Periodontal Disease in Small Munsterlanders-Cedars Point Kennel Homemade Toothpaste Recipe
- Jeff Mizenko
- May 6
- 12 min read
Updated: May 8
When we picked up BB's Aster and Cedars Point Don't Stop Believin' after their spays, Aster was retired from our breeding program and Zephyr her daughter didn't meet the standards of our program, our veterinarian commented that Aster at 6+ years of age had angry gums. Zephyr at age 2+, on the other hand showed little to no sign of the symptoms of the periodontal disease. What are angry gums and what causes them? What are the stages of periodontal disease and what's the most obvious prophylaxis for prevention? How can periodontal disease in dogs be prevented? What have we done since being told Aster had gingivitis to get an upper hand on our older dogs dental hygiene issues and to prevent it from becoming problematic for our entire kennel since our research?
Before the recent appointment to spay Aster we were well aware that both Aster and her dad Cedar had Stage 1 gingivitis. We'd thought we were taking sufficient steps to address it by providing knuckle bones for them to chew, adding Pet Lab Company-Dental Formula liquid to their water, providing dental chews and using dental tools to scale their teeth-particularly focusing on addressing the obvious build up of plaque on their teeth. However, this clearly wasn't enough to mitigate the problem evidenced by continued and worsening swelling of their gum tissue. We also learned a great deal from researching the topic. We wanted to share this with you all to hopefully help you realize the pervasiveness of the problem and what you can do to prevent it rather than treat the symptoms like us.
We didn't want to admit defeat and that they both had early stage periodontal disease. Our vet delivered the blow with grace however. Our problem was that we had let their gingivitis establish itself without addressing the underlying causes and we were treating the symptoms, not the root cause. It was time for some educational research, to act in a different manner and to attack the root cause of the problem or suffer the common and undeniable consequences. The alternatives are frighteningly expensive and if left to worsen would send both dogs to a painfully expensive oral deep cleaning, maybe even tooth removal and/or an even more painfully avoidable it could send them to an early grave.
What will be discussed:
“Treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable”
Bill Gates.
How Do Veterinarians Define Angry Gums?
"Angry gums" in dogs, medically known as gingivitis, refers to inflammation of the gum tissue, often caused by plaque and tartar buildup, leading to redness, swelling, and bleeding of gums.
Do your dogs suffer from angry gums or gingivitis? All of our dogs three years or older suffered varying degrees of gingivitis up until two weeks ago. A couple even continue to suffer from angry gums today, but we now have an active plan to prevent it from worsening. The difference we've seen in four weeks of brushing with a homemade toothpaste have been miraculous. Our hope is to keep their oral hygiene front and center, to work with them daily to ensure long term oral hygiene aimed at supporting their overall health and active lifestyles for years to come. As late onset hunters and breeders we're consistently getting schooled by the myriad of things to know about relative to appropriate care, health, training and hunting of our best buddies.
What causes gingivitis?
Plaque and Tartar Buildup: The primary cause of gingivitis is the accumulation of plaque (a sticky film of bacteria) and tartar (hardened plaque) along the gumline.
Poor Oral Hygiene: Lack of regular brushing or professional dental cleanings which allows plaque and tartar to accumulate and develop into gingivitis.
Miscellaneous Factors: Certain conditions like autoimmune diseases, genetics, diabetes, or kidney disease can also contribute to gum inflammation
Signs and Symptoms:
Red and swollen gums
Bleeding gums
Bad breath (halitosis)
Receding gums, loose teeth, and pain
Gingival enlargement/hyperplasia-excessive growth of gums
Dogs may also be reluctant to eat, paw at their mouth, or drool excessively
Prevention: This is the area where we fell down at Cedars Point Kennel. Early detection was noted, but it was our veterinarian that put the spotlight on it for us.
Regular Brushing: Brushing your dog's teeth regularly with a dog-specific toothpaste can help prevent plaque and tartar buildup.
Professional Dental Cleanings: Regular veterinary dental cleanings can remove tartar and plaque buildup that can't be removed at home.
Diet: A diet rich in hard, fibrous foods can help scrape away plaque and tartar. Human foods like bread and cheese can stick to teeth and should be avoided. Often human foods are acidic and sugary which can also compound the problem. We do not feed human foods period. Dental treats/chews and/or products such as toothpaste that are Veterinarian Oral Health Council (VOHC) researched products are the way to go for prophylaxis options to support oral health. A PDF of all the products approved by the VOHC is provided here.
Early Detection: If you notice signs of gingivitis, consult with your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment options.
What are the Stages of Periodontal Disease in Dogs?
Stage 1: Gingivitis
The initial phase of periodontal disease in dogs is gingivitis. It starts with the buildup of plaque—a sticky film filled with bacteria—on the teethes surface and along the gum line. The bacteria in the plaque emit toxins that irritate the gums, leading to inflammation and redness. Typical symptoms of gingivitis include bad breath, swollen gums, and slight bleeding during brushing or chewing. A noticeable red line may also appear in the gums nearest to the teeth.
Stage 2: Early Periodontitis
If gingivitis is not treated, it advances to early periodontitis. In this phase, the inflammation spreads below the gum line, creating periodontal pockets and resulting in the loss of bone and soft tissue that support the teeth. These pockets accumulate more bacteria and food particles, exacerbating the issue. As the infection develops, the gums may become redder, more swollen, and cause mild to moderate pain. Dog owners might observe their pets having trouble eating or showing signs of mouth sensitivity.
Stage 3: Moderate Periodontitis
Moderate periodontitis represents the subsequent stage of periodontal disease, marked by the progression of infection and harm to the tissues that support the teeth. The periodontal pockets become deeper, enabling bacteria to access the roots of the teeth and the adjacent bone. This results in considerable attachment loss between the tooth and its supportive structures, leading to loose teeth and the possible formation of abscesses. Owners might notice more obvious symptoms, including significant bad breath, bleeding gums, tooth loss, and occasionally a reluctance to eat or engage with toys.
Stage 4: Advanced Periodontitis
Advanced periodontitis represents the most severe and final stage of periodontal disease in dogs. At this stage, there is significant damage to the tissues, ligaments, and bone that support the teeth. Consequently, the teeth become loose and may fall out, leading to painful ulcers and infections in the mouth. Common symptoms include chronic pain, difficulty in eating, and weight loss. In severe instances, bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream, potentially impacting other organs and leading to systemic health problems.
***It's crucial to understand that numerous dogs show no symptoms of pain related to periodontal disease. This might be linked to their pack mentality, where displaying weakness in the wild could lead to abandonment (or worse) by the pack. Consequently, many dogs display little to no signs of pain, even with severe periodontitis, and rarely stop eating due to dental pain.***
Key Research Findings on Periodontal Disease (PD) and its Link to Systemic Pathology in Dogs
Here's one significant finding that lit a fire under us to address the underlying cause of PD as a whole.
Forty-five mixed breed dogs were evaluated for the presence and extent of periodontal disease. Histopathology was performed on samples of lung, myocardium, liver, kidney, tonsil, spleen, submandibular lymph node and tracheobronchial lymph node. Mitral valves were evaluated grossly. Statistical analysis was used to determine if there was a relationship between the extent of periodontal disease and histopathologic changes in the tissues examined. In the forty-five dogs studied, an association was found between periodontal disease and histopathologic changes in kidney, myocardium (papillary muscle), and liver.
Reference:
DeBowes LJ, Mosier D, Logan E, Harvey CE, Lowry S, Richardson DC. Association of Periodontal Disease and Histologic Lesions in Multiple Organs from 45 Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. 1996;13(2):57-60. doi:10.1177/089875649601300201
Essentially attacking the symptoms of the disease, with no preventive prophylactic measures exposes our dogs to systemic pathological problems which can shorten their lives or effect them adversely on a systemic level.
What We Have Chose to Do at Cedars Point Kennel?
After receiving news about Aster and looking at all of our dogs current oral health situation we decided to dig deeper into our options. We determined that Aster had gingivitus or Stage 1 PD. In Cedars case, his teeth and gums were further along probably more between Stage 2 and borderline Stage 3 PD. Cedar also had gingival hyperplasia or swelling of the gums to the extent that his 205 and 105 premolars were almost non-visible.
Our online search began by looking for products that were recognized as Veterinarian Oral Health Council (VOHC) as approved by clinical evaluation for preventing the root cause of PD. We wanted to see if we could stave off the cost of professional cleaning with the two dogs. Here's a PDF list of what we found for VOHC approved products.
We explored all VOHC approved products including food, chews and toothpaste. We bought Virbac C.E.T Enzymatic Toothpaste in Poultry Flavor. Additionally, we discovered two products by ProDen that showed promise in clinical research—PlaqueOff Soft Chews and PlaqueOff Powder. We liked that the ProDen products were natural occurring in the environment and had no additives-just seaweed. The ProDen products we purchased and the Virbac toothpaste were both VOHC approved and we went to the research to see what they found. We considered various other chew treat options, but were concerned about their ingredients, long term use, and due to previous issues with stomach upset with some of these products, we've returned to using large knuckle bones for chew relief or mechanical plaque removal. We felt like doing the same thing and expecting different results was a set up for our dogs and ourselves.
After spending considerable time researching online sources for tarter and plaque relief in both humans and dogs-realizing the composition of saliva is different between the two species, and visiting all the local pet supply stores in Rapid City, we decided to make our own toothpaste. Additionally, we prefer supporting local businesses over buying products online from the box providers like Amazon, Petsmart, Petco, etc. The homemade toothpaste was a bigger hit for our dogs than the Virbac product too.
Towards the end of the blog we. provide our recipe for the toothpaste we are currently using. We developed it ourselves after hours of research. Honestly, this paste, along with a daily commitment to brushing with it and using ProDen chews before bedtime has transformed our dogs' oral health remarkably and quickly. Visible plaque and yellowing tarter has almost been completely removed from both Cedar and Aster's teeth, their gums are no longer swollen or red, and they don't bleed when brushed anymore. Their breath has also been transformed. Most importantly, they enjoy having their teeth brushed every day because of how we've introduced it to their daily routine. Well..., maybe the words "enjoy it," aren't perfectly accurate, but they do tolerate it and in some instances look forward to it every day-especially Cedar. Another objective observation that we've made is that their coat health has improved, as well as their overall activity level when they're run in the field. We believe there was more to what was going on in their mouths than what we observed. There was a systemic impact to poor oral health. We believe their oral health was effecting their overall health, including their activity level. The downward spiral to poor oral health didn't take long either. It all started after this hunting season.
We're thinking about offering the toothpaste at our local NAVHDA training days and our testing days this year at our cost to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of brushing daily for prevention and overall health. This entire process has been sobering for us. We care deeply about our pack and to have let things get to the stage they were was embarrassingly demoralizing. We'd like others to avoid what we and our dogs have been through or are going through presently. We also suspect that both Cedar and Aster have a genetic predisposition to plaque and tarter as they appear to be suffering the most. We also found this to be suspected in research finding too.
Key Research Findings of ProDen™ (Ascophyllum Nodosum) Algae on Plaque and Tater as Well as its Effect on Saliva
Part of our research into VOHC approved product lead us to the following research. We will leave it up to you to decide on the efficacy of the seaweed.
Ascophyllum nodosum, a type of brown seaweed, can be beneficial for dogs' dental health by helping to reduce plaque and tartar buildup, improve gum health, and potentially combat bad breath. It works by disrupting plaque biofilms and promoting natural oral hygiene.
Here's a more detailed look at the proven benefits of Aschphyllum nodosum:
Reduced Plaque and Tartar: Ascophyllum nodosum helps prevent plaque and tartar accumulation, which are major contributors to dental disease in dogs.
Improved Gum Health: The bioactive compounds in Ascophyllum nodosum can help reduce inflammation and redness in the gums, promoting healthier gums.
Fresh Breath: By reducing plaque and tartar, Ascophyllum nodosum can help alleviate bad breath in dogs.
Natural Approach: Ascophyllum nodosum is a natural supplement, offering a safe and effective way to support oral hygiene.
Bioactive Compounds: Ascophyllum nodosum contains bio-actives like fucoidans and polyphenols, which are absorbed systemically into the dogs body and can improve oral health.
Studies Support Use: Studies have shown that incorporating Ascophyllum nodosum into a dog's diet can significantly reduce plaque and tartar buildup.
A couple of research papers exploring ProDen Soft Chews and/or PlaqueOff Power are provided by links below for your reference:
References:
Influence of Dietary Supplementation With a Powder Containing A.N. ProDen™ (Ascophyllum Nodosum) Algae on Dog Saliva Metabolome
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci. , 21 June 2021
Sec. Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Surgery
Volume 8 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.681951
A randomized controlled clinical study of the effect of daily intake of Ascophyllum nodosum alga on calculus, plaque, and gingivitis
Original Article
Published: 16 December 2014
Volume 19, pages 1507–1518, (2015)
Cedars Points-Smile Bright, Point Right Homemade Toothpaste-Developed By Jeff Mizenko
This toothpaste has made an amazing difference in our dogs mouths! It became our mission after receiving news that we had angry gums in one of our dogs. A list of the ingredients is provided below. We hope you have the same results with your dogs should you choose to try it. Shared with a smile!
Smile Bright, Point Right Homemade Toothpaste
1/3 cup Organic Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon Ascophyllum nodosum algae
2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
Blend all ingredients thoroughly together and store in airtight glass mason jar in cool dark location. We press the finished product/paste (assuming it is kept cool) into a soft bristle human toothbrush and brush our dogs teeth with it after morning meals or at least once per day. We also brush gum lines and inside of flews and inside of lower lips.
We are not veterinarians or oral health canine doctors/professionals, so try at your own risk. We'd suggest not using this formula for any dog that doesn't have a fully developed immune system. If this is the case, we'd suggest using just the coconut oil in and of itself until the pup is an adolescent or at least one year old.
In Closing
“One of Lee's students once asked him, "Master, you constantly speak to us of peace, yet every day you train us to fight. How do you reconcile these conflicting ideas?" And Bruce Lee responded, "It's better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war”
― Will Smith
We found the above quote as part of the blog research and it spoke deeply. We initially chose to be a gardener in a war! We've known we had issues with dental hygiene in our dogs for some time. However we consistently approached PD the wrong way. The costs were grave, embarrassing and unfortunately lived by our dogs, and us indirectly. We wrote this blog and developed the toothpaste for more than just our kennel! In fact, this theme permeates all our blogs. We hope you can hear our call-or read the blog in the least. Our dogs mouths were yelling at us, but we chose to approach PD in all the wrong ways. Better yet, we weren't listening. It took our vet to speak for them. Again, how embarrassing!!! We hope you can not only hear dogs' call, but take action!
One last bit of research to make the point:
Periodontal disease (PD) is a frequent problem seen in veterinary practices. Primary-care veterinary practices, where diagnosis of periodontal disease is predominantly based on visual oral assessment of conscious dogs, report an average prevalence of 9.3 to 18.2% within the dog population. Detailed examinations of anesthetized dogs report much higher prevalence of between 44 and 100%.
Reference:
Wallis C, Holcombe LJ. A review of the frequency and impact of periodontal disease in dogs. J Small Anim Pract. 2020 Sep;61(9):529-540. doi: 10.1111/jsap.13218. PMID: 32955734.
Author Bio:
Jeff Mizenko
Cedars Point Kennel
Summerset, SD
425 241-7788
Jeff Mizenko is the owner of Cedars Point Kennel in Summerset, SD. He's a late onset hunter, trainer, husband, and breeder of three North American Versatile Hunting Dog Natural Ability Breeders Awards. Four of Cedars Point's first six litters received North American Versatile Hunting NA Breeders Awards. Their fifth of seven litters, the G litter, is expected to test this season with seven handlers. We have our fingers crossed they smile bright and run right. Jeff is a bit of a nerd who loves research, adventure and acquiring new life knowledge and experiences.
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