In 2024, U.S.-based Banfield Pet Hospital analyzed its data from more than 3 million pets in its system to determine the state of pet dental care in the U.S. According to the results, roughly 73% of dogs and 64% of cats seen had some sort of diagnosed dental issues (see Table 1). What’s more, for dogs in particular, size matters. Research from Waltham Petcare Science Institute indicates that extra-small dog breeds (less than 14.3 pounds) are up to five times more likely to be diagnosed with periodontal disease than giant dog breeds (more than 55 pounds). This is rough news for a pet ownership market that globally trends to smaller dogs as being the easier to take care of (in terms of needing less livable space, being more portable and costing less to feed, among other perks).
“The links between oral health and overall health are really powerful,” said Jessica Jarett, advisor and principal scientist for Pet and Lifestyle at Cargill, during a recent WATT-hosted Ask the Pet Food Pro on “How the gut microbiome impacts pet skin, joints and oral health.” Periodontal disease and oral dysbiosis in general are linked to IBD, various types of arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal cancers, etc., said Jarett, making oral health particularly important for pets.
