Pearly whites!

[kslib]

Okay DU pet owners, who among you brushes your pet's teeth? I have a kitty with periodontal disease, and I'm told that I need to brush his teeth daily (if possible)! My god, I think I should get the needle and sutures ready for my arm. Any tips? If you don't brush, any other tips on dental health? (like drops to put in the water, hard kibble, etc.)

[sleepyhead]

1. Brushing is ideal

Use a soft toothbrush or a finger brush (available at pet stores) with fish flavor toothpaste (also available at pet stores) or a gauze pad wrapped around your finger. If you can't do that without being bitten, try a dental gel like MaxiGuard or chlorhexidine gel squirted into the mouth daily (they are tasteless so shouldn't be a problem). Or you can use OraVet sealant, which comes in small packets and is waxy like Chapstick and is rubbed along the outer surfaces of your cat's teeth. There are many types of dental treats also (CET/Virbac is a major manufacturer). If all else fails, Eukanuba makes a dry food that helps clean the teeth while eaten. So does Hills - the diet is called t/d, but should not be fed exclusively because it's fattening (use about 1/3 t/d and 2/3 of some other diet).

Before starting any of this, you need to get your cat's teeth scaled and polished under anesthesia, so that you are starting with a clean surface for administration of treatment. Another helpful treatment for periodontal disease (in conjunction with topical dental hygiene) is pulse therapy with antibiotics. This means giving antibiotic for one week out of every month, or just on weekends. Ask your veterinarian about that. It can be very helpful.

[Lorien]

2. Thanks for the info

my old kitty Miro has awful problems with his teeth (seems to need surgery every year). I need to get the younger ones started on something now, before they develop the same dental issues.

[kslib]

3. I bought the toothbrush/paste

and also OraVet. Um, I don't get bitten, but it is a real struggle; they both HATE it. I really hate to put him through this, because he already gets one pill a day, and antibiotics twice a day, all of whcih stress him out. It seems like, with the toothbrushing, all I get to do is "mean" stuff to him, and he runs now everytime I go to pick him up. :cry: Poor kitty!

The OraVet goes on once a week (I think its like the sealent you mentioned above). My vet said I can use it on both kitties since Gracie had a clean tooth "bill of health" at her cleaning in September. Bubba got two teeth pulled on Friday, and has periodontal disease, so it's really important for him. She also said that if I only do this, and no brushing, Bubba can probably go one year between cleanings with a checkup every 6 months. Gracie can probably go up to 3 years between cleanings, with a checkup every year.

As for food, Gracie gets dental treats everyday, but Bubba has food allergies, so he can only have a certain kind of 'novel protein' food. Well anyway, thanks for the info, and wish me luck!

[SiouxJ]

4. I feel like I should do a commercial for Greenies

I have brother & sister dogs and Boris loves greenies, so I give him a small one every day. His sister Natasha doesn't care for them and looks at me like I'm crazy when I try to give her one. Well, Boris' teeth are whiter than mine! He has no plaque or discoloring at all! They look like brand new puppy teeth and he'll be 3 in June. They absolutely sparkle. Natasha's are starting to get built up plaque and are yellowy/brown. I'm probably gonna have to try to start brushing hers but Boris is fine. I do notice that when Natasha's teeth start getting really dirty, she'll go pull out a Nylabone from the toy basket and start chewing away on it. I think she knows when it's time to clean her teeth a bit. It does seem to help after she's done.

[kslib]

5. Our dog liked Greenies too!

She had other problems that caused some severe dental disease, and had to get a lot of her teeth pulled. (which is probably why I'm so paranoid about my cats) When she had to switch to canned food, we sprinkled Greenies on top of the food. It helped a lot, and she loved them! If you fed her without the greenies, she'd look at you like "what, I'm supposed to eat this? It's PLAIN!"