Brushing teeth ?

rob19 · Mar 21, 2017

Hi

I recently learned about the importance of brushing teeth. I take care of a feral cat that now lives in my garage. She trusts me a lot( she allows me to rub her neck and belly)

She never scratched me or bit me, so I thought that brushing her teeth will be an easy task. However I was mistaken , when I tried to brush her teeth she scratched me for the first time

and hid under the car

It is impossible unfortunately !

What are other options/solution? Any other tips ? are there any cats that can evade having dental problems even if they don't have their teeth brushed?

mrsgreenjeens · Mar 21, 2017

Some cats never require dental help, and others needs it from the get go. I had a 16 year old that we never did anything, and every year at her annual exam she got an "excellent" when it came to her teeth. Two of her "siblings" were not so lucky and required dentals by the time they were seven. Another of her "siblings" also get's an "excellent" every year. We do NOT brush their teeth, although I've tried on several occasions. I've never progressed beyond them licking the toothpaste off my fingertip.

abyeb · Mar 21, 2017

Some cats are more prone to tooth/gum disease than others. For example, Abyssinians and cats in the Siamese family are more likely to develop gingivitis, meaning that teeth brushing is important for them. Some people use dental treats, which are, basically, big pieces of kibble. The idea behind this is that when the cat bites into the kibble, it will work up to the gums and somehow clean the area. Different vets have different opinions about dental treats... some say they don't have any effect because cats don't chew the same way humans do. Other vets say that giving their cats these treats is crucial for dental hygiene.

For introducing a cat to teeth brushing, acquire a feline-specific toothpaste from the pet supply store. Cats often like this, as they come in a variety of flavors like chicken and tuna. Start with putting some toothpaste on your finger for your cat to lick off. After your cat gets used to this, you can gradually start moving your finger around the cat's mouth, usually having one person hold the cat while the another one brushes works best. Then you can clean the teeth and gently massage the gums in a circular motion with your finger.

daisyd · Mar 21, 2017

Do cats need their teeth brushed ? She's been to the vets so many times and as recent as 2 days ago and they have never mentioned brushing her teeth

Gizmobius · Mar 21, 2017

I bought a brush and toothpaste set specifically designed for cats and do intend to begin brushing my boy's teeth when he's finished with teething.

But I read that feeding a raw meaty bone or two a week could help cats kind of "brush" their own teeth. Do not take my word for it and please, by all means, do your own research or ask a vet, but I bought a pack of lamb chops from the store and cut off most of the meat around the bone to save for myself for later and gave him one of the raw bones. I froze the other two. From what I read, raw bones are soft and pliable and safe for kitties to chew on just so long as you supervise them. I take away the bone once he chews it down but from the way I hear him going to town on it, it does sound like it would be aiding in cleaning his teeth! Cooked bones are absolutely not safe, of course.

Like I said, this is just what I do for now while I wait for him to stop teething and I can introduce brushing!

abyeb · Mar 21, 2017

daisyD said:
Do cats need their teeth brushed ? She's been to the vets so many times and as recent as 2 days ago and they have never mentioned brushing her teeth

If your vet never mentioned it, your cat will probably be fine. You don't happen to have an Abyssinian, Somali, Siamese, Colorpoint, Oriental, Balinese, or Javanese do you? These breeds (Abyssinian and Somali especially) have a high incidence of dental issues.

rampionrampage · Mar 21, 2017

A mouth rinse was recommended for one of my cats who had issues but couldn't get his teeth brushed. I mean, *I* know it's important but there's some arguments you're just never, ever gonna win with most cats.

None of my other cats had major problems so I don't really do anything except a rare cleaning. That said, we don't really do much wet food.

LTS3 · Mar 21, 2017

daisyD said:
Do cats need their teeth brushed ? She's been to the vets so many times and as recent as 2 days ago and they have never mentioned brushing her teeth

Many "regular" vets simply don't know much about dental health or even what the signs of dental issues are

You can seek out a veterinary dentist if you like.

Brushing helps remove plaque and food particles from the teeth and gums, just like it does for your own teeth. There is info here about dental health for pets: http://www.avdc.org/ownersinfo.html

maddies momma · Mar 21, 2017

LTS3 said:
Many "regular" vets simply don't know much about dental health or even what the signs of dental issues are :dk: You can seek out a veterinary dentist if you like.

I must disagree with you there. All credible vets are highly trained in dental health and signs of dental disease. The only time specialists are called into play is for Complicated extractions, root canals or orthodontics. Currently I am in tech school and even just us techs go through extensive training on recognizing and grading dental disease, including probing, charting, x-rays and just simple oral exams. It's a very extensive knowledge base for us, so I can only imagine how much more extensive it is for vets. It's possible that the vet she went to that didn't mention anything just isn't someone who preaches proactive dental care to every client, and only brings up dental care when they spot a problem.

maddies momma · Mar 21, 2017

Rob19 said:
Hi

I recently learned about the importance of brushing teeth. I take care of a feral cat that now lives in my garage. She trusts me a lot( she allows me to rub her neck and belly)

She never scratched me or bit me, so I thought that brushing her teeth will be an easy task. However I was mistaken , when I tried to brush her teeth she scratched me for the first time and hid under the car

It is impossible unfortunately !

What are other options/solution? Any other tips ? are there any cats that can evade having dental problems even if they don't have their teeth brushed?

One thing to be careful of is because she is a Feral cat and has probably had her fair share of fights, it is possible that she has some damaged teeth that could be painful. So go slowly because you don't want to make anything worse. Most cats don't like their mouths handled to begin with, but a painful mouth is even worse. It sounds like you've only done minimal handling with her, and touching a cats mouth is actually quite invasive. So u should always start of very slowly. Spend a few sessions just holding her head and petting around her mouth once she's used to that spend a few sessions just lifting her lips. Then lifting her lips and touching her gums. Then just dabbing some toothpaste on with your finger. Then rubbing her gums with your finger. Then very slowly work up to brushing. It will be a long process. Also please keep an eye out for damaged teeth because that will require veterinary attention.

rob19 · Mar 22, 2017

Thank you all for your replies.

daisyd · Mar 22, 2017

Maddies Momma said:
I must disagree with you there. All credible vets are highly trained in dental health and signs of dental disease. The only time specialists are called into play is for Complicated extractions, root canals or orthodontics. Currently I am in tech school and even just us techs go through extensive training on recognizing and grading dental disease, including probing, charting, x-rays and just simple oral exams. It's a very extensive knowledge base for us, so I can only imagine how much more extensive it is for vets. It's possible that the vet she went to that didn't mention anything just isn't someone who preaches proactive dental care to every client, and only brings up dental care when they spot a problem.

daisyd · Mar 22, 2017

Maddies Momma said:
I must disagree with you there. All credible vets are highly trained in dental health and signs of dental disease. The only time specialists are called into play is for Complicated extractions, root canals or orthodontics. Currently I am in tech school and even just us techs go through extensive training on recognizing and grading dental disease, including probing, charting, x-rays and just simple oral exams. It's a very extensive knowledge base for us, so I can only imagine how much more extensive it is for vets. It's possible that the vet she went to that didn't mention anything just isn't someone who preaches proactive dental care to every client, and only brings up dental
care when they spot a problem.

The vet gave her a full examination and advised ahe is fine apart from her very sensitive tummy ! I'm sure (hope) would have picked up if something was wrong ! She's having her monthly flea lapplication next week so will double check !

daisyd · Mar 22, 2017

No she is what british call a moggie ! She is not a pedigree however we treat her like a princess ! [emoji]128516[/emoji]

Abyeb said:
If your vet never mentioned it, your cat will probably be fine. You don't happen to have an Abyssinian, Somali, Siamese, Colorpoint, Oriental, Balinese, or Javanese do you? These breeds (Abyssinian and Somali especially) have a high incidence of dental issues.

abyeb · Mar 22, 2017

daisyD said:
No she is what british call a moggie ! She is not a pedigree however we treat her like a princess ! [emoji]128516[/emoji]

Got it! I have a DSH myself.

I just wanted to check to see if you had a breed predisposed to dental issues. Since you don't, brushing isn't as big a deal, but it might still be a good idea to acquire some cat toothpaste for her to lick off of your finger as well as some dental chew toys. Your vet will surely let you know if your cat's teeth condition start to deteriorate slightly, (not saying that this will happen for sure), and if you will need to start formal brushing.

verna davies · Mar 22, 2017

Have you tried Logic gel toothpaste? They claim that it works without brushing and is the only one I found to make this claim. It is activated once in the cats mouth.It only comes in malt flavour and one of my cats lick it off my finger, whilst I put it on the lips of the other two and the lick it that way. It can also be put on their paws to lick off. It is not expensive and lasts ages

daisyd · Mar 22, 2017

Cool I'll try it !

dustydiamond1 · May 31, 2017

rob19 said:
Thank you all for your replies.

Are you still able to pet her?

Ardina · May 31, 2017

I was able to train my cat to sit in my lap and get her teeth brushed, and now she comes running when she sees her toothbrush. It took about a month of training to get her to where I could consistently brush all of her teeth in one sitting.

The first step is making sure that her teeth are healthy and that she has no pain. Then work on getting her to sit on your lap - I found it easiest to train my cat to sit on my lap facing me with her back braced up against my knees. Then, use one hand to lightly scruff and stabilize her jaw and the other hand to just pull up her lip and touch her teeth. Next, introduce the toothbrush and brush just a few teeth. Finally, increase the number of teeth you brush in each session. Make sure to give plenty of praise and treats at each step and only move onto the next when she's completely comfortable with the previous step.

I found that it got really messy to put the cat toothpaste on the brush. So I only use a moistened toothbrush and give her a lick of the toothpaste at the end as a treat.

Now that she's fully trained, she sits in my lap, gets a lick of toothpaste, gets all of her teeth brushed, and gets a treat and a final lick of toothpaste. Often she's so hopeful for more treats that she just keeps sitting in my lap in that funny position waiting for more toothbrushing. :lol:

Brushing teeth ?

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