Dental care is a critical element of your cat's routine healthcare. Brushing your cat's teeth helps remove harmful bacteria and keep their teeth health. Our Jesup vets share tips for cleaning your cat's teeth at home and the benefits of professional veterinary dental care in this post.
Cleaning Your Cat's Teeth to Keep Them Healthy
Dental issues can lead to some serious and uncomfortable symptoms for your cat. Unfortunately, many cats take every step possible to hide their condition until it has advanced to a severe stage.
Because of this, kitty owners need to be vigilant about their feline friend's oral health and keep their cat's teeth clean. By monitoring and regularly cleaning your cat's teeth, you'll have a better chance of detecting any oral health issues early and helping your cat avoid significant pain. Plus, maintaining a regular daily dental care routine may save you paying for costly dental surgeries, such as tooth extractions, in the long term.
How to Clean Your Cat's Teeth at Home
Implenting an at-home daily dental care routine for your cat can help prevent dental disease from occurring. this at-home care should include brushing your cat's teeth daily. To make cleaning your cat's teeth at home as easy as possible for both of you, start establishing a daily oral hygiene routine for your cat while they ar still a kitten. This way, your cat will get used to having its teeth brushed and mouth touched from a young age.
There are some ways to make teeth brushing a simple part of your cat's daily routine. Once you notice that your cat is in a relaxed mood, you can start with these steps:
- Gently lift your cat's lips, then use your finger to massage their teeth and gums for a few seconds.
- Don't expect too much from yourself or your cat at first. You may only be able to reach a couple of your cat's teeth the first few times you try this process, but this is okay. Your goal is to build trust with your cat, which will help prevent them from becoming agitated.
- Stay calm and be sure to offer lots of praise and a yummy treat after your teeth-and-gum massage. As you build your cat's tolerance to this experience, you can begin to gradually increase the length of time you spend on this task each day.
- Once your feline friend has adapted to you massaging their teeth and gums every day, you'll be able to gradually introduce a soft-bristled toothbrush you can purchase from your vet or a pet store, and some special cat toothpaste. Toothpaste can come in a range of flavors cats find tasty, such as chicken or beef.
- Start using the toothbrush as gradually as you introduced the teeth-and-gum massage. Your cat may begin by licking just a small amount of toothpaste from your finger.
Don't Rush Into Teeth Cleaning
Your own emotions and method will affect how successful you are during at-home dental care. Make sure you are calm, relaxed, flexible, and willing to adapt your approach to your cat's level of tolerance. Many cat owners have a very easy time cleaning their pet's teeth with some gauze, others find a finger brush works well and others apply a dental gel with their fingers that they allow to do the work for them.
Once your cat is doing okay with teeth brushing, you can move on to cleaning their gum line as well. Don't forget that it may take some time before your cat begins to accept the teeth-cleaning routine.
If your kitty is stressed or alarmed by the teeth cleaning process they may react by scratching or biting. So if brushing your cat's teeth is too difficult for you and your kitty consider adding plaque remover additives into their drinking water, getting them specially designed chew toys, or providing your cat with tasty dental treats.
Professional Dental Care For Cats
Annual dental cleanings and exams are critical to your cat's dental health. Taking your cat for a dental appointment can be compared to bringing them to the cat dentist. Your vet will evaluate your cat's oral health, take X-rays if required, and do a thorough cleaning. If your cat is suffering from a mouth injury, tooth loss, or severe decay, your dentist will provide you with recommendations regarding care or surgery to treat your cat's oral health issues.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.