Did you know: By age 3, 80% of dogs will have gum or dental disease!?

What is gum disease?

Gum disease is caused by a build-up of bacteria in your dog’s mouth. This is caused by food and saliva known as plaque forming on your pups’ teeth. As the plaque is viewed as ‘foreign,’ it triggers your dog’s immune system to start fighting it off and sparks the release of enzymes that will break down gum tissue. This in turn can lead to chronic pain and even tooth loss in dogs.

 

How can you spot the symptoms?

Unfortunately, the first symptoms of gum disease are hard to spot, and if you do notice signs of gum disease, it often means that your pup could already be in chronic pain. If left unattended, it can turn into health complications in other parts of the body beyond teeth and gums. Most commonly, it turns into gingivitis with symptoms such as bad breath, swollen gums, and yellow teeth. If you notice any of these symptoms, we recommend seeing a vet before the disease or infection goes into the blood stream.

 

What can you do to help your pup?

Brush your pup’s teeth. This can help control the build-up of plaque which causes dental disease. However, it's often a very unwelcomed experience for your dogs, and can be very challenging for dog owners.

That’s why feeding your dog hard treats and chews can be a great alternative. They encourage chewing, helping to remove the build-up of plaque on your dog’s teeth. However, these treats often don’t contain the enzymes and ingredients found in toothpaste which helps to further prevent dental disease. So, what is the solution?

Or
.. feed your pup a Bell & Bone Dental Stick! Bell & Bone is purposeful, healthy, and here to make a difference in your dog’s dental health

Bell & Bone’s dental sticks are developed by a vet scientist and contain active ingredients (STPP and Zinc Sulphate) to work together to capture the calcium in the dog’s mouth. This helps to prevent and reduce up to 80% of plaque and tartar when given daily. As they are given daily, Bell & Bone made sure that their dental sticks were filled with only nutritious and healthy ingredients, such as Kangaroo, Chicken, coconut, mint, turmeric, parsley, chia, and sweet potato (no nasties or fillers!). They are also a unique 3-pronged shape, which encourages dogs to get their teeth deep in the stick promoting chewing which will activate the ingredients that help prevent and remove plaque and tartar build-up.

Our healthy ingredient list: Why we have chosen these superfoods for your dog.
Bell & Bone Dental Sticks come in 3 unique flavours, are grain-free, Melbourne-made, and packed with all-natural healthy ingredients to promote overall health and wellbeing! Each ingredient was specifically chosen for its incredible health reasons, which we’ve listed below.

Chicken, Mint & Seaweed
Chicken is rich in protein, good for the heart, and boosts metabolism. It’s a great choice for inner health and wellbeing.
Seaweed is a superfood with high amounts of calcium, iodine, cancer-preventing properties, and antibacterial properties.

Kangaroo, Mint & Turmeric
Kangaroo is a great source of iron and zinc for energy and a lean protein, full of vitamins and nutrients. Turmeric is an amazing anti-inflammatory that assists muscles, bones, and joints. It’s also a great natural remedy for sore gums

Salmon, Mint & Charcoal
Salmon is full of antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids to help keep skin smooth and coats shiny.
Charcoal helps to alleviate bloating, gas, heartburn, stomach pains, and even bad breath for dogs.


When should you start feeding your dog Dental Sticks?
Bell & Bone recommend that you start feeding your dog dental sticks once they are 6 months old, to ensure that your pup has lost all of their baby teeth. You should be feeding your dog 1 dental stick daily (the same way humans need to be brushing their teeth at least once a day) to promote optimal oral health and hygiene. Their dental sticks come in 3 sizes, as when it comes to our pups, it’s not one-size-fits-all! Small dental sticks are for dogs under 10kg, medium are for dogs between 10-25kg, and large are for dogs greater than 25kg.


What else can you do to keep your pup healthy?
NOURISHED LIFE
Try Nourished Life! Nourished Life is the home of natural health and beauty, they check every label, so you don't have to. You can find on their website hundreds of sustainable, eco-friendly, and cruelty-free brands supporting natural and organic health, beauty, home, lifestyle, and pet care. That's where there's a perfect match with Bell and Bone that provides pet owners with dog treats they can trust. All are about the same attention and care we put into the ingredients that you can find in the products.


If you have any questions or need some more tips – please always email me at info@bellandbone.com.au! I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.

November 12, 2020 — Emma Fox