Are dental sticks necessary for dogs?

Are the dental sticks for dogs we are accustomed to seeing on the shelves of our favourite pet store actually necessary? Do they serve their purpose, or are they just a trend that’s bound to fade? In this article, we investigate the benefits of dental sticks as well as any potential downsides. 

What are canine dental sticks?

Canine dental sticks come in many different shapes and sizes but are all based on the premise that they could help clean your dog’s teeth and promote dog dental care  while being chewed.

The mechanical ‘scrubbing’ effect of the dental stick may help to remove plaque from the teeth, but how effectively it achieves this will depend on several different factors, including the shape, texture, and ingredients of the stick.

Usually containing a range of ingredients, dental sticks can have a positive effect on your dog’s teeth, depending on the quality of the sticks you’re using.

What are the risks of giving your dog dental sticks?

Some warn that when dental sticks are too large or difficult to chew properly, they can become a choking hazard or result in irritation to the mouth or throat. We’d always recommend supervising your dog as they chew their dental stick, in addition to choosing dental sticks that are designed for their size.

Dental sticks may also be high in calories, which means that you’ll need to be mindful of how often you feed them to your canine companion to avoid them gaining excess weight.

What are the benefits of dental sticks?

The main benefits of dental sticks are that they can contribute to cleaning your pup’s teeth and helping to promote oral hygiene. However, some dental sticks can offer much more.

Take our very own YuMOVE Dental Care Sticks for example, which:

• Support overall oral health
• Target plaque 
• Freshens breath
• Are gentle on dogs’ tummies
• Contains ActivBarrier™ soft centre, designed to create a barrier along the teeth and gums to target existing plaque and bad breath.

So, should I be giving my dog dental sticks?

High-quality and properly formulated dental care sticks can certainly play an important role in helping maintain your dog’s oral hygiene. It’s important to note, though, that they’re not a substitute for regular brushing.

When choosing your dental care sticks, be sure to be mindful of the ingredients they contain, and to factor in their caloric content when feeding them to your dog – to avoid weight gain.

The best thing to do is... research! Find a brand of dental sticks you believe are right for your furry friend and monitor them over time. 

Want to know more about our dental sticks? Click here to shop our range of dental sticks for dogs.