Mars Petcare
Beyond Plaque And Tartar: Mars Petcare And Waltham Petcare Science Institute Uncover A New Approach To Canine Oral Health Through Modulating ‘beneficial’ Bacteria
9 months ago 
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- The Waltham Petcare Science Institute has conducted over 30 studies and dedicated over 20 years to advancing canine oral health research
- Novel insights from recent studies highlight clues in the oral microbiome that could enhance the identification and prevention of periodontal disease, as well as help evaluate the efficacy of oral care products
- PEDIGREE® Dentastix™ Daily Oral Care chews have been clinically shown to support the maintenance of healthy oral microbiota by increasing the proportion of health-associated bacteria
- Read the latest canine oral microbiome studies: https://www.waltham.com/resources/waltham-publications#biomarkers
WALTHAM-ON-THE-WOLDS, UK (02 August, 2023) ─ Mars Petcare continues its ongoing commitment to conducting cutting-edge research and developing tools to improve canine oral health at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, Mars Petcare’s science center.
More than 80% of dogs over three are affected by periodontal disease (PD),1 which can not only cause painful abscesses and tooth loss but has been associated with heart, liver, and kidney complications.2 However, many cases of PD are missed or underdiagnosed due to the limitations of conscious visual assessment.3
The Waltham Petcare Science Institute ─ which has contributed over 30 groundbreaking studies in 20 years to canine oral health research ─ has uncovered novel insights into canine oral microbiota. These insights could improve early 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 revolutionize novel therapeutic and preventative strategies for oral and systemic diseases.4
The microbiome could aid the assessment of oral health status beyond traditional measures. Dr. Avika Ruparell, Senior Research Scientist at Waltham Petcare Science Institute, says: “Canine oral niches harbor 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.5“
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.
Dr. Logan 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% and calculus accumulation by approximately 60%,6 Dentastix™ Daily Oral Care is now clinically shown to promote bacteria associated with periodontal health.7
Dr. Ruparell, 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.9 Achieving good oral health is not about removing all bacteria; it’s about promoting the ‘beneficial’ bacteria.”
Dr. Ruparell 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.5
Read the latest oral microbiome papers on the Waltham Petcare Science Institute website or visit Webinar Vet for more information.
References:
- Kortegaard, H.E., Eriksen, T., and Baelum, V. (2008). Periodontal disease in research beagle dogs--an epidemiological study. The Journal of small animal practice, 49(12):610–616.
- O'Neill, D.G., Mitchell, C.E., Humphrey, et al. (2021). Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting. The Journal of small animal practice, 62(12):1051–1061.
- Wallis, C., and Holcombe L.J. (2020). A review of the frequency and impact of periodontal disease in dogs. Journal of small animal practice, 61:529─540.
- Li, Z., Fu, R., Huang, X., et al. (2023). A decade of progress: bibliometric analysis of trends and hotspots in oral microbiome research (2013-2022). Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 13:1195127.
- Ruparell, A., Wallis, C., and Holcombe, L. (2023). Canine oral bacterial signatures & Microbiota modulation via dental chews [Presentation]. Mars Petcare, Waltham Petcare Science Institute. European Veterinary Dental Forum, 28th April, Krakow.
- Brown, W., and McGenity, P. (2005) Effective Periodontal Disease Control Using Dental Hygiene Chews. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. 22, 16─19.
- Ruparell, A., Warren, M., Staunton, R., et al. (2020). Effect of feeding a daily oral care chew on the composition of plaque microbiota in dogs. Research in Veterinary Science, 132: 133─141.
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