Alternatives for dental care?

Okay, I've tried supposed plaque-fighting treats. No go. I've tried
the fingertip toothbrush. No go. I've tried a real toothbrush. One cat
actually liked it, but that's because we adopted him from a Dentist,
who brushed his teeth every day. lol.

I'm mostly concerned about Tiger, a ~12-yr-old. His teeth look fine,
and the vet gave him a thumbs-up after our last visit. But I've been
reading some scary stuff about the dangers of poor dental health for
older cats (and yes, I realize he isn't "old" yet, but I wanna be
ready).

Any other things you folks have tried to keep your cats' teeth clean?
I spose there's always taking him to the vet and having him
anesthetized.. but I'm hoping to avoid that if possible.

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink

There is a cat food called Feline T/D for dental care. It is dry food
and the bits are fairly hard. I had my dog on the canine T/D and it
worked well. Haven't had my cat long enough really but I detect no
plaque or discoloring yet.


On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 22:13:51 -0600, Brian Link wrote:

Okay, I've tried supposed plaque-fighting treats. No go. I've tried
the fingertip toothbrush. No go. I've tried a real toothbrush. One cat
actually liked it, but that's because we adopted him from a Dentist,
who brushed his teeth every day. lol.

I'm mostly concerned about Tiger, a ~12-yr-old. His teeth look fine,
and the vet gave him a thumbs-up after our last visit. But I've been
reading some scary stuff about the dangers of poor dental health for
older cats (and yes, I realize he isn't "old" yet, but I wanna be
ready).

Any other things you folks have tried to keep your cats' teeth clean?
I spose there's always taking him to the vet and having him
anesthetized.. but I'm hoping to avoid that if possible.

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink

in article , Brian Link at
wrote on 3/11/05 10:13 PM:

Okay, I've tried supposed plaque-fighting treats. No go. I've tried
the fingertip toothbrush. No go. I've tried a real toothbrush. One cat
actually liked it, but that's because we adopted him from a Dentist,
who brushed his teeth every day. lol.

I'm mostly concerned about Tiger, a ~12-yr-old. His teeth look fine,
and the vet gave him a thumbs-up after our last visit. But I've been
reading some scary stuff about the dangers of poor dental health for
older cats (and yes, I realize he isn't "old" yet, but I wanna be
ready).

Any other things you folks have tried to keep your cats' teeth clean?
I spose there's always taking him to the vet and having him
anesthetized.. but I'm hoping to avoid that if possible.

Thanks for any ideas.

BLink

My vet says just wrap gauze around your finger and wipe them down. She does
it fast.

"GrapplerGurl" wrote in message
news
There is a cat food called Feline T/D for dental care. It is dry food
and the bits are fairly hard. I had my dog on the canine T/D and it
worked well. Haven't had my cat long enough really but I detect no
plaque or discoloring yet.


I used one of the "dental diets" at one point. The pieces were
large and round, and the cats really had to break them up.

The best toothbrush for cats can be found he
http://www.fuzzytummy.com/cet--cat-toothbrush-.htm
It is very simple to use and fits easily in a cat's mouth. I have used
this on all my cats (except Stella who is a hard core feral) and I've
never had a problem.

Megan



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