Chicken Necks For Dental Health

[MissClouseau]

My goal is to get Salem on a brushing schedule. How often do you think a cat should have their teeth brushed? I am thinking maybe twice a week to start out. I don't think I am going to give Salem the chicken necks right now (maybe never) due to the risks @Azazel mentioned. But, I might give her bits of meat. I had always planned to give her the raw in conjunction with the brushing not instead of. I actually have a malt flavored enzyme cat toothpaste that Salem tolerates fairly well.

Ideally we should brush every day. If you can do less frequently still better than no brushing.

 

[Moka]

Thank you to everyone for their advice on teeth brushing. I think I will get into the habit of doing it every night. I just don't want to make Salem's mouth sore. Should I slowly build up to brushing daily?

 

[Moka]

I just checked the back of Salem's toothpaste and is says to brush 2 - 3 times a week. It is Sentry Petrodex brand. I am a bit confused now. Should I follow the instructions or should I be brushing daily? If I brush 3 times a week and give Salem chicken gizzards, do you think that is enough? I am completely willing and able to brush her teeth daily. I just don't want to overdo it, if that is possible. Plus, it is a bit traumatic for Salem to have her teeth brushed. I do know though that it will get better with time. I just hate to make my little one uncomfortable for even a moment. Am I supposed to be brushing her back teeth as well? At the moment, I can get a little past her canines and that is it. That was why I was looking into the chicken necks in the first place. Will the gizzards help with the back teeth or should I be trying harder to get back there with the toothbrush?

 

[LTS3]

I just checked the back of Salem's toothpaste and is says to brush 2 - 3 times a week. It is Sentry Petrodex brand. I am a bit confused now. Should I follow the instructions or should I be brushing daily?

You can ignore the instructions. Brush the teeth as often as you can. Food debris and bacteria build up on teeth so brushing daily is best, just like with our own teeth, but a few times a week is still good. You don't need to brush every single tooth surface. No cat would hold still for that. A quickly swab on the exterior of the teeth and as many of the molars as you can get to is fine.

You can give gizzards, etc a few times a week as an extra to toothbrush.

A yummy flavored toothpaste would make brushing a lot easier. You can try different flavors and brands of toothpaste. CET is a very popular brand but you'll have to buy it online as most pet stores don't sell it.

Some cats may still need a dental cleaning and treatment despite good dental hygiene. It's just their genetics. Don't feel bad if your cat needs a dental later in life.

 

[MissClouseau]

I just checked the back of Salem's toothpaste and is says to brush 2 - 3 times a week. It is Sentry Petrodex brand. I am a bit confused now. Should I follow the instructions or should I be brushing daily?

Toothpaste is probably only talking about using that particular toothpaste and not all kinds of brushing. I use a tooth gel from beaphar and familiar with their toothpaste as well, they both say "for daily protection."

If I brush 3 times a week and give Salem chicken gizzards, do you think that is enough? I am completely willing and able to brush her teeth daily. I just don't want to overdo it, if that is possible. Plus, it is a bit traumatic for Salem to have her teeth brushed.

I think this could be more of a "try and see" thing. Normally brushing daily is the best as it is for humans too but brushing an animal's teeth who don't hold still isn't as easy as brushing our own teeth. I actually can't brush my Hima's teeth at all this year because her gums are very sensitive due to couple different oral problems and brushing hurts her gum - we are still waiting for her to be eligible for dental work. I use beaphar toothgel that doesn't need brushing, and PetStages dental toys, those things specifically made for cats to add to the water, got ProDen Plaque Off just last week, and rarely give Feline Greenies dental treats. It's still not as effective as brushing for sure (and is more expensive) but there are things like this for some extra care or if you can't brush daily.

Am I supposed to be brushing her back teeth as well?

The side and back ones seem to be the firsts to go bad as they can't even lick them well like they do with front teeth and not use them as much.