two unrelated questions: dentist and heartworm question.

Hi guys!

I have lived in a house that has had animals since i was a little girl, but i got my first pet on my own back in march. A cat that will one year old in December. In my family, no one has ever bothered taking an animal to a dentist. I was wondering, are dentists necessary? ive even heard of people brushing their pets teeth! I just wanted to know some facts, to see if its necessary.

also, i have my cat on Revolution, i apply it once a month. but i have heard its good to also give them a supplement for heart worm. but im not sure if i should if shes already on revolution?

this is my first cat as an adult so im learning things as i go. the last cat i had, was when i was 5 years old, my dad would get them on a farm, and they would always run away from me! lol

A lot of cats end up needing a dental, but your vet should check your cat's teeth at it's annual check-up.  They should also weigh it, listen to it's heart, feel it's tummy, check for fleas and give boosters if appropriate.

I live in the UK and we don't have heartworm hear so can't comment on that.

One of my cats eats a raw chicken wing each day, and that keeps her teeth wonderfully clean.  It is messy - she often has to 'kill' it - but it's very good for her teeth, and the time it takes her to eat it is good for her as well.  She eats wet food as well.  If your cat will eat a raw wing a few times a week that will probably make sure she never needs a dental.  Unfortunately not all cats will eat them - her brother for example.

NEVER, EVER give cooked chicken bones.  They become brittle and will splinter into very sharp fragments when the cat bites them.

isnt there a lot of bacteria in uncooked chicken? i know its bad for us, but what about cats?
 

The revolution should be sufficient for heartworm prevention. Raw chicken is okay for cats. Their bodies are designed to handle any bacteria in raw food. We have an excellent Raw Feeding section in this forum if you want to learn more.

Dental health is largely genetic. As the other member said, the vet will check her teeth at her annual check up. If she needs a dental cleaning, the vet will tell you.

Feed a good quality canned food to keep her healthy.

It's good you want to learn all about the best way to care for and to keep your kitty healthy and happy!

There is often harmful to humans bacteria on raw chicken so you need to be careful how you store it in the fridge, how long you keep it and be sure to wash your hands after handling it.  However as others have said, cats have much stronger digestive juices and it doesn't harm well cats.

In the UK we can buy packs of cheap wings in the supermarket which have 10-12 wings in, and it's easy to freeze some of them if the pack won't all get used in a few days.

I freeze all raw meat at minus ten degrees Fahrenheit for three days before giving it to my cats.

Out of curiosity, what does freezing it do that's beneficial?

OrientalSlave said:

Out of curiosity, what does freezing it do that's beneficial?

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Kills any potential parasites. Most anyway (will not completely eradicate toxoplasmosis)

OrientalSlave said:

Out of curiosity, what does freezing it do that's beneficial?

Click to expand...

OrientalSlave said:

Out of curiosity, what does freezing it do that's beneficial?

Click to expand...

Freezing for 3 days is what is recommended to get rid of Toxoplasmosis.
The FDA recommends Freezing for 7 days under -4F any fish that will be served raw as sushi, for example to get rid of Tape, roundworm and most parasites.....

Control Strategy Example 1 - Freezing
Critical Limit: Freezing and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time);

OR

Freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours;

OR

Freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours.

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http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceCom...ProductsHazardsandControlsGuide/ucm091704.htm

Bold is mine, in reference to the option to what we can do at a home environment.....