Quote:
Originally Posted by pawever Yorkie  Well, actually the starch in the kibbles stick btw the teeth and that's how they get teeth problem. when you feed raw, dog's saliva breaks own the protien much faster and there's nothing sticking to thier teeth. Clean breath was one of the first thing I noticed after switching to raw. |
In my understanding, a dog's saliva doesn't contain anything to break down proteins in the mouth. Similarly, a dog's saliva does not contain amylase to break down carbs (like a human's saliva does). Although physical breakdown (chewing) begins in the mouth, chemical breakdown of
proteins doesn't begin until the stomach (for both humans and dogs).
Saliva does contain lysozyme, however, and this is anti-bacterial and may help w/ oral hygiene. There are also live enzymes in raw meat itself.
IMO, teeth problems originate from lots of different sources, food being one possible source/contributor.