I have a 6 year old Yorkie who has bad teeth and recently started having epilepsy episodes. I started to give her home food mix with dry food. The vet told me that her teeth were bad because of the home food I give her. I’m worried about them what should I do? The et said I should have her teeth cleaned and give her Diet Science treats, but I don’t like the product. What kind of food do you recommend? Thanks…
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Yorkies and most small dogs have much softer enamel so they will form tartar on their teeth faster and more severely. The majority of tarter comes from dry food actually, as the kibble is sprayed with oils to improve palatability. Dry food is not hard enough to keep tarter off teeth and the oil increases the plaque and tartar formation.
I would recommend continuing the home cooked food as long as it is balanced and offer natural treats to help with teeth health. Z-Ridge Dental Bones by Zuke’s or Dog Dental Bones by Dr. Becker are both great for teeth. The home cooked diet is much better for epilepsy as natural food does not contain preservatives, dyes or meat by-products.
You may need to do routine cleanings even with a home cooked diet primarily because the bacteria in the mouth have the affinity for heart valves. Veterinarians see more small dogs with heart disease and severe tartar together than without tartar.
An excellent resource for dog with seizures is www.canine-epilepsy.com, it covers
supplements, diets, vaccines, research and available treatments for dogs. Best
of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA, CVCP
