Efficacy of deer byproduct in maintaining periodontal health of pet dogs

Abstract

We examined the effects of deer byproducts (femur, rib, horn) in maintaining periodontal health in pet dogs. Eight healthy adult dogs participated; for 1 month before the start of the experiment they were not given access to any foods or dental care products that could potentially reduce their dental plaque. The dogs freely ingested each byproduct for 3 min, in random order at 3- to 5-day intervals. Without the use of anesthesia, the experimenter measured the plaque score before and after each chewing session. The plaque reduction rate was femur 17.06%, rib 11.58%, and horn 23.76%, and the plaque score decreased significantly after chewing of femur or hone. Both femur and horn may thus improve oral hygiene in dogs. However, products should be provided in consideration of each dog’s age, breed and chewing ability, because the responses to these deer byproducts differ among individuals.