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Regular teeth brushing for cats is sensible to prevent dental issues.
Many cats suffer from dental issues like inflamed gums. These aren’t just painful for your cat but can also lead to ascending infections and pus-filled jaw abscesses. So, discover our top tips for proper dental care for cats right here.
A fully functioning jaw is essential for wildcats in the wild to survive. However, healthy teeth are also very important for the health of domesticated indoor cats.
Without adequate dental hygiene, painful inflammation and tooth loss can occur. It’s said that almost three-quarters of all cats suffer from often incurable dental problems (such as periodontitis, FORL).
If you as an owner do not provide sufficient dental care, your cat can suffer from it permanently. The most common dental issues in cats are:
If you can see white to yellowish deposits on your cat’s teeth, it’s probably plaque. When it becomes hard and brownish, tartar is already present. Soon after, due to the released sulphur compounds, bad breath occurs. If left untreated, tartar can lead to serious health problems.
Problems When a bacterial infection and inflammation (e.g. gingivitis)) occur in your cat’s mouth due to inadequate dental hygiene, it is usually painful. Affected cats have inflamed gums and difficulty chewing. Sometimes, cats express their pain by frequently shaking their heads or using their paws to feel around their mouths.
In severe cases, the penetrated bacteria can move into deeper areas. For instance, they might ascend to the jaw and cause pus-filled abscesses there.
From there, they can also reach other organs (e.g., heart valves or kidneys) via the bloodstream and cause further inflammations (e.g., inflammatory heart valve disease, kidney infection).
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Although it might seem unusual for many cat owners to take care of their cat’s teeth, regular dental hygiene is part of the proper care for cats.
Once dental problems have set in, it’s almost impossible to rid your cat of them. Therefore, the emphasis for good dental health lies in prevention – including regular tooth brushing.
By brushing your cat’s teeth, you can remove harmful plaque and reduce the risk of tartar formation. The earlier you start brushing your cat’s teeth, the better chance you have to avoid dental issues. However, it’s never too late to start.
Ideally, you should get your cat used to tooth brushing while it is still a kitten. Here are some tips:
Remember: Always be patient with your furry friend and don’t pressure it! Feel free to use healthy cat snacks as a reward during this learning process.
Once your cat has become tolerant of tooth brushing, you can also use special toothpaste for cats. Apply a small amount on the toothbrush and gently move it in circular motions over the teeth.
Never apply too much pressure and be especially careful around the sensitive gum line. Just one minute of effective brushing is completely sufficient.
Note: Never use human toothpaste, as it’s unsuitable for your cat’s sensitive mouth.
Always end the tooth-brushing routine positively, with a play or cuddle session, for example.
For the best effect, it’s advisable to brush your cat’s teeth daily.
Some cats do not like to be touched at all. Others enjoy their owner’s affection but can react unexpectedly if in pain.
To avoid injuring your cat during tooth brushing or being bitten, make sure your cat is cooperative during dental care. If you have any doubts about your own safety or the correct execution, it’s wise to seek advice and support from your veterinarian.
In addition to a tooth-brushing routine, also consider the following points for a holistic approach to your cat’s dental care:
Even the best dental care is no guarantee that your cat won’t develop dental problems over its lifetime. Therefore, it’s very important to have your cat’s mouth examined annually by a veterinarian, in addition to good dental care.
If the vet observes any changes, they can warn you in time. They can also intervene early and perform a professional dental clean if necessary.
Many reports suggest that the choice of food has an impact on your cat’s dental health. Dry food is said to create more tooth abrasion than wet food due to its firm texture.
In addition to mechanical wear, dry food also encourages your cat to chew, which, in turn, should aid tooth wear.
Also, special dental care snacks for in-between are recommended to support your cat’s dental care.
This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
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At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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