How often do you brush your teeth? Once in the morning and once in the evening? Brushing away all that excess gunk left over from the day? Like our own teeth, Cats teeth, if not looked after, can develop plaque creating a film of bacteria on the surface of the teeth. If this plaque is… Read more »
How often do you brush your teeth? Once in the morning and once in the evening? Brushing away all that excess gunk left over from the day?
Like our own teeth, Cats teeth, if not looked after, can develop plaque creating a film of bacteria on the surface of the teeth.
If this plaque is left untreated it can then harden into tartar, which is easy to see on the surface of the tooth as it has a yellow/brown colour.
Unfortunately if plaque has developed into tartar a simple tooth brush will not remove it and it will have to be removed through dental scaling by your vet.
A fantastic first step in taking care of your cats teeth to prevent them from needing to go through any kind of surgery is looking into their diet.
Although dental care isn’t quite as simple as feeding your cat dry food will solve all their dental problems, it is a brilliant starting point.
If you feed your cat only wet food, that generally has a very soft consistency, it does not help strengthen their teeth or remove any residual plaque that may be sitting on the surface.
Gingivitis can also become a problem if a cat’s teeth aren’t regularly checked by vets and looked after at home.
If a cat has gingivitis they can have difficulty eating and it can be extremely painful for them. I’m sure we can all agree, an inflamed gum around your tooth would be painful for anyone!
The most important thing for us as cat owners to understand is that so much of dental disease is preventative by making a few changes and taking a few extra steps at home.
We would strongly recommend having a discussion with your vet about dental care for your cat to see how you can do this for yourself!
By spending some time to develop your understanding of cat’s dental health we have no doubt your favourite felines will have a very healthy, tooth filled future!
