chicken meal limited ingredient formula, and the pumpkin + chicken meal limited ingredient formula. All of these are great for dogs with sensitive stomachs, so if your pup has got a delicate tummy, this treat will not upset it.
One thing we can say, however, is that this treat is rather pricey. It’s sixteen dollars for a packet of thirteen ounces, making them much more expensive compared to other treats that were designed for dental purposes. However, you will find that it’s incredibly worth it due to the quality of the ingredients.
Pros and Cons of Natural Balance – Edible Dental Chews/Treats
✔️Reduces tartar and plaque
✔️Helps to freshen breath
✔️Completely natural ingredients
✔️Edible
❌Rather expensive compared to some other products in the same category
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Nylabone Puppy Chew Toy (T-Rex)
What are the best dental chews for dogs? Well, we can say that one of them is certainly the Nylabone Puppy Chew Toy, which comes in a T Rex shape. This toy is made from rubber – soft rubber, that is. It’s perfect for smaller puppy mouths and can help in cleaning teeth, freshening breath, and lessening teething discomfort. On top of that, it can also help puppies develop better chewing habits. This joy is great for training your puppy to chew on things that are OK to chew upon instead of biting and gnawing at everything within their reach.
Although this toy is completely inedible, it still does attract puppies to chew on them because of the natural flavoring of yummy, delicious chicken. Therefore, not only is this toy fun but it is also tasty. What’s even better is the fact that it comes at a really cheap price of only $7.00, meaning you can stretch your toy budget a bit more to get your puppy different ones.
Remember that this toy is made specifically for puppies, so if your dog is an adult or if your puppy is an extremely heavy chewer, chances are this toy won’t survive very long. Because of how soft the rubber of this toy is, you may also find that it’s not a bad choice for senior dogs that still want to chew and gnaw on stuff.
Pros and Cons of Nylabone T-Rex Chew Toy for Puppies
✔️Establishes good chewing habits, great for teething
✔️Chicken flavored
✔️Affordable
❌Won’t survive at the hands of adult dogs or heavy gnawers
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How to take care of your dog’s teeth if you don’t want to use dental chews
We get it, dental chews for dogs as well as treats for pups can get quite expensive over time. After all, buying a packet of treats worth $10 to $15 every few weeks can really add up and put a strain on the wallet. Nevertheless, it’s honestly still a good idea to invest in at least a dog chew toy meant for dental purposes. This week, you have added help in keeping your pup’s teeth in great condition.
Still, if you don’t want to spend the money on buying treats and toys every few weeks or months, you don’t really have to. All you really need is a toothbrush and toothpaste specifically made for your pup. With these, you can simply brush your dog’s teeth every night before bed so that you can remove the days build-up of plaque. It could help to find a toothpaste flavor that your dog enjoys – this way, brushing his teeth can be much less of a chore and much more of a treat for your pup that he will be excited about.
One more thing that you can do to help your dog improve his dental health is by giving him bones. However, remember not to give chicken bones or soft small bones that can easily break and become a choking hazard. Give large beef bones or pork bones instead – sometimes, you can give these treats to your pup straight from the crockpot if you have made a pot roast for example.
Conclusion
In the end, even though dental chews aren’t completely necessary, they are incredibly helpful. Nonetheless, we hope that you were able to glean an answer to the question “what are the best dental chews for dogs” from this article. Furthermore, we truly hope that you take good care of your dog’s dental health – especially since it can lead to health complications otherwise. Finally, remember to get into a good dental hygiene habit!