HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE BEST DENTAL CHEWS FOR YOUR DOG?

What do you look for in a dental chew for your fur baby?

Do you have high expectations of dental chews or do you just pick up whatever is on special at your local pet store?

As a dog mum, I feel it is my responsibility to choose the best possible treats for my fur baby, Alfie. And I look for a range of different things.

One of the main factors I consider when choosing dental chews are their ingredients. As a Dog Naturopath, I prefer to buy products that are all-natural and do not contain any potentially harmful substances. This includes certain preservatives, additives and ingredients such as wheat, which is ‘natural’ but it’s not really suitable for dogs.

The last thing I want to do is give Alfie anything that is going to upset his gastrointestinal system and cause vomiting or diarrhoea, or have any negative effects on his long-term health. Secondly, I expect the dental chews to deliver on their oral health care marketing!

While I do brush Alfie’s teeth daily, there are certain areas that are difficult to access and a good chew can sometimes do a better job than I can. In any case, they can certainly compliment daily brushing.

Part of my assessment criteria for this aspect is how long they last.

Because to provide any ‘teeth-cleaning’ benefits, it is important that the dog is able to chew on them for a fairly long period of time.

If Alfie chews them up within minutes before swallowing them, they do not pass my ‘dental care test’ as no, or very little, ‘cleaning’ of his teeth would have occurred.

And unfortunately, I have found the majority of ‘dental chew bars’ last no more than a few minutes ☹

Another essential requirement for me is that they need to be made in Australia so they have not been irradiated.

My understanding is that dental chews made overseas are usually irradiated when they enter Australia in order to sterilize them. While it is controversial and more research needs to be conducted, studies have shown that irradiation can create free radicals in food products^1,2.

Therefore, as this could potentially affect the long-term health of my dog, I try to avoid giving him any imported products to eat.

I also avoid feeding dried animal’s ears to Alfie. My concern with giving him ears to chew on is that often sheep, cows and pigs have tattoos on their ears and I don’t want my dog to consume tattoo ink! If there is a brand that only sources non-tattooed ears, then I’m all ears (LOL) – and please let me know. But even then, I’m not sure how beneficial they would be when it comes to oral health care?

So, after trialling a large number of dental chews, and finding most did not meet my criteria due to being imported products; containing potentially harmful ingredients, or not lasting long enough to offer any discernible benefits to Alfie’s dental health, I have only found one product so far that has met my requirements!

‘Nature’s Cuts beef tendon’ states on the label that it is 100% beef and is made in Australia. Tick ✔. Furthermore, Alfie is a voracious chewer but these last him for days! Tick ✔

In saying that, I do restrict his chewing to around 30 – 45 mins a day but these dried tendons appear to have made a genuinely positive impact to Alfie’s dental health and, as a bonus, they keep him entertained for ages.

I don’t know about you, but when choosing chew treats for my fur baby, my standards are pretty high. And judging by Alfie’s contentment, I’m glad they are!

PS: Always monitor your dog when giving them a dental chew and any other treats to make sure they do not choke on them. This is particularly important with the last segment of the chew which can become just the right size to block off their airway if they try swallowing it whole! Personally, I remove the chew once it becomes small enough to pose a danger.

PPS: This article is totally independent and there are no conflicts of interest. I am not affiliated with any company or business that produces or sells dental treats for dogs. This article is simply my honest opinion based on my personal experience.

Reference:

1. Indiarto R, Irawan AN, Subroto E. Meat Irradiation: A Comprehensive Review of Its Impact on Food Quality and Safety. Foods. 2023 Apr 29;12(9):1845. doi: 10.3390/foods12091845. PMID: 37174383; PMCID: PMC10178114.
2. David Acheson, Donald B. Louria, Food Irradiation: Unresolved Issues, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 33, Issue 3, 1 August 2001, Pages 378–380.