Dental Care

Dental Care was something I never thought of with Zazzy but probably should he is 41/2. He does not like treats, ANY treats, he just does not like them. So is there any other way , Zazzy is not the type of cat that would EVER let me brush his teeth. I though his hard food was what helped clean his teeth? Is there something else I should do?

No, dry food does not clean teeth. It would be like you crunching on hard pretzels to clean your own teeth. Plaque and bacteria and food particles should ideally be removed with manual action (ie tooth brushing).

I suggest having the cat's teeth examined first. Bad teeth, gingivitis, and other issues need to be resolved first before home treatment can work.

Give teeth brushing a try anyways. You might be surprised. There are cats here on TCS who just love their pet toothpaste after the first attempt or two or brushing. I recommend the CET brand. The poultry flavored toothpaste is popular with cats.

CET also has dental chew treats you can try. The treats are pretty large and have a pretty coarse texture. A cat really has to chew on the treat. Feline Greenies and other similar treats are too small to do much of anything on dental health.

There are dental gels you can rub on the teeth and rinses that you can squirt onto the teeth. I don't think these do much to remove any food particles stuck between the teeth, though, but some dental care is better than nothing. I would avoid the water additives. A cat isn't going to drink enough water for an additive to have any effect.

Some people give their cats raw poultry gizzards and hearts and neck bones and wings for dental health. Not all cats will eat raw, though.