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Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 9th 06, 03:14 PM posted to alt.cats,alt.pets.cats,rec.pets.cats.health+behav
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)

[Adapted from a different thread but I though the topic is important
enough to have its own thread.]

I am perplexed by how many intelligent-appearing people accept that
food should be used as tooth-brush in a cat's life. This despite the
fact that they probably rely on a toothbrush rather than pretzels to
clean their own teeth.

I got the same line pushed at me that dry food is good for a cat's
dental health. But having a brain that does work once in a while, :-) I
was forced to face the following simple question: Do I chew nuts to
clean my teeth or do I use a brush for that purpose?

So I got a little toothbrush for my cat and learned to brush her teeth.

It works a lot better than any dry food.

More importantly, it frees me to select her food based on nutritional
considerations alone.

By the way, nutrional considerations are difficult enough to satisy in
commercial food. Good protein source, seafood not too often, low carbs,
no wheat or corn gluten, low Phosphorous, etc., and then she has to
accept to eat it! I am still looking for a canned variety that would be
acceptable on all fronts.

But I am glad at least I don't have to worry about the food also
functioning as a toothbrush!
  #2  
Old June 9th 06, 03:38 PM posted to alt.cats,alt.pets.cats,rec.pets.cats.health+behav
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Posts: n/a
Default Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)


"Kiran" wrote in message
...
[Adapted from a different thread but I though the topic is important
enough to have its own thread.]

I am perplexed by how many intelligent-appearing people accept that
food should be used as tooth-brush in a cat's life. This despite the
fact that they probably rely on a toothbrush rather than pretzels to
clean their own teeth.

I got the same line pushed at me that dry food is good for a cat's
dental health. But having a brain that does work once in a while, :-) I
was forced to face the following simple question: Do I chew nuts to
clean my teeth or do I use a brush for that purpose?

So I got a little toothbrush for my cat and learned to brush her teeth.

It works a lot better than any dry food.

More importantly, it frees me to select her food based on nutritional
considerations alone.

By the way, nutrional considerations are difficult enough to satisy in
commercial food. Good protein source, seafood not too often, low carbs,
no wheat or corn gluten, low Phosphorous, etc., and then she has to
accept to eat it! I am still looking for a canned variety that would be
acceptable on all fronts.

But I am glad at least I don't have to worry about the food also
functioning as a toothbrush!


Excellent post!
MaryL


  #3  
Old April 1st 07, 05:34 AM posted to alt.cats,alt.pets.cats,rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Moonlight Mile
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)

X-No-Archive:

In article , Kiran wrote:

[Adapted from a different thread but I though the topic is important
enough to have its own thread.]

I am perplexed by how many intelligent-appearing people accept that
food should be used as tooth-brush in a cat's life. This despite the
fact that they probably rely on a toothbrush rather than pretzels to
clean their own teeth.

I got the same line pushed at me that dry food is good for a cat's
dental health. But having a brain that does work once in a while, :-) I
was forced to face the following simple question: Do I chew nuts to
clean my teeth or do I use a brush for that purpose?

So I got a little toothbrush for my cat and learned to brush her teeth.

It works a lot better than any dry food.

More importantly, it frees me to select her food based on nutritional
considerations alone.

By the way, nutrional considerations are difficult enough to satisy in
commercial food. Good protein source, seafood not too often, low carbs,
no wheat or corn gluten, low Phosphorous, etc., and then she has to
accept to eat it! I am still looking for a canned variety that would be
acceptable on all fronts.

But I am glad at least I don't have to worry about the food also
functioning as a toothbrush!


I use dry food almost exclusively and think it is OK. A tell-tale sign of
problems is halitosis. And gum disease should also be easy to spot. But if
you're content brushing your cat's teeth, I can't see how it can do any harm.
Make sure you get the gums and the tongue.

I now use dry food Paws, for both indoor cats. I'm forced to remind myself that
I now have only one cat. My cat Stormy if 2.5 years, my mothers cat, died on
Wed. March 28, 2006 at about 4:45 PM. The vet thought it was most likely a brain
tumor or lesion. We were the best of friends. Four days later and the tears
still come.

Did I poison Stormy? I had changed to canned food ( not on any "banned" list )
because she just wouldn't eat much. Combine that with a partially paralyzed rear
leg that she had to curl her toes/claws so they were pointing backward and walk
on the _top_ of her rear foot. You get the picture. She gamely fought on, but it
was time.

No one accepts responsibilty. It's hard to find reliable answers.

MM
  #4  
Old April 2nd 07, 05:27 AM posted to alt.cats,alt.pets.cats,rec.pets.cats.health+behav
tension_on_the_wire
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 547
Default Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)

On Mar 31, 9:34 pm, Moonlight Mile
wrote:
X-No-Archive:





In article , Kiran wrote:
[Adapted from a different thread but I though the topic is important
enough to have its own thread.]


I am perplexed by how many intelligent-appearing people accept that
food should be used as tooth-brush in a cat's life. This despite the
fact that they probably rely on a toothbrush rather than pretzels to
clean their own teeth.


I got the same line pushed at me that dry food is good for a cat's
dental health. But having a brain that does work once in a while, :-) I
was forced to face the following simple question: Do I chew nuts to
clean my teeth or do I use a brush for that purpose?


So I got a little toothbrush for my cat and learned to brush her teeth.


It works a lot better than any dry food.


More importantly, it frees me to select her food based on nutritional
considerations alone.


By the way, nutrional considerations are difficult enough to satisy in
commercial food. Good protein source, seafood not too often, low carbs,
no wheat or corn gluten, low Phosphorous, etc., and then she has to
accept to eat it! I am still looking for a canned variety that would be
acceptable on all fronts.


But I am glad at least I don't have to worry about the food also
functioning as a toothbrush!


I use dry food almost exclusively and think it is OK. A tell-tale sign of
problems is halitosis. And gum disease should also be easy to spot. But if
you're content brushing your cat's teeth, I can't see how it can do any harm.
Make sure you get the gums and the tongue.

I now use dry food Paws, for both indoor cats. I'm forced to remind myself that
I now have only one cat. My cat Stormy if 2.5 years, my mothers cat, died on
Wed. March 28, 2006 at about 4:45 PM. The vet thought it was most likely a brain
tumor or lesion. We were the best of friends. Four days later and the tears
still come.

Did I poison Stormy? I had changed to canned food ( not on any "banned" list )
because she just wouldn't eat much. Combine that with a partially paralyzed rear
leg that she had to curl her toes/claws so they were pointing backward and walk
on the _top_ of her rear foot. You get the picture. She gamely fought on, but it
was time.

No one accepts responsibilty. It's hard to find reliable answers.

MM- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I am sorry for your loss.
--tension

  #5  
Old April 2nd 07, 06:33 AM posted to alt.cats,alt.pets.cats,rec.pets.cats.health+behav
cindys
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 592
Default Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)


"Moonlight Mile" wrote in message
...

snip

I now use dry food Paws, for both indoor cats. I'm forced to remind myself
that
I now have only one cat. My cat Stormy if 2.5 years, my mothers cat, died
on
Wed. March 28, 2006 at about 4:45 PM. The vet thought it was most likely a
brain
tumor or lesion. We were the best of friends. Four days later and the
tears
still come.

Did I poison Stormy? I had changed to canned food ( not on any "banned"
list )
because she just wouldn't eat much. Combine that with a partially
paralyzed rear
leg that she had to curl her toes/claws so they were pointing backward and
walk
on the _top_ of her rear foot. You get the picture. She gamely fought on,
but it
was time.

No one accepts responsibilty. It's hard to find reliable answers.

--------------
I'm not sure why you feel responsible. If Stormy had a brain tumor or
lesion, there was nothing you could have done. But at any rate, I am so very
sorry for your loss. Speaking from experience, it takes a while to start
feeling better after the loss of a beloved pet, and I don't know if we ever
get over it completely. My dog, Alvin has been gone for a year and a half,
and my best friend of 17 years, Molly the cat, has been gone for about six
months. I no longer think of them every day, but when I do think of them I
still cry. For me, in both cases, six weeks seemed to represent a turning
point, when I was finally able to stop feeling so sad every day and begin to
smile again. You too will smile again, but it will just take a little longer
than four days. In the meantime, allow yourself to grieve but don't forget
to think of the happy times too.
Soothing purrs are being sent your way.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.


  #6  
Old April 7th 07, 01:55 AM posted to alt.cats,alt.pets.cats,rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Moonlight Mile
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3
Default Dry food or tooth-brush? :-)

X-No-Archive:

In article ,
"cindys" wrote:

"Moonlight Mile" wrote in message
...

snip

I now use dry food Paws, for both indoor cats. I'm forced to remind myself
that
I now have only one cat. My cat Stormy if 2.5 years, my mothers cat, died
on
Wed. March 28, 2006 at about 4:45 PM. The vet thought it was most likely a
brain
tumor or lesion. We were the best of friends. Four days later and the
tears
still come.

Did I poison Stormy? I had changed to canned food ( not on any "banned"
list )
because she just wouldn't eat much. Combine that with a partially
paralyzed rear
leg that she had to curl her toes/claws so they were pointing backward and
walk
on the _top_ of her rear foot. You get the picture. She gamely fought on,
but it
was time.

No one accepts responsibilty. It's hard to find reliable answers.

--------------
I'm not sure why you feel responsible. If Stormy had a brain tumor or
lesion, there was nothing you could have done. But at any rate, I am so very
sorry for your loss. Speaking from experience, it takes a while to start
feeling better after the loss of a beloved pet, and I don't know if we ever
get over it completely. My dog, Alvin has been gone for a year and a half,
and my best friend of 17 years, Molly the cat, has been gone for about six
months. I no longer think of them every day, but when I do think of them I
still cry. For me, in both cases, six weeks seemed to represent a turning
point, when I was finally able to stop feeling so sad every day and begin to
smile again. You too will smile again, but it will just take a little longer
than four days. In the meantime, allow yourself to grieve but don't forget
to think of the happy times too.
Soothing purrs are being sent your way.
Best regards,
---Cindy S.


We don't know for sure that she had a brain tumor. That was a best guess.
Looking at my original post, the year of Stormy's death was 2007. Her problems
started on about Jan. 14, 2007 with the first episode that paralyzed her front
let after she threw up just a little. She had been throwing up on and off for a
while, but it had stopped after a shot for worms in Nov. 2006. I took her to the
vet that day. He could detect no problems. I brought her home, and even though
she limped and walked on the top of a front paw, she improved for about 10 days.
Then came her second episode, with _very_ rapid breathing, tongue darting in and
out, and both rear legs paralyzed. She was again very distressed as was I. I
took her to the vet and she had settled down by then. STormy was left overnight
at the vets for X-rays. They revealed no broken bones, no spinal infury, no
enlarged heart. She was able to use one of her rear legs reasonably well, so she
was back up to 3 legs. Her other rear leg was not well---again the paw was
curled under and back so she walked on the top of that paw, when she used it.
She could get to/from her food and water and litter box. She could get up on the
couch, though I helped her sometimes. She improved, but had a third episode
about 9 days latter at 2:00 in the morning. I was up at the time. Even Jaws, my
other cat, knew she was in distress. She tried to get under things but I
wouldn't let her, so we comprmised on the laundry closet. I checked later and
she was sitting up rather than lying on her side. OK, I thought. I went to bed,
but heard her claws dragging on the floor as she came into my room, then
silence. I checked and she had laid down on the floor. I scooped her up and put
her on the bed where I could keep an eye on her for the night. This third
episode caused no further impairment. She seemed OK until early March and it
just appeared that she was going downhill. She gradually ate less and less. She
was less active. She was quite content to curl up on my lap when I was watching
TV or curl up and nap on my belly when I napped on the couch. Often, I'd look
down at her, and she would be staring right into my eyes--she'd always done
that. We had bonded. We were friends. Time was running out. During the week end
March 31, 2007, I knew I should do something. I was going to take her to the vet
on Friday of that week, but she'd stopped eating almost completely. I took her
to the vet on March 28, a Wed. I thought it was time--she was skin and bones,
but not in pain. I the vet thought it was time to euthanize her as well. Then,
in just a few short minutes, she was gone. All I had left was Stormy in a
cardboard box.

You see, during the periods where she didn't want to eat much, I gave her some
canned foods. She did eat some of that, but not much. Jaws ate most of it. I
guess that, if I had given Stormy bad food by accident, I would have lost Jaws
as well. Jaws seems fine. Still, I can't help but wonder. Maybe, it _was_ just a
brain tumor.

Now, I read today that some dog biscuits are suspect. Someone needs to step
forward and accept responsibility for all this. They need to "fall on the
sword". People at least deserve answers rather than ever-changing lists of
contaminated cat and dog foods.

MM
 




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