Do You Brush Your Cat’s Teeth?

Do You Brush Your Cat’s Teeth?

by Jennifer Coates, DVM

In the interests of full disclosure, I’ll just say it at here at the beginning: I never have brushed any of my cats’ teeth. Not once.



I know I should; I council my clients that they should. But when I get the "you’ve got to be kidding me" look, I quickly offer alternatives that, while not as effective as tooth brushing, still do help maintain feline oral health. I don’t dispute the facts showing that daily tooth brushing not only helps maintain the health of a cat’s teeth and gums, but can also prevent more widespread health problems down the line. My decision was purely practical, originating at a time when I lived with four cats, four dogs, and two horses. If I was going to brush all those teeth every day, I wasn’t going to get much else accomplished. And since brushing teeth less frequently than every other day or so doesn’t seem to have much benefit, I just decided to forgo it completely. So if you brush your cat’s teeth every day, keep up the good work. I am impressed. For the rest of us slackers out here, here are a few of the other options that are worth considering.

• Regular dry foods don’t do much to keep a cat’s teeth clean, but some of the diets that have been specially formulated to help prevent dental disease do actually help. Look for a product that carries the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal of approval. You do not need to feed one of these "dental diets" exclusively. You can offer a small handful of kibbles once or twice a day (decreasing your cat’s other food to compensate for the extra calories) and still get some benefit.

Full article: http://www.pet360.com/cat/health/do-you-brush-your-cats-teeth/W7gUAATujEO1AOXXQjW0OQ

 

Who here brush the teeth of their cats often? And if so... do you do it yourself or let a vet do it?

I must admit this article was a real eye opener, I hadn't thought it was that important to brush your cat teeth often.

 

I wish I started too when they were kittens so as they grew older they would not have dental problems..