Home Dental Care Methods for Your Cat

Home Dental Care Methods for Your Cat

Your cat’s teeth are Important. Aftercare for extraction includes a diet of soft food only, for two weeks while the mouth heals. For pets that undergo a root canal and/or vital pulpotomy, they can go back to dry kibble immediately after either procedure. We believe that the best way to ensure your pet’s recovery and overall oral health is to educate you, the pet owner.

Generally, routine dental care is an outpatient procedure. The procedure is performed in the early afternoon. Patients are generally ready to return home after 5 pm the same day. Pets receiving advanced dental procedures with x-rays and extractions are still generally dismissed the same day. If your pet’s dental surgery is more extensive and he or she would benefit from additional pain medication or extended iv fluid therapy, we may recommend an overnight stay.

The Problem With Plaque on Your Cat’s Teeth

Here there is more advanced tartar build-up with the accompanying inflammation, but there is beginning to be soft tissue loss, gum recession, abnormally-deep periodontal pocket formation.

Veterinarians are seeing major improvements not only in patients’ mouths but in our own dogs as well. People are bringing in their dogs for rechecks 6–8 months after a dental procedure and dedicated home care. And the success rate is amazing. Many of these dogs have not formed a lot of new plaque, and the stinky breath is gone!
so, when you begin your dental care routine, ask yourself what you are willing to do at home in terms of dental care and stick to that commitment. If you are going to brush only occasionally, find other tartar control products your dog likes.

Just like humans, cats also need to have a daily oral care regime. It’s important to clean your cat’s teeth in some way every day to remove the plaque that adheres to their teeth every day. If the plaque is not removed and is left in contact with the tooth, it will harden to form tartar within just a few days. Tartar cannot be brushed away and can lead to the start of gum problems which cause pain and discomfort. Feeding your cat a mixture of dry and wet food delivers food with a variety of tastes and textures which cats really enjoy. The additional benefit of feeding dry food is that the dry kibble creates abrasion on the surface of the teeth which can help to wipe plaque away which helps to clean their teeth.

There will be an early bone loss too, but less than 25%. The teeth are not loose at this point. To the right is an image of a dog’s molar with stage two periodontal disease, and an x-ray of the same tooth. Notice the bone loss lurking under the gums!  the damage that happens in stage 2 periodontal disease is not reversible!  although we can often achieve soft tissue regeneration, bone loss is especially hard to deal with, and we may not ever be able to get the bone to regenerate. The deep periodontal pockets that form pose a particular problem in that they are “tartar traps.

How to Brush a Cat’s Teeth at Home

If you’re not regularly brushing your pet’s teeth, they could lose some due to periodontal disease. Poor oral hygiene for both dogs and cats can result in tartar build-up, tooth decay, infections, and gum problems. To prevent this, brush your dog or cat’s teeth every day (check out our blog post here for a simple how-to), and offer your pet tooth-cleaning snacks. If you’re concerned about your pet’s current dental health, bring him or her into your veterinarian for an examination and a thorough cleaning.

If your cat really won’t tolerate you brushing their teeth, you could try dental gels. You won’t need the brush with gels but you will need to put them on your cat’s teeth. Try getting them used to have their mouth and teeth touched in the same way as brushing. Once you’re both comfortable it should become a daily routine. Gels don’t remove plaque from your cat’s teeth so they’re not as effective as tooth brushing. They can help to slow down problems from developing.

Brushing your cat’s teeth is a great way to avoid dental disease. Ideally, you should introduce dental care at a young age. Although kitten’s teeth don’t need to be brushed, you’ll need to get them used to have their teeth touched to prepare them. Here are our top tips on brushing your cat’s teeth:
ask your vet to show you how to brush your cat’s teeth correctly
buy specialised toothpaste for your cat. Cats should never use human toothpaste.

Brushing your pet’s teeth is just as important in preventing dental disease as brushing your own. Ideally, your cat should get used to having its teeth cleaned from an early age. Wrapping a piece of soft gauze around your finger and gently rubbing the pet’s teeth should get it used to the idea. You can then move on to using a toothbrush specially designed for cats or a small ordinary toothbrush with soft bristles. Toothbrushes which fit over the end of your finger are available for cats and dogs.

Alternatives to Brushing Your Cat’s Teeth

Begin by putting your cat’s toothpaste on your finger and offering it to them to lick. You can even buy toothpaste flavoured with chicken
you will need a toothbrush that is designed for cats too. Have a look in your local pet shop for something suitable
choose a time of day that you can stick to, in order to make teeth brushing part of your pet’s normal routine – ensure you are calm and comfortable.

Adult cats have a mouth full of 30 teeth. Cats use their teeth for obtaining and holding food, chewing food, and for self-defence. Unfortunately, domestic cats are experiencing dental disease at a high rate. Dental disease can cause pain and discomfort in our feline friends and can lead to tooth loss and other health issues. It is important for cat parents to be proactive about their cat’s dental health through regular check-ups, teeth brushing, and dental cleanings.

The very best way to clean your cat’s teeth is to brush them daily. Tooth-brushing is the most effective way of removing plaque from your cat’s teeth and most cats will take to it if the process is built up slowly. Cat toothbrushes and specially designed cat toothpaste is available at most pet retailers. Because oral care of cats is so important, whiskas® have created dental bites, a daily treat to help you care for your cat’s teeth and gums. Cats are stoic animals and they have evolved to hide pain meaning gum problems are not always obvious. Having your cat’s mouth checked regularly by your vet or vet nurse is a great way to keep on top of her oral health, but here are some subtle signs that cat owners can look out for at home.

Arthritis in Your Cat: Signs, Causes & Treatment

It might surprise you that cats commonly suffer from disorders of the teeth, jaw and mouth. As cats are great at hiding signs of discomfort and pain, it can be difficult, as an owner, to see that your cat even has an issue. Your cat might appear happy and relaxed, and may even be eating and drinking normally. Oral health issues can be a great source of suffering for our pets and cats often seem to be much livelier and content after treatment. Maintaining good oral health and keeping your cat’s teeth clean is likely to improve the quality of your cat’s life.

Diabetes in Cats: Causes, Signs & Treatments

Aging cat issues are often similar to those faced by humans. Older cats are susceptible to such problems as arthritis, obesity, vision and hearing problems and dementia, as well as a host of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, kidney or liver disease and thyroid problems. Ageing cats are susceptible to dental issues like gum disease and feline tooth resorption, a disease in which teeth dissolve at the roots. Here are some signs that your cat might be experiencing one of these common senior cat problems.

Treatment for dental problems can become very expensive. It’s important to speak openly to your vet about your finances, the cost of treatment, as well as what you think is right for your cat – there might be more than one treatment option. Consider insuring your cat as soon as you get them, before any signs of illness started. This will ensure you have all the support you need to care for them.

Dental (tooth and gum) disease is a very common problem in cats, especially as they get older. Dental problems are often very painful and left without treatment, can cause problems such as kidney disease and heart disease. Most cats continue to eat even when they are in pain, so it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of dental problems and have their mouth checked by your vet at least once per year.

Dental problems are fairly common in cats. As soon as you start to notice any symptoms of potential problems see your vet for advice. Taking care of your cat’s mouth can help to prevent a lot of dental issues. But if your cat does get mouth problems there are steps you can take to make their life easier:
keep their mouth clean so the problem doesn’t get worse. Make sure any rotten teeth or teeth causing pain are dealt with by your vet. This will usually involve an anaesthetic to remove these problematic teeth.

HILL’S SCIENCE PLAN Adult Cat Chicken – can

Broken (fractured) teeth are a very common occurrence in dogs and cats. Pet teeth can break due to trauma (hit by a car, ball, or rock) or due to chewing on hard objects. Any pet tooth can break, however, some teeth are more commonly fractured than others, such as the canine (fang) teeth in the dog and the cat, and the upper fourth premolar (large tooth on the upper jaw in the back of the mouth) in dogs.

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Spotting the signs of gum problems in cats:
bad breath: it is not normal for a cat to have bad breath
drooling /salivating: cats should not excessively drool, this can be a sign of a problem in her mouth redness or inflammation of the gums: lift your cat’s lip and check the gums, they should be pink, any redness or swelling where the gum meets the teeth is not normal
redness or inflammation of the gums: lift your cat’s lip and check the gums, they should be pink, any redness or swelling where the gum meets the teeth is not normal.