My Cat has Gingivitis Need Help

[werra]

I went to the vet to let the vet check my cat's mouth, she said it is gingivitis, I saw her two teeth are yellowish in color. I asked if it is alarming, my vet said for now it is not but recommended me dental cleaning which cost 100 dollars. I can't afford it now but willing to find a way if dental cleaning is really really needed. She is not drooling and is not refusing her food so what my vet said is my cat's condition for now is still mild.  I told my vet If I could apply first Oxyfresh Pet Gel to my cat's gum (which can be used as a pet toothpaste that you can rub to gumline to deodorize, soothe, heal, condition and clean gums and teeth.) She said yes I can just do it twice a day everyday and she also said If I could brush her teeth that would  be good. My cat is really obedient she takes whatever medication I give to her whether in syrup form, capsule or gel like form she has no problem taking it, If I try first to brush her teeth regularly and give her pet gel everyday will this help to heal her gingivitis? or Should I really need to go for the dental cleaning immediately?

 

[missymotus]

Raw meat and bones are the best thing for cleaning teeth. Give her 1" chunks of meat, or chicken necks/wings a few times a week.

 

[orientalslave]

Brushing etc. might stop her getting worse but doesn't clean teeth the same as an ultrasound cleaner does.  If we could brush our own teeth effectively we'd never need to get them scaled...

Agree that raw meat & bone really helps prevent buildup, but not all cats seem to like them.  My girls seem to like chicken wings, the boys ignore them.

If you are in the UK raw chicken wings are in large packs at all the main supermarkets, I always look for the pack with the smallest wings - bigger ones don't get completely eaten, with the little ones just a tiny bit of the biggest bone gets left.

 

[werra]

Thanks for the reply. I am going to try giving her raw chicken neck I hope she will like it. i tried giving her boiled chicken breast before without any seasoning but she didn't like it. I hope she will eat the chicken neck. I will buy some later. I already bought her pet toothpaste and she is a well behaved cat. She let me brushed her teeth, there is no forcing on my part. I have no problems also putting pet gel into her gums. Feeding raw chicken neck and brushing her teeth regularly will this going to work? I check also the smell of her breath and the smell is just normal.

 

[ldg]

I find it odd the vet said she has gingivitis but doesn't recommend to do anything about it. Gingivitis can be painful. It's inflammation of the gums - it's more than just plaque build-up.

Chewing bones will definitely help prevent problems, and may help a little with some of the build-up she already has. If she likes crunching bones, then you might want to go ahead with the dental, and then give her bones to crunch to keep them clean.

To treat the gingivitis, if you don't want to use antibiotics, you can use raw honey to help the inflammation. Since she's good about getting her teeth brushed, it seems you should be able to smear some on her gums without a problem. Do it once a day for a week.

 

[orientalslave]

Raw honey?  Isn't that encouraging tooth decay, in the same way sugars encourage decay in our teeth?

 

[aeevr]

I'm now advocating the honey thing - I know nothing about it.

I have read that honey has anti-microbial properties.

Also, I've heard it argued that acidic fluids (juice and soda) are the number one contributing factor to tooth decay diet-wise.

The acid demineralizes the tooth giving the bacteria places to settle and cause more destruction.

The condition of your teeth has way more to do with genetics and how much you brush and floss than what you eat.

 

[orientalslave]

I'm now advocating the honey thing - I know nothing about it.

I have read that honey has anti-microbial properties.

Also, I've heard it argued that acidic fluids (juice and soda) are the number one contributing factor to tooth decay diet-wise.

The acid demineralizes the tooth giving the bacteria places to settle and cause more destruction.

The condition of your teeth has way more to do with genetics and how much you brush and floss than what you eat.

Honey applied topically is anti-microbial, but it is almost all fructose and glucose, both sugars.  In human mouths the bacteria in our mouths feed on those and produce acids as a waste product, and as you say those are bad for our teeth.

When sugar first came along and only the rich could afford it it was not unknown for people to black out a tooth - losing teeth through decay was far more common among those who could afford sugar. 

Now sugar contains sucrose rather than fructose and glucose, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to find it's just as bad for the teeth as sugar.

 

[aeevr]

Anyway, this kinda confirms raw is the way to go:

http://www.zoodent.com/clinical/carnivores/resorption.html

 

[ldg]

Raw honey?  Isn't that encouraging tooth decay, in the same way sugars encourage decay in our teeth?

It's not meant to be used long term. Like I said - use it for a week to provide relief from the inflammation. If it's not a severe case, that might take care of it. But a dental is still required. I really doubt using the RAW honey for one week is going to promote tooth decay.

All I know is that a long time rescuer uses this, it works. I asked my holistic vet about it. She said just what I wrote. It's not meant to be used long term, it will provide short term relief, but a dental is still required.

 

[werra]

Hi I brought my cat to other vet and let her checked my cat again. My other vet said that the swollen gums has tiny a bit of hole in it and has pus, he said that my cat might punctured her gums with a some object, My vet said it is an infection. She gave me antibacterial medicine and ascorbic acid. I asked if it is gingivitis, and my second vet said it is not because her breath is not smelly. I am hoping this is the right diagnosis for my cat.

 

[emilymaywilcha]

Laurie, my last vet in Ohio said doing dental work on a 15-year old cat could cause an infection. In other words, there is an age limit for dental scaling and tooth extraction. Because I had never heard that is not true before, I had no reason not to believe her. Does that make sense?

 

[catcare27]

Please don't feed your cats cooked chicken wings or cooked bones of any kind.  They can easily choke and die on the bones.  

 

[bella1]

Hi there! M y cat has the same problem and what has really helped is using the CET oral rinse daily.  It kills bacteria In the mouth that contribute to gingivitis.