Soft Rawhide Reduces Calculus

A recent study looked at the use of soft rawhide given daily to dogs to help reduce dental calculus. Calculus is the hard tartar found on teeth and is made up of bacteria, saliva minerals, and food. Brushing teeth is considered the gold standard in veterinary medicine to help reduce plaque and tartar build up. It’s important to do this daily as within minutes new bacteria start to build up on the teeth. Within 3 days, plaque can solidify into tartar making it very difficult to remove.

Unfortunately, some dogs will not allow their teeth to be brushed and some pet owners cannot brush their pets daily (although highly recommended!). So, based on this one study, it appears that feeding a soft rawhide can actually help reduce dental calculus by nearly 30% within a month and may actually be beneficial between teeth brushing.

Source: J Vet Dent 26(2); 82-85, 2009