Bite, swallow and away! As soon as your dog sees his kibble in the food bowl, his survival instinct will emerge. And even before you can blink twice, it seems like there have never been any chunks in the bin. Chew? Your dog doesn't have time for that. While chewing chunks helps to maintain healthy teeth. In this blog you can read what the effect of good kibble is on your dog's teeth.
Chunks clean the dog's teeth
One of the benefits of kibble as a main food for your dog is that they help keep your teeth clean. Although brushing your teeth is the best way to clean your teeth, nutrition is certainly an important factor. The texture, shape and size of chunks all affect their cleaning action.
The bigger the dog, the bigger the chunk
Large dog breeds have larger jaws than their smaller colleagues. Logical, but certainly something to take into account when choosing the type of food you give your dog. If you give your dog too small a chunk, he will probably swallow them without chewing. This can cause stomach pain and flatulence. Too large a lump can make food painful, especially in dogs with bad teeth.
The correct size chunk ensures that your dog has to chew, without this taking too much effort. Therefore, before buying new kibble, check whether the size is suitable for your dog. This way you help him maintain healthy teeth.
Hardness of dog food
To prevent plaque, it is necessary that dog chunks do not fall apart too easily. Chunks that crumble when chewing can make plaque worse, because there are leftovers in the teeth. Pressed chunks often fall apart easily, while crunchy chunks are harder and your dog really needs to chew them to get them small. For dogs with healthy teeth, crunchy kibble is therefore often a better option.
My dog still gobbles, now what?
Is your dog so excited about his favorite kibble that - despite the right size and hardness - he still gobbles? Then try applying these tips to encourage chewing:
1. Eating in a quiet place:
The more distraction, the faster your dog eats. Place the food bowl where your four-legged friend can eat quietly on his own to reduce gobbling.
2. Hide the chunks:
Spread the chunks around the house and let your detective do the work. By putting the food in different places, gobbling is simply not an option.
3. Put the food in an anti-startle container or food toy:
work everything in one big bite? Not an option if you give chunks in an anti-scare bowl or food toy.
By countering gobbling, you increase the chance that your dog will chew his kibble. This contributes to healthy teeth. An additional advantage is that your dog becomes saturated faster if he eats more slowly. This way you reduce the chance of being overweight.
Want to know which chunk is right for your dog? Then take a good look at his breed, ideal weight and the shape of the jaw.
In the range of Fokker you will find kibble for dogs up to 10 kg, 10 to 30 kg and 30 to 80 kg.
Each type of kibble is the right size for your dog and contains foods that support health.
Do you want more information about which food suits your dog best?
Use our Nutrition Guide or ask us the question via the contact form! We are happy to help you.
