Feline Dental Care – Why Clean Your Cat’s Teeth

There is more to being a loving cat owner than simply feeding and playing together with your little feline friend, a heap more. You have got to do those things to, however you’re conjointly responsible for ensuring your cat’s health, and that includes taking care of your cat’s dental needs. Positive, you’re taking your cat to the veterinarian when you are speculated to, and in fact, he cleans and checks your cat’s teeth when you’re there, however you must very be performing cat dental care at home as well. When it comes to your own dental care, you could not move to the dentist twice a year and then walk around the remainder of the time without ever brushing your teeth, or eating a breath mint…well, technically you could, however you would most likely have a severe case of halitosis, not to mention be missing a few teeth ultimately! Simply as you can’t get by with that kind of dental care, neither can your cat!
When it comes to cat dental care, it is terribly kind of like your own dental care. Food and plaque build up on your cat’s teeth and gums, and if left to sit down there for long periods of time, can slowly start to eat away at your cat’s teeth, resulting in tooth decay, oral infections, lost teeth, and even gum disease. All of those conditions are very detrimental to your cat’s health, impacting his ability to eat properly, resulting in poor nutrition, and even a lot of health problems, all that could be avoided with some general cat dental care.
When you are taking your cat to the veterinarian, he’s placed underneath general anesthesia for his dental care, so it may take him your time to get used to you messing around in his mouth at first. At the veterinarian, your cat gets his teeth cleaned, and examined for any potential problems. Customarily, this does not get too expensive, unless you have neglected your cat’s dental care, in that case more intensive dental care may be required. Thus, not solely can you shield your cat’s health by performing home dental care, you’ll also save yourself a ton of cash in veterinary bills likewise! Simply another excuse why you should take the time to wash your cat’s teeth, simply once a week can create a big difference.
You’ll brush and take care of your cat’s teeth at home, and should do therefore on a regular basis. Talk to your veterinarian for his suggestions, and follow his instructions. You can purchase tiny cat toothbrushes that work on the top of your finger from your local pet supply store, and toothpaste designed particularly for feline use. If you have not brushed your cat’s teeth before, he could not be terribly happy with this procedure. You ought to start by letting your cat get used to having your finger in his mouth, and once he accepts that, then move on to getting him use to the toothbrush, before you even try to brush his teeth. Once he accepts the toothbrush in his mouth with minimal fuss, you can add the toothpaste and start brushing his teeth.
If you do not have the time or desire to care for your cat’s dental needs at home, you must take him to the veterinarian for regular dental care, as his teeth still would like to be properly cared for. If you’ve got pet insurance, it could not be as expensive as you think, undoubtedly not as expensive as having to own major cat dental work done, which is what can happen if you neglect your cat’s dental needs.
Therefore, whether you offer your cat’s dental care at home, or you’ve got your veterinarian do it on a regular basis is up to you, but it is half of your responsibility as a pet owner to make sure your cat’s dental desires are being met, but you select to try and do it. Do not put your cat’s health in danger just because you don’t have time or need to brush his teeth!

About the Author

Kitty Cooper been writing articles online for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in dental care ,you can also check out her latest website about: Tropical Fish Aquariums Which reviews and lists the best New Tropical Fish Aquariums

is my cat’s halitosis caused by her broken tooth?

My 1 year old cat has a BAAAD case of halitosis. She’s already had general lab work done and she seems healthy, but the vet noticed a broken front tooth (incisor) where the root is exposed, and she said it needs to be extracted/removed and her teeth cleaned due to the exposed root. my question is, could this broken tooth be causing the bad breath? I know cat’s breath has a particular odor, but her mouth is really foul, it smells a foot away, and it’s got an old garbage can smell to it- not the usual kitty breath. Not sure how she broke the tooth, but if anyone here thinks it will help her breath I will go ahead and do the surgery. (She doesn’t seem in any discomfort, she still eats normally and behaves very lovingly, she isn’t guarding her mouth or anything, so I don’t think it hurts at all. So i only want to put her through oral surgery if it will clear up her bad breath or prevent any sort of infection in the future from the exposed root. what do you guys think?

Bad breath usually comes from needed dental care. Could need a good cleaning or it could be the broken tooth. If she has an exposed root I can’t believe she isn’t having any discomfort. An exposed root can be very painful. She could be lucky and doesn’t have a whole lot of pain. It’s something that should definitely be taken care of. Will probably clear up the bad breath as well.

Information On Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats

Good oral hygiene is a must for dogs and cats and can become a major pet health issue if not taken seriously. Healthy gums and clean teeth are also indicative of good pet health. Unfortunately, dogs and cats can’t brush their teeth like humans can and therefore, with a few years start developing dental disease that is a major pet health issue. When ignored, dental disease can damage the pet health and lead to pain and much discomfort for the pooch or feline. Slowly, with time, pet health suffers as their dental condition starts to deteriorate with time.

When we brush, the plaque accumulated on our teeth is removed thus, prevent build-up of bacteria. However, since dogs and cats can’t brush their teeth like us, the plaque tends to accumulate on their teeth and as it ages, becomes hard and forms tartar turning into a serious dental pet health issue if left unattended. Plaque is a yellowish colored soft and sticky substance that is actually just bacteria build-up on the teeth.

Plaque and tartar in the mouths of dogs and cats cause teeth decay leading to poor pet health. It can also lead to inflammation of the gums, which is a painful condition, referred as gingivitis. Bacteria inside the mouth can be highly destructive and plaque causes periodontal disease where the roots of the teeth are damaged beyond repair and pet health damaged for ever. Typically, periodontal disease is a pet health issue that slowly progresses to teeth loss if not treated in time.

Unfortunately, periodontal disease can also lead to several other pet health issues. The bacteria that cause dental disease in cats and dogs are also responsible for halitosis or bad breath condition. These bacteria can also enter the bloodstream and spread to the main organs like the heart and kidneys further causing irreparable damage to pet health if not diagnosed on time.

Some of the main factors that contribute to the onset of dental disease in dogs and cats are:

1. Improper oral hygiene: a serious pet health issue oversight is not brushing your pet’s teeth. This leads to accumulation of plaque, tartar and progress to other diseases ailing pet health in the long run.
2. Diet: Feeding soft and moist food to your pet means inviting bacteria to invade the animal’s mouth. The reason why vets encourage consumptions of dry food is because such food is highly effective in getting rid of the plaque.
3. Age: With age, dogs and cats become more susceptible to dental disease.
4. Genetics: In some particular breeds, the pet health is genetically vulnerable to dental disease because of the shape of the canine/feline head and the misalignment of their teeth. This is more typically in smaller dog breeds and in cat breeds like the Somali and Abyssinian.
5. Concurrent Disease: Dental disease can also become a pet health issue if the dog/cat is suffering from concurrent disease like Feline Leukemia Virus, or kidney disease, or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV).
6. Chewing Habits: Dogs and cats that are partial to one side of their mouth for chewing tend to have dental disease pet health issue on the unused side of their mouth.

Remember, taking care of your pet health, especially maintaining good oral health can be really challenging. Speak to your vet to find more ways to improve your dog/cat’s oral hygiene.

About the Author

im Mark work for a website selling cheap Pet Supplies

Things to Remember in Taking Care Of Your Cat’s Teeth

Just like us, our pet cats also needs proper dental care, for as they grow older is when they will experience dental problems. This is when they will most likely to experience broken teeth, inflamed gums, periodontal disease and cavities. Listed below are a few of the many things to remember in taking care of your pet cat’s teeth.
An annual check-up to your vet is a sure fire in keeping your cat free from dental problems. It is a normal move of almost all vets to put your cat under anesthesia to conduct an examination on their teeth. This examination lets the vet know any teeth related issue on your cats including any broken or missing teeth, decay, or halitosis. If any of these issues are detected, it will be your prerogative if you will take care of it at home or not.
Aside from going to the vet, you can also check your pet’s teeth on your own. Simply pull back your cat’s lip carefully and examine thoroughly of any signs of damage teeth, yellowish or brownish build up, reddish or irritated gums.
One can also purchase a cat specialized toothbrush and toothpaste from their nearest pet store and start brushing your pet’s teeth in as early as they are still kittens, for it will be more easy for them to get used to it. However, older cats are can also easily adjust if you will do it as a routine.
Protect your cats from tartar as if it starts to accumulate, it will cause irritation, inflammation, or bleeding along your pet’s gum line. You can reduce your cat’s tartar by feeding with a balanced diet of hard and soft or canned foods. You can also give them some crunchy treats and toys like a sisal rope ball as it will be of great help in eliminating the buildup of plaque and tartar.
Now, if you are up for a challenge, you can also rinse your cat’s mouth, but not should work as a substitute for brushing. This act is recommended for older cats with an existing dental problem.
If in some cases you feel like your cat has serious dental problem, contact your vet immediately.
It is important to take note that when brushing your cat’s teeth, it would be better if you will brush several teeth at first and increase by time, but make sure that you are brushing them all after 14 days. If ever you have a hard time do the brushing daily, you can do it twice a month, as this is also acceptable. Cat owners must also be reminded that at age 2, 90 percent of them are already suffering from periodontal disease and human toothpaste must not be used.
It is important that as a pet owner, you must be very vigilant on their health especially when it comes to teeth problems. One must not ignore any teeth related issue, as it may lead into serious health problems.

About the Author

Having a pet at home is rewarding and fun and this is what the author actually feels every time he is with his Pet whom he been with for more than a decade now. Started from a single pet, he is now caring for multiple pets with multiple needs and requirement. This expertise made him decided to share his experience with the other pet lovers around the globe through his informative and easy to understand articles.

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