The Waltham Petcare Science Institute – which has contributed over 30 groundbreaking studies to canine oral health research in 20 years – has uncovered novel insights into canine oral microbiota.
These insights could improve early periodontal disease (PD) identification and preventative strategies beyond solely focusing on the reduction of plaque and tartar.
In human medicine, the oral microbiome is already being leveraged to revolutionise novel therapeutic and preventative strategies for oral and systemic diseases.
More than 80 percent of dogs over three are affected by PD, which can not only cause painful abscesses and tooth loss but has been associated with heart, liver and kidney complications.
However, many cases of PD are missed or underdiagnosed due to the limitations of conscious visual assessment.
But this new microbiome could aid the assessment of oral health status in dogs beyond traditional measures.
Dr Avika Ruparell, senior research scientist at Waltham Petcare Science Institute, says: “Canine oral niches harbour their own unique microbial signatures, offering the potential to employ them as biomarkers.
“Seeing how well the oral microbiome is modulated to reduce the development of PD can help scientists evaluate the efficacy of oral care products.“
Dr Darren Logan, head of research at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, explains how exploring the role that bacteria play in canine oral health will lead to a greater understanding of periodontal disease and how we can improve in-home oral care regimes.
Darren adds: “This research provides new insight into the potential ways oral care products like Dentastix can promote oral health for dogs.
“It comes as part of our long-term commitment to creating a better world for pets through veterinary biome and oral health research.”
Pedigree Dentastix Daily Oral Care chews are one type of oral care product that has been tested. As well as reducing plaque accumulation by an average of 30 percent and calculus accumulation by approximately 60 percent, Dentastix Daily Oral Care is now clinically shown to promote bacteria associated with periodontal health.
Avika, who studied the role of Dentastix Daily Oral Care in the microbiome, explains: “Compared with dogs that are not given dental chews, the dogs that are regularly given the dental chews had a higher proportion of health-associated bacteria versus bacteria associated with PD in supragingival plaque.
“Achieving good oral health is not about removing all bacteria; it’s about promoting the beneficial bacteria.”
Avika spoke about these findings at this year’s European Veterinary Dental Forum in Krakow, Poland, highlighting the work conducted by Mars Petcare and Waltham Petcare Science Institute to explore the potential the oral microbiome has in helping vets and dog owners prevent PD.
Read the latest oral microbiome papers on the Waltham Petcare Science Institute website.
