Dental Care For Cats - Fighting the Buildup Of Plaque

Cat owners may often be the first to notice symptoms of illnesses in their pets but may be lax when it comes to noticing the cat’s dental health condition. It is believed that as many as 85 percent of adult pets have periodontal disease and cats suffer the most from dental problems. The main cause may be attributed to buildup of plaque that calcifies and forms tartar that in turn pushes food as well as debris and bacteria under the gum line and infect both gum and bone structure that support the cat’s teeth.

Periodontal Disease Is Most Common In Cats
Like with humans, periodontal disease is the most common form of dental diseases in cats. Dental care for cats would necessitate its being given antibiotics, have dental cleaning performed as well as requires extraction in case the problem is in an advanced stage.

Another reason to provide good dental care for cats is to prevent the occurrence of feline stomatitis that involves inflammation of the mouth which can further affect the throat or pharynx and will give the cat no end of pain and may affect its eating habits. Another good reason to provide preventive dental care for cats is the instance of feline odontoclastic oral resorption lesions that are painful and which begin as shallow pits occurring in the enamel as well as dentine of a cat’s tooth. In case such a condition worsens, it may lead to the tooth dieing and it may be diagnosed through oral examination as well as oral radiographs.

One cannot overstate the case for providing dental care for cats and for those cat owners that think that simply giving the cat dry food will solve the problem, they need to think again. According to veterinary professionals, there is a three-step program that can be used to maintain the cat’s teeth and gums, and these include veterinary dental examinations, home dental care and annual veterinary re-examinations.

It is also recommended to give the cat a monthly at-home oral examination and also provide it with flossing, which can be done through rope-type chew toys that claim to provide flossing action. As far as providing dental care for cats at home, it must be stressed that brushing with special cat-sized toothbrushes should be done daily, if possible.

Using antiseptic dental gels, rinses as well as sprays are other useful means of providing good dental care for cats and should be performed especially for cats that have dental problems, and even though it does not constitute a substitute for brushing, it does help protect as well as clean teeth, when brushing is not possible.

There are also a number of pharmaceutical companies that offer dental chews for cats and are flavored with fish or poultry, and are of an abrasive nature that helps remove food and other unwanted particles as well as plaque from the cat’s teeth. At-home dental care for cats as well as veterinary’s care should help keep the cat in good dental health.

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