Dog Longevity Survey: How Important Is Dental Health for Longevity?

Sadly, not everybody who took the survey sees dental health as important for dog longevity. Almost 10% participants in total feel that it is either somewhat important or not important at all.

Do you agree?

Did you ever have a toothache? Longevity aside, poor dental health can have an extremely negative impact on quality of life. How many dogs do you think go through their lives with constant, sometimes excruciating pain from bad teeth or periodontal disease?

For such dogs, longevity might not even be the goal as all they might end up wanting is to have the pain ended.

Check out those snappers, will you?

Here is the problem with dental disease, though, it affects more than just the mouth.

Dental disease can trash your dog's heart, liver, kidneys, and brain and it can contribute to a number of inflammatory diseases, including cancer.

A friend of mine who is a real-life dentist already wrote a fantastic article on the subject, so instead of repeating the information, I'll point you right to it here.

If you want to do anything to extend your dog's lifespan and give them a good, long life, take care of their teeth.

The statistics are frightening. 87% of dogs over three years of age suffer from periodontal disease! For your dog's health, it's like living in the middle of a minefield.

We take our dogs' dental health seriously. We've been brushing their teeth daily for years now. What we found was that brushing alone keeps the mouth in good shape for a year or two but eventually, a veterinary cleaning was necessary.

What really works for Cookie is the combination of daily brushing and raw meaty bones.


Related articles:
Know Your Dog's Enemies: When Bad Breath Can Kill.

Dog Longevity Survey Part I
Dog Longevity Survey Part II
Dog Longevity Survey Part I Results
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