Dental Health

charliebbarkin

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Hi!

Do you guys do anything to keep your cat's teeth clean? Or do they seem to be okay on their own? My guy's teeth seem fine right now but he is only 4. I'm wondering if i should start brushing his teeth or, like, does that dental spray work? My family's cats are 16 and have good teeth and they've never been brushed or anything but I'm worried that they are just flukes and my little buddy won't be so lucky! He eats mostly wet food and I've heard mixed things about dry food actually helping clean teeth (some say it helps but i feel like most say that it is too brittle to clean the teeth?)
 

Columbine

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It's a myth that kibble helps to keep teeth clean - its the equivalent of saying that eating cookies cleans our teeth!

Daily brushing is the gold standard when it comes to keeping teeth clean, but there are a few alternatives out there. Dental chews can definitely help. Supplements such as Plaque Off can work too. Even just smearing the kitty toothpaste onto the teeth will make a difference (and if that isn't doable, getting the cat to lick it off your finger will still help). Finally, a raw meaty bone (such as as a chicken wingtip/wing/neck) once or twice a week can really help too. It's simply a case of finding what works for you and your cat.

Just a note - with older cats , all home treatments are going to be less effective as they're unable to remove existing plaque build up. The ideal scenario is to take the cats in for a dental cleaning, so that you're starting off with clean teeth. Having said that, using any home dental care is going to stop future build up, so it's definitely still worth doing for all age groups ;) [article="30205"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="30206"][/article]
 

raysmyheart

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I use a malt flavored toothpaste on a soft cat toothbrush a couple times a week, but I should be doing it everyday.  Mainly because it is hard to brush all teeth in one sitting sometimes.  My cat seems to like it.
 

bottledspirit

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My one car will let me do anything. He's not happy about it, he kinda goes into a pouty "what did I do... I don't understand" but he puts up with me. So we brush every day. The other is a different story so I'm working towards it.

My new vet told me to be careful because it can damage relationships if you're too forceful with teeth brushing. Maybe try starting by spreading the cat toothpaste on the teeth as mentioned.
 

NewYork1303

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Both my cats get their teeth brushed every day. We started since our older cat had very swollen gums when we adopted him and his first vet was intent on a dental cleaning (not our vet anymore). After a few weeks of brushing his gums were good. He had a recent check up and the vet said he is at the lowest level for dental plaque build up, so it seems to be working. 
 

LTS3

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I brush my cats' teeth


Older cats can be trained to at least tolerate brushing. My previous cat never had his teeth brushed until he was 8 years old. I thought he would hate it but he actually loved it to the point where he would sit near the cabinet where I kept this toothbrush and toothpaste and meow
I use CET poultry flavored toothpaste.
 

abby2932

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I totally recommend the raw meaty bone for dental health!

My cats are on a raw diet so they eat meaty bones every other day but if you're just trying to feed it for dental health then once a week should be sufficient.

Primal has raw meaty bones for dental health that you could probably get from local pet shops that carry that brand. The chicken backs and necks are good sizes for cats. Or you can get chicken wings, etc from a butcher.

I used to brush my cats teeth a few times a week but this works out much better for us.
 

lisahe

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We brush our cats' teeth pretty much every day, too, with CET seafood or poultry toothpaste. They love the toothpaste so much they look forward to it: it's a treat. After I brush their teeth, they get a snack that they like. It can take some time to get a cat used to toothbrushing: I adapted the Cornell Vet School's method for our cats (link here) a little, speeding it up because the cats were so fascinated by the toothbrush at the beginning that they started scenting and biting it!
 

mema62

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Both my cats get their teeth brushed every day. We started since our older cat had very swollen gums when we adopted him and his first vet was intent on a dental cleaning (not our vet anymore). After a few weeks of brushing his gums were good. He had a recent check up and the vet said he is at the lowest level for dental plaque build up, so it seems to be working. 
I have tried brushing. Sprays. Jack's got so bad he had gum infection do 3 days ago we started antibiotic except for yesterday They cleaned his teeth. QUESTION. THIS IS DAY 2 AFTER CLEANING. in addition he got shots same time. He's still sleepy keeps to self. And I think he urinated in the hallway tonite. Is it just that he's still under the influence? Eating peeing ok. I do not like putting him to sleep so I need to prevent. Vet recommended a probiotic in his food....any ideas if he's normally day 2 after cleaning feeling under weather? Why did he pee in hallway that's unusual for him.
 

NewYork1303

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I have tried brushing. Sprays. Jack's got so bad he had gum infection do 3 days ago we started antibiotic except for yesterday They cleaned his teeth. QUESTION. THIS IS DAY 2 AFTER CLEANING. in addition he got shots same time. He's still sleepy keeps to self. And I think he urinated in the hallway tonite. Is it just that he's still under the influence? Eating peeing ok. I do not like putting him to sleep so I need to prevent. Vet recommended a probiotic in his food....any ideas if he's normally day 2 after cleaning feeling under weather? Why did he pee in hallway that's unusual for him.
I expect that he urinated in the hall since he is stressed and not feeling good. I haven't had either of my cats in for a dental cleaning before, but my dog went in last year. She was still feeling a bit off on day two. He probably isn't under the influence of anything anymore- but is tired and sleepy since his body is working on healing.
 

lavishsqualor

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I've brushed Atticus and Thirteen's teeth every day since they were kittens.

They don't love it but they tolerate it.  In fact, it's amazing how well they actually do tolerate it. That last back molar is always tough to get and by then they're getting impatient but they still don't put up too much of a fight.

Having never had cats before these two fell into my lap, I had no idea what stomatitis was.  Now that I do know, I'm bound to do everything I can to prevent it.
 

henrysimons1

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Thought this might help, I know it helped me - a cat care video on how to brush your cats teeth .

 
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