“Unnaturally high carbohydrate and starch based diet of many pets today attracts plaque and tartar to stick. Carbohydrates and starches convert to sugars when combined with saliva.” – Google
The biggest issue with the internet today is while we have so much information at our fingertips, people have two problems; the first being that they search for content that fits their preconceived notions and agrees with their beliefs, this is called confirmation bias. The second issue is that the vast majority of the public don’t know how to interpret research studies (unless they have had formal education in science and research), identify good sources of information and then are easily swayed by catchy phrases and claims that are repeated until you think it’s the truth (illusory truth effect).
So why did I start with that quote and why am I talking about research and the illusory truth effect? Because I’m going to talk about why so many pet owners and unqualified individuals believe that feeding any form of carbohydrates will make your pet’s dental health worse – and why that’s simply false.
Which carbohydrates?
The claim centres on a ‘high carbohydrate and starch diet‘ being responsible for dental decay. First we have to define what a “high carb” diet is, and I discuss this more in depth in my other posts, so I won’t reiterate it here – but let’s talk focus on starch for a moment.
Starch provides an energy source for cats and dogs, and it is a polysaccharide produced by most green plants for energy storage. It consists of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds; when enzymatically digested it releases glucose for energy. However, some portion of starch is resistant to digestion and will bypass the small intestine where microbes within the large intestine will ferment or consume the starch, producing short-chain fatty acids, which are also used as energy, and support the maintenance and growth of the microbes – thus having a prebiotic effect on the microbiome.
In uncooked foods, the portion of resistant starches is very high and glucose released from enzymatic digestion is very low – this is why it’s considered to be poorly digestible, but this is not to be confused with cooked starches (like in pet food) which are highly digestible and nutritious, with the right balance of resistant starches for the prebiotic effect.
Starch and saliva
Both dogs and cats have no detectable or a very low activity of salivary α-amylase but dogs, unlike cats, possess a relatively high activity of pancreatic α-amylase. So while their mouth doesn’t digest much starch, most of the starch digestion occurs in the stomach or intestines, when amylase is released from the pancreas.
So what does this have to do with dental disease? If we look at the claim that “carbohydrates and starches convert to sugar when combined with saliva”, this might be true for humans, but if not the case in dogs and cats since digestion of starch does not occur in the mouth. It’s for this reason that dogs and cats don’t tend to get dental caries like humans – which does involve the consumption of sugars and starches, because we do have amylase activity in our mouth. Dogs have an incidence of less than 5.3% of dental caries, whereas in cats it is non-existent.
Why? Because the salivary pH in dogs and cats is more alkaline compared to humans (which is quite acidic), and it’s the acidity of the oral environment that is what eats away at the enamel to form caries.
So what does cause dental disease?
The accumulation of dental plaque as a result of the overgrowth of bacteria in the mouth. Plaque, if not removed, then hardens and calcifies to form tartar. This is called ‘periodontal disease’ – disease affecting the teeth and the structures around the teeth.
Plaque accumulates regardless of diet as it is the result of bacteria forming a film on the teeth (biofilm) with which to attach itself to the tooth surface.
How can we prevent dental disease?
While there are actions we can take, like tooth brushing to remove plaque (mechanical actions) or including a chelator (to bind excess salivary calcium) or enzyme in the diet or in a dental treat (chemical actions), some dogs and cats do have a higher risk of developing dental disease even when these actions are taken due to their anatomical conformation or breed predispositions.
This is why misinformation and shaming doesn’t help anyone – telling pet owners that because they feed dry food, their pet will get dental disease because starch is not only factually incorrect, it’s simply victim blaming – that somehow you have failed as a pet owner if your pet develops periodontal disease.
The best way to support your pet’s dental health is to use Veterinary Oral Health Council Approved products; these diets, treats, chews, water additives, toys and other oral health products have undergone a rigorous approval process where they must submit evidence of their product being effective at either reducing plaque or tartar (or both). The research submitted by the company must show the product is at least 20% effective, use only ingredients that are proven to be safe (or submit evidence that shows they are safe) and if the recipe or formulation changes then they will need to reapply to maintain their Seal of Approval. To learn more about VOHC, check out their website here.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_truth_effect
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch
Corsato Alvarenga I, Aldrich CG. Starch characterization of commercial extruded dry pet foods. Transl Anim Sci. 2020;4(2):txaa018. Published 2020 Feb 14. doi:10.1093/tas/txaa018
He W, Connolly ED, Wu G. Characteristics of the Digestive Tract of Dogs and Cats. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2024;1446:15-38. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-54192-6_2
https://icatcare.org/advice/dental-disease-in-cats/
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