(Jason) wrote in message om...
Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing
one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due
again next month. Are yearly dentals really necessary?


I'd really recommend checking her food - get advice perhaps from the
vet.... a cat should not get any build up of plaque (did I dpel
thatrite?) at least not if given the right food, and please- no milk
(what animal do you know of that drinks the stuff after being weaned
off the mother??) - Dry quality food should be sufficient, and water.
Our 5 year olds have never had to have any teeth cleaned on their
annual check-ups.
Not trying to be clever or anything.. but I DO believe it's down to
the right food, and staying clear of canned slop, and milk.

As others have noted, food choices do not always provide protection
from gum disease. For example, the oriental breeds are more prone to
gingivitis than other cats are. I have a friend who's two siamese
(who are both under a year old) have gingivitis already, and they eat
only quality dry food.

And....every obese cat I have ever encountered was fed a diet of dry
food only. Of course, not every dry food kitty is going to get fat,
but I've never seen a cat who was fed a mix of both canned and dry who
was overweight.

So, a *lot* depends upon the genetic makeup of your own particular
cat. Some kitties are just born with stronger constitutions than
others.

As to your question about how often to clean -- if your cat is
healthy, I would think that yearly cleanings are not necessary. There
is always a risk of something going wrong when the cat is put under
anesthesia. However, if your cat is struggling, health-wise, getting
their teeth cleaned regularly can really help matters in this regard.

dragon