"SARF" - THE BEST CHOICE!
As you know, poor dental health in not only "unpleasant", it contributes to a myriad of health issues. Clean teeth and healthy gums are simply a "must" for all pets, if our goal is long-term health and a strong immune system.
Dental cleanings at the vet clinic are costly - but worse, they can be risky. Serious complications due to infection are not uncommon, and anesthesia can be deadly. This all hit very close to home when my father's beautiful Yorkie girl, "Snickers", suddenly died during a "routine" dental cleaning... She was only 6 years old. i watched my father grieve for several years over the loss of his sweet girl. How are we to keep a pet's teeth clean then? Modern vets rarely recommend anything but prepared "kibble", and this is so unfortunate... because this is THE main contributor to periodontal disease! The key to good dental hygiene (for a carnivore!) is getting rid of the unnecessary carbs and feeding real food, including "edible" bone. Not "ground" bones or "marrow bones", but real, intact, "edible" bones. While ground bones provide nutrients, they provide no real dental benefit; so-called "marrow bones" are very dense, wearing down tooth enamel and/or resulting in fractures. Now, it isn't just tartar buildup that causes dental issues. Some dogs and cats are dealt bad "genes" (undershot, overshot jaws, missing teeth, etc), poor nutrition starting in the womb, malnutrition or serious illness as puppies and kittens, malnutrition as an adult... All these things can be a cause for dental deterioration. Thankfully, a SARF diet can address many of these issues as well. Just as with humans, inappropriate diet will always have detrimental health consequences; with canines and felines, in many cases we begin to see the health problems present in older animals in the form of allergies, itching, hot spots, chronic ear infections, obesity, heart/liver/kidney disease, urinary tract infections, joint problems, diabetes, cancers, etc - However, in younger animals, often these grave illnesses are taking place behind the scenes, thus are not readily evident until they have progressed to a dangerous, and noticeable outward level. Dental issues are more "in your face" -- if you will pardon my horrible pun! In truth, 85% of commercially-fed dogs and cats over the age of 3 years are suffering from serious periodontal disease... This starts with simple bad breath & tartar buildup; most families try brushing their dogs' teeth fairly regularly, and having their teeth professionally cleaned once per year. Sadly, this is usually not enough, so the dental issues continue, progressing into gum disease, abscesses, rotting teeth... and finally the need for extractions. For your pet's sake, please take time to research - It can make all the difference in your -legger's health! The below photo is the same animal shown in the upper right photo - only 2 weeks after starting SARF! Incredibly, within 1 month, her teeth were white - with no dentals, no drops, no brushing... The correct food, in the right form cleans bad teeth, and prevents many dental issues caused by modern foods. Why would we feed anything but the best to our companions - especially when the "best" is so simple? ~ Jaque |