3628 Lynoak Dr. #107, Claremont, CA
Most dog owners know that dental health is important for their dogs. It only makes sense that dental treats that encourage chewing can help, and to some extent, they do help prevent dental tartar. But they are also loaded with calories, lots of calories. Dental treats are a large factor contributing to the rising numbers of overweight or obese dogs. So how many calories do dental treats have?
How Many Calories Do Dog Dental Treats Have?
There is a very popular dog treat available for dogs 50 pounds and over. It has 1060 calories for each treat! The total daily calorie need for a 50lb dog is 1000 calories. This treat has over 100% of the dog’s daily calorie needs. Added to the normal regular diet, a 50lb dog getting one dental treat per day is eating twice the calories it needs daily. And how many owners give their dogs more than 1 treat per day? No wonder 60% of pets are overweight or morbidly obese.
And it is not just this one treat. Other dental treats can contain anywhere from 15-70% of a dog’s daily caloric needs. If dog owners reduced the amount of dog food to make room for these extra calories, dogs become malnourished. Dog dental treats contain minuscule amounts of the protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals dogs need every day. Dog food does contain the proper amounts of all nutrients but only if fed the recommended amount daily. Cut back on the food and you cut back on the nutrients, a recipe for malnutrition.
But Do Dog Dental Treats Work?
To some degree, dog dental treats help prevent tarter, especially for teeth near the front of the mouth. No dental treat can prevent tarter on the back teeth because the shape of the dog’s jaw and lips won’t allow a cleaning action to occur. This is also true of dogs that chew bones for dental health. The back teeth just can’t be reached chewing on a bone or treat. Back teeth can only be cleaned by the owners using a toothbrush or washcloth.
So here’s what we know about dental treats:
Do dog dental treats seem like a good idea to you? Promote your dog’s health. Feed “no calorie” vegetable treats and brush their teeth at least 2-3 times per week. They stay in shape and have better dental health.
Also, consider homemade dog food. Dogs fed homemade diets tend to have less dental tartar and gum disease.
3628 Lynoak Dr. #107, Claremont CA
If you are too far away to see Dr. Tudor in person, but still wish to make your own balanced dog food at home using Dr. Tudor's exclusive nutrient powder, omega 3 oil and recipes, we now offer two options for you:
Healthier Homemade for DogsWhen you need or want custom recipes that are personalized for your fur family, our sister site Healthier Homemade can help you out. Because this service is remote, we are unable to give medical advice or diagnosis, so we work with your veterinarian to make sure your fur family is well cared for.
At Healthier Homemade, we offer Medical Recipe Programs for 14 different conditions. See them in detail here.
There are an assortment of recipe formulations for dogs with diagnosed Food Allergies. They include, High Protein, Instant, and Economy options.
If you have all Normal Adult Dogs in your fur family and wish to have more control over the formulations of your recipes, we offer Economy, Instant, High Protein, and Ultra-High Protein (including a few all meat options).
With all of our custom recipes you may include up to 4 dogs (with the same health profile) and you may choose cooking frequency from every day to once a week. We do all the math, we even calculate serving size for each dog! We also have detailed tutorials for each step of cooking, mixing, and storing.
If you are an experienced cook, like flexibility, have a normal adult dog, and just need general guidelines, Hearthstone may be right for you. Before purchasing a Starter Kit, you can see a complete list of ingredient options that can be used.
Our EZ Meal Planner gives you a great starting point. You still get to pick out wholesome ingredients at the grocery store and you still get "The Well Dog Nutrient Powder" to make sure your dogs' meals are balanced.
The Getting Started page gives you a great road map for what you need to equip your kitchen, preparation, transitioning to a new food, and more.
