Malic acid is both developed and then consumed in significant quantities by your dog’s body daily. It is needed on a constant basis because it is a critical part of the Krebs cycle. This is the process in which the body uses biochemical processes to produce water and energy. The British biochemist Sir Hans Krebs won the Nobel Prize for physiology in 1953 for identifying this process which literally keeps your dog functionally daily with energy and good dog health. Malic acid is also a natural substance found in fruit and vegetables – one of the richest sources being apples. Thus it was given the name malic which according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is derived from the French acide malique and Latin malum for apple. It is also found in cranberries, pineapple, apricot, and strawberries.
All these fruits can be fed to your dog but be careful with apples in that you only feed the “meat” of the apple and not the stem, core, or seeds since they contain small amounts of cyanide. It was first discovered in 1785 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. This distinguished natural scientist and co-founder of modern chemistry who is best recognized for his discovery of oxygen in our air also discovered other significant substances such as chlorine, glycerin, manganese, lactic acid, and tartaric acid.
In addition to the significant benefits of transforming proteins, fat and carbohydrates into water and energy, malic acid offers many other benefits for proper dog health. It helps keep muscles and the heart from experiencing fatigue and weakness, it enhances the immune systems, it is an active chelation agent of toxic heavy metals, and it is very effective in maintaining healthy dog teeth and oral health.
As a chelation agent malic acid supports proper dog health by reacting with both good minerals and harmful heavy metal toxins in the body. With the good minerals it disrupts the chemical bonds of original inorganic compounds creating malates which in turn promote efficient absorption of the mineral. With harmful heavy metal toxins such as aluminum, lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic it is able to combine with them making them inactive which allows them to be excreted from your dog’s body via the kidneys and liver. This greatly reduces the risk of liver disease and nervous system disorders in your dog.
One of the most effective uses of malic acid for maintaining proper dog health is in the area of oral hygiene. First for treating dog bad breath it acts as both an antiseptic and stimulates the creation of excess saliva in the mouth. This combination significantly reduces the amount of bacteria and infection in the mouth which is the number one cause of dog bad breath. This is why malic acid is often used in toothpastes and mouthwashes. Then just as your dentist uses malic acid to clean teeth before adding fillings and to whiten teeth you can use it for cleaning dog teeth. The best product for cleaning dog teeth the natural way is to use strawberries. Strawberries contain malic acid at a strength that is safe to use in the mouth and on dog teeth. You can make a simple toothpaste by smashing up a few berries with a little baking soda and water. It is recommended to only use this mixture for cleaning dog teeth no more than once a week.
