I get some great questions from clients. They inspire me with article ideas and keep me in tune with diabetic pet owners. I enjoy interacting with our readers, and sometimes the questions are worthy of a newsletter. I bet if one person has this question and takes the time to write me, there are likely lots of folks with a similar question. Let’s jump right in and talk about this one about dental chews:
Question: Hi Dr. Joi! I love reading your newsletter. It is very informative and helps me manage my diabetic dog’s health on a daily basis. My baby, Louis, won a costume contest at his Vet! He was a Sheriff. They gave him a wonderful prize pack that included dental hygiene chews. I tried to look up if these were ok for diabetic pets but didn’t really find much. I was going to call my Vet but they don’t specialize in diabetics as you do so I thought I would just go straight to the expert! It says only 1 per day, but are these chews ok for diabetic dogs?
Answer: I love when folks dress their pets in silly outfits. I also love dental chews for dogs! Oral disease is a problem for pets in general, but dental is especially important for diabetic pets. Germs and infection in the mouth not only cause bad breath, they can cause insulin resistance. I feel like I’m always harping on diabetic pet owners about cleaning the pet’s teeth. It’s a lot of elbow grease brushing your pet’s teeth every day, and dental cleanings are not inexpensive. Few of my clients brush their pet’s teeth. So what else can we do? Veterinarians can suggest dental diets, chew toys, raw hides and specialty dental chews. When given daily, chews have been shown to cut plaque build-up by 42% and decrease tartar build up by 53%. That’s impressive.
I think the key to giving a diabetic dog a treat is to give it at the time of the meal rather than mid-day when there is less or no insulin in the body to control the calories. Some chews are made up of 46% protein and 32% carbs based on metabolize lie energy, so they are not low in carbs. In fact, they have a sweet taste like vanilla. They are low in fiber. Nonetheless, dental chews for dogs have ‘Rockstar’ data on plaque and tartar reduction. I feel they are worth a little carbohydrate for the improved dental care!
Just be sure to:
- Cut back on the amount of regular food fed for the meal when you give the treat and,
- Check a blood glucose curve a week or so after giving it.
Most of the manufacturers recommend giving them daily because it takes 24 to 48 hours for plaque to calcify into tartar. Daily use makes sense for diabetic dogs as well since we wish to keep day to day variations in diet to a minimum for best glucose regulation. You may need to adjust insulin dosage after ANY diet or treat change. Dental chews are not low in calories. Decrease the calories fed of the regular diet by the number of calories in the chew for the meal when it is given.
Examples of a leading brand
Extra small: 26.8 calories
Small: 47.7 calories
Medium: 80.5 calories
Large: 128.2 calories
I do a lot of dentals at my practice and send a treat bag with a few dental chews in every “dental kit” that goes home with my patients. Clients also get a sample of each of the dental prescription diets, a tooth brush, and a toothpaste sample. I never know just what a pet or the human will tolerate, so I give them the tools I find work. Nothing, and I mean nothing, works quite as well as brushing the teeth.
The gold standard for dental care is to brush your pet’s teeth. I think that makes perfect sense to us all. When clients make faces when I suggest they brush their pet’s teeth, I remind them that they brush their own teeth daily and still go to the dentist twice a year. Or, as I heard a dentist once say, “Only brush the ones you want to keep!” I understand that some folks are less likely to brush their pet’s teeth than they are to visit the moon. So even if there is a bit of carbohydrate in a dental chew, I think it is the next best option! Most of us give our pets a treat anyway. Why not make it useful! Again, the trick is to give it at mealtime when you are giving insulin.
Be sure to weigh your pet over the coming weeks if you and your vet decide that adding a daily dental chew is a good choice for your pet. Fresher breathe and less tartar are great, but we don’t want Fluffy packing on the pounds. Obesity can cause insulin resistance just as dental infection can!
Have a question or comment? Post below or email me at [email protected]. I always enjoy hearing from my readers!
NOTE: Consult your veterinarian first to make sure my recommendations fit your pets special health needs.
I happen to be an equine vet. My dog has diabetes so I contacted the rep for DENTALIFE to see what they said. She said DENTALIFE was over 70% carbs and they would definitely NOT give them to a diabetic
I have a dog that’s 8 years old with pancreatitis and just recently diagnosed for diabetes my question is what treats can I give her and is Dental sticks safe to give her
Chat with your vet who has examined her about the particular dental treat. Bring the package for your vet to see the guaranteed nutritional analysis. Typically we recommend low fat food for any
pet with a history of pancreatitis. You can look on the VOHC (veterinary oral health council) website for a list of the dental treats that are effective and have gained the VOHC seal of approval.
The best time for a dental treat is after dinner. Much like how we brush our teeth after dinner. Give it right after dinner and cut back on the portion of dinner so that it doesn’t alter your pet’s blood glucose. Of course, chat with your vet about all of this. And monitor the blood glucose after any changes in feeding pattern or dental chews given.
Nothing beats brushing. 🙂
This was so helpful! Thank you so much! My dog is a recently diagnosed diabetic & Im working on figuring out his best care.
Are orozyme dental chews safe for diabetic dogs
The trick about giving diabetic dogs a treat is often the timing. Since dogs don’t need to be on ultra low carb diets, we can feed them most dog chews. However, we want to do so near meal time. Since these chews are made to decrease tartar build up I’m all for them. Ceva is a good brand. Just be sure to cut back on the calories fed of the meal when you give this to your pet. For example, give less kibble in an amount of calories that equals the calories in the dental chew. Give the chew at mealtime when you are giving the insulin. If you give a treat when there isn’t insulin on board you could cause an unwanted blood glucose elevation.