Open Wide!

Happy February--and welcome to National Pet Dental Health Month. Have you scheduled your kitty for a dental exam or cleaning? You might want to think about that. According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 70 percent of cats develop dental problems by age three! Yep, there may be a reason Fluffy’s fish-breath could strip paint off the walls. Periodontal disease, a fancy word for sore gums and cruddy teeth, means your cat’s mouth contains enough bacteria to cause other problems. Even if her teeth don’t hurt, when they’re covered with yellow to brown plaque or the gums are red, chewing can pump these bad bugs through your cat’s bloodstream and affect the heart, liver and kidneys. Cats are unique (hey, we all knew that, right?!) because they also can develop a special type of cavity that’s hidden from view. They’re called neck lesions because they start at the gum line or “neck” of the tooth, and eat away from the inside out. The hollow tooth ends up causing pain and sometimes collapsing. So what can you do about it? Since Fluffy won’t brush her teeth, you need to do that for her. I can hear you now, saying, “I’m not sticking my hands anywhere near those sharp teeth!” It’s true that most adult cats won’t appreciate the attention but you can start with babies and get them used to it while young. Cats don’t like foreign objects stuck in their mouths (hey, would you?). But they won’t mind an owner’s fingers, especially if you flavor your finger with something tasty. Trust me on this, Fluffy’s not going to eat you. Here’s how you do it. The first week, simply handle and pet your kitten’s mouth. Get her used to the whole idea. Invest in a tube of CAT toothpaste, from your veterinarian or pet products store. It’s malt or chicken flavored to appeal to the cat. Offer a tiny amount on the tip of your finger as a treat, and leave the cat wanting more. The next week, smear a bit on your finger, and slip it inside the cat’s mouth on one side. Massage the gums for--oh, say 10 seconds--and then stop. Again, leave Fluffy wanting more. Each day, increase the amount of time from 10 seconds to 20, to 30 and on to a full minute on each side. Pet toothpaste generally has an enzyme that helps break down the tartar and plaque, so you don’t even have to scrub too much for it to have some preventive effects. But eventually, you can wrap a bit of gauze around your finger first, apply paste to the gauze and use that to wipe off the outside of the teeth. Your cat’s tongue will take care of the inside surface of the teeth. For older cats who just don’t want to mess with this, try offering a chunk of firm cooked beef, big enough that Fluffy can’t swallow. As she turns her head to chew, she’ll naturally scrub the teeth a bit. She may still require a thorough cleaning at the vets, but this can help maintain that bright kitty smile between times. For more on keeping pet's teeth healthy, read petside's article Protecting Your Pet’s Smile