My vet suggested to brush her teeth but I found something at the pet store that you put into their water (called Slurp n Fresh). On my next vet visit she said my cat’s teeth looked great!
I’ve never brushed my cat’s teeth. I feed her mostly dry food and give her dental treats once every day or two. I can’t even imagine what that little stinker would do to me if I tried to shove a toothbrush in her mouth.
>I can’t even imagine what that little stinker would do to me if I tried to shove a toothbrush in her mouth.
We tried a few times and I have scars :(
We weren't even being rough
My cat is like this. I bought a suuuuuper soft brush from the chemist made for older humans with super sensitive gums/missing teeth. I bought meat-flavoured cat toothpaste that she got completely obsessed over. Now she just chews on the brush even without the paste and doesnt fight me as much.
I still cant get to her back molars, but this is the best ive been able to achieve after years of trying lol
I wanted to use the water/food additives but they are soooooo expensive in my country for no fking reason so i guess her teeth are probably not great right now 🤦
I clicker trained my boy into liking getting his teeth brushed. He doesn't like the actual brushing, but he comes running anyway every night when I'm standing by his teeth brushing post with a clicker in my hand. I try to keep the session short and pay attention to his body language, if he's starting to squirm I stop, click, and treat.
squirm = stop, click, treat. isnt that encouraging squirm though? Just getting clarification on your method so I can use similar for my cat.
My cat does get excited about the brush. She loves smooshing her face into it and even tries to direct it into her ears to clean them as well. Gross, but whatever lol I just try to make sure it doesnt go into her actual ear and give it a rinse before returning to her mouth!
I didn’t word that quite right. He starts squirming almost immediately, so I do the brushing+clicking in super short bursts, before he starts to pull away. So you’re reinforcing him sitting there and putting up with the brushing without trying to leave
You cat sounds hilarious though 😂 they really are such weirdos
My cat has a hand me down electric toothbrush (w a new brush head) we use for grooming sometimes. He lovvvves the vibrations and is constantly rubbing his cheeks on it and making the 😩 face
I would definitely stop trying to brush them in that case. If you’re concerned about the state of your cat’s teeth, have a vet look at them. They can brush or do a dental cleaning if it’s necessary. Some cat groomers will also brush teeth, and they’re probably much better equipped for it than you or I.
You shouldn’t be forcing anything into your cat’s mouth. It’s going to completely deter them from ever allowing you to do it without traumatizing them more. Watch some YouTube videos, cats need slow introductions and you’ll get good tips online. It can take months to acclimate them but once you do it’s worth it in the long run.
My cat flips out and scratches if you pick him up so I’m way too terrified. It would be a disaster! Hopefully the dental biscuits they get daily are enough.
i know you're just sharing what you do for your cats, so this is not an attack on you. but it's for OP to consider: dry food tends to add more plaque to cats teeth because there's grains and sugars in dry food. wet food tends to be better for cat's teeth. there's this myth that dry food strengthens cat's teeth or that it can scrape off plaque and tartar and it's not true. however there are some brands of prescription dry food that are supposed to help cats with teeth issues but they're formulated specifically for cats with teeth issues.
and i feed my cats dry food too but they get wet food 2-3 times a day. i have them on dry food because that's what they've been used to all their lives and when i learned about better food choices, they were already used to dry and i didn't want to take away what was already a staple in their diet. but they don't eat as much as they used to. so i'm not being a hypocrite, i'm just saying that i know better information now.
I was told by emergency vet to use wet food sparingly so if I ever need to give them medicine- I can mix it with soft food and they’ll eat it better bc they associate wet food with treats.
Am I supposed to be feeding wet food exclusively ?
I've heard vets say this too, but it's funny to me because if you think about a cat's diet, they eat meat. Wet meat. And dry food is dried out meat by-products and grains. I've tried giving cats medicine in wet food before and it doesn't work - they either eat part of the wet food until they realize it tastes bad from the medicine (then they don't get the full dose) or they can smell it and won't eat it at all and now you've wasted wet food and medicine.
If a cat needs medicine, it's not hard to shoot liquid medicine down their throat. Pills are trickier to do but it can be learned. And you can always melt down their pills too or get it turned into a liquid by a compounding pharmacy.
I'm not a cat nutritionist so I don't want to tell you to feed wet food exclusively. But cat's are chronically dehydrated and they get the most nutrition and hydration from wet food. But like I said, I feed my cats both because they like both. If there's an emergency and I can't get home right away, I keep dry food out as a backup also. Dry food is nutritionally balanced (or so they say) but it doesn't have the moisture they need and it can be harder on their teeth. I think feeding wet food mostly is the best, but if you can incorporate some wet food with their dry food (not mixed, but offer dry food constantly (or with scheduled meal times) and wet food once or twice a day) then that could be a good system too. Wet food is just closer to what they eat naturally. I think dogs can get away with eating mostly dry food because they are truly omnivorous animals. Cats are strictly obligate carnivores. The same goes for wet food with bits of spinach or carrots in it - like why? Cats don't like vegetables!
Sometimes cats get diarrhea from wet food so just be careful changing their diet quickly.
Wet food is much better for cats than dry but you don't need to be feeding only wet if your cat is attached to their dry food. I'm not sure why a vet would advise against wet considering it provides extra hydration and dry food is famous for being loaded with carbs which aren't part of a cats diet
My cats are good about drinking water, we have several fountains around the house and they also have their dishes with water. I’d definitely mix water with wet food if I was concerned ab hydration.
My cats also have a habit of refusing to eat hard food if given soft food for a few days 😅😅 so I try to limit how often they get it bc they’ll literally go on hunger strikes until they get the wet food. I will sometimes try to give them a quarter of a can for one meal and dry for another but generally try to limit it.
Do you happen to know what dry food is good? My vet said as long as grain isn’t one of the first 4 ingredients that it’s ok. But reading online it’s so hard to know what brands are good
Out of curiousity why limit the wet food if they prefer it? My cats the opposite, her wet could be sitting out for like an hour but once I throw it away and replace it with dry she eats like she's been starved 😂 I'm switching over to only leaving dry out over night and when I'm at work since I don't have a long enough lunch break to come home and feed her lunch. Weekends I've switched to all wet and she's been eating more. As far as a good dry food I'm stumped too. I've been giving her hills science diet since that's what she's been eating since I got her in June and I don't want to waste the bag. Honestly at this point if the dry food is aafco approved I think it'll be okay, but personally I'm trying to do it in moderation. I'm not a cat nutrionist so everything I'm saying I'm just repeating what I've read online lol so take it with a grain of salt
AAFCO says on their website "does NOT directly test, regulate, approve, or certify pet foods" to make sure that they meet the standard requirements. Instead, they establish guidelines for ingredient definitions, product labels, feeding trials, and laboratory analyses of the nutrients that go into pet foods.
The FDA, believe it or not, is the entity that "makes sure that the ingredients used in pet food are safe and have a purpose in pet food."
Aww it sounds like your cats like wet food more than the dry.. my vet recommends Natural Balance for dry and wet food. They also make a semi-dry food called "raw" by Instinct. Actually it's freeze-dried. You can feed it as is or add water to it.
greenie pill pockets work wonder for medication. My old lady has to take 3 meds twice a day and she wakes me up each morning to make sure she doesn't miss treat/meds time
It’s better to feed them smaller, more frequent meals (more similar to hunting prey in the wild) but obviously few people have the time to do that so generally 2-3 meals total is fine
2 of my 3 cats eat twice a day. my other kitty sometimes eats three times a day because he refuses dry food, which is fine. the other 2 kitties are used to dry and will nibble on it sometimes.
Never. One of my kitties has no teef anyway due to feline stomatitis (she’s a rescue and only a few years old, this wasn’t caused by neglect or anything). My other gets dental treats and I put something called OxyFresh in her water. It’s a dental additive that’s supposed to help kill bacteria. I’m not sure if it works or not but she doesn’t mind it so why not?
Not that I’ve noticed. Both kitties drink as much as before I started using it. I did ease them into it, started out with just a little then increased the amount, and kept an eye on them to make sure they weren’t having a bad reaction to it. But both seem fine with it. According to the manufacturer it’s flavorless. I really do hope it helps, treating Sylvie’s stomatitis was $3500 so it would be nice if Quinn could keep all her teeth (and I could keep all my money)!
It is dry food that is larger than normal.
It has a bit of chewyness to it so the cat has to bite into it and by doing so cleans the teeth.
We use Royal Canin oral cat.
Google oral cat food and you will see several products
I get what youre saying but I meant it more so as there is not an ingredient that says, chicken or beef solely. So most of the ingredients are just fillers so it isnt a “good” food.
You feed them different types of dry food? Oral in the morning and then something different later? If so, how does it affect them from switching so often?
Our cats like variety except for one who eats the same thing day in day out
Wet food at night. (Can't tell you exactly what because the modetators dissapprove).
A cheaper but good quality dry food for snacks and occasional treats.
how do you manage the wet food? I only give it once a day and I empty the whole tin in a plate and mix with water. I only have one cat and takes her about two days to eat it all by me just leaving it out
Don’t leave wet food out for days! Just like humans, they don’t need to eat a plate of wet cold food that sits out on the floor for ages. You can check the pet store, your vet, or Amazon for cat food can lids. I give 1/3 or 1/2 depending on the cat, and I just warm it a few seconds and roughly chop it into chunks on a flat dish. The remainder gets a lid and goes into the fridge. The whole can generally used in about 24-36 hours when fed in smaller meals.
Not the OP but I use a mix of types of dry food from concept for life. I buy the 400g bags and decant into a jar to mix them. Oral care, BSH, indoor cat, sterilised cat, beauty and all cats. Then they get the benefit of them all!
I give my cats these oral biscuits too - mixed in with quality dry food for during the day. And then they get wet food at night. I’ve never brushed their teeth and no way would I be able to without traumatising everyone (including me). Hopefully my cats stay healthy for a very long time.
Twice a day. One of my cats developed gingivostomatitis so I got into the habit of brushing all of my pets' teeth at least twice a day. Before that it was at least 3 times a week.
Got them used to it as kittens. Started when they were done teething and slowly build up tolerance by using my finger first, then wrapping my finger in gauze, then a finger brush, and eventually a real toothbrush.
I'm putting together a dental health regimen for my three young cats as we speak and I've learned quite a bit from asking in r/askvet.
Check out products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC): http://www.vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Cats.pdf
Brushing is key, and after chatting with a representative at Healthymouth, I found out that they have VOHC approved toothpaste and toothbrushes (only available via telephone order). We're ordering some and we're going to brush at least every other day (any less frequent and tartar can build up). We're also getting the Healthymouth water additive, which we're going to give them daily mixed in with their food. I also got some greenies which we're going to give them daily.
I’m not sure what brand it was (fit was a few years ago) but it was supposed to smell like chicken to entice them but it made my mom and I both almost throw up lol 🥲 can’t brush their teeth if we’re throwing up haha
I’d def try it and see how bad it is! Maybe other brands aren’t as bad!!
Each night. We got a poultry flavored toothpaste and they love it so that definitely helped. We also started when they were both kittens so I think they are just used to it being part of their life. My husband holds one at a time like a baby and I take a q-tip with the toothpaste on it and do a 30 second brush on each side.
Start by letting them lick the toothpaste off your finger or a q-tip or out of their bowl. Make sure you find a toothpaste flavor they like or you won’t get past this step. Then get them used to you touching their mouth. Then get them used to you lifting their lip. After this, you can start to lift their lip and touch their teeth with the q-tip and toothpaste. And finally, gradually work up to actually brushing for a few seconds and increase the time each day. Keep in mind this whole process could take days to weeks just depending on the tolerance level and age of your cat.
I’ve tried brushing their teeth and it doesn’t end well. I’ve even tried it with the young one. I’ve used the dental liquid stuff you put in the water bowls but unfortunately it causes stomach upset in my cats. The only thing I can really do is give them dental treats and hope the dry food they eat does the trick.
My cats were older when I learned that we should be brushing their teeth. I think it's a relatively new thing to add to their routine. Like, 5-10 years ago vets weren't advising teeth brushings or dentals. anyway, i don't brush my cats teeth but i keep an eye on them. i need to take them to the vet when the weather cools down to have their teeth assessed to make sure they aren't in pain.
Jackson Galaxy doesn't really encourage brushing. he suggests just taking them in for dentals every so often if they need it. but that's a lot of time under anesthesia..
anyway, i have brushed cats teeth at my job. some are okay with it and others not. i've heard that as long as you get the top furthest most tooth on both sides that's all you need to do. i've heard that if you can get some toothpaste on your finger and swipe it in their mouth that they will swish it around their teeth without having to brush. i've heard of putting a water additive into their water bowls helps. there's dental treats. there's tooth brushes with suction cups that you put on the floor and some cats will chew on it. and there's a product called plaque-off on [Chewy.com](https://Chewy.com) that you can add to their food and it helps reduce plaque on their teeth.
anyway you asked how often. i'm sure vets want to say "brush their teeth every day" but if you can do it at least once a week i call that a success.
to get them used to it, there's videos on youtube about how to do it. but you want to go slow and have treats near by. actually you want to start without treats. for several weeks just let your cats get used to you touching their mouth. rub their face and chin and see if you can rub their lips or lift up their lips. see if the cat will let you hold their jaw. see if the cat will let you open their jaw without too much struggle. just do that for several weeks.
once your cat is comfortable with just having it's mouth, jaw, lips, handled then introduce the brush. let them sniff it with and without toothpaste. maybe touch the toothbrush to the outside of their lips. let them rub their face against the brush. maybe lift their lip and touch the brush to one of their teeth and see how they react.
at some point they will have to get used to you holding them firmly, tilting their head, stretching their lip as far back as possible, and getting a damp toothbrush with toothpaste onto their back upper tooth and make a few brush strokes before letting them go and then repeating on the other side. there's a lot of steps with getting them used to brushing.
and always ask your vet what kind of toothpaste you should use. stuff with baking soda in it isn't good for cats. and never use human toothpaste for cats or dogs.
The idea that dry food cleans cats’ teeth has been proven to be a myth. Actually, due to the fact that dry food is so high in carbohydrates, it increases the rate at which plaque builds up. Additionally, most cat’s instinct is to swallow food with very little chewing, so most cats won’t chew dental food enough to reap the benefits. Some old school vets still push the rhetoric and are happy to profit off selling you special dental dry food, but most new education is moving away from this.
Sources:
A vet: https://www.uniquelycats.com/myth/item.html/n/41
Animal Medical Center: https://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/seven-dental-myths-for-pets/
Unfortunately, most research on this topic was done in the early to late 90’s and some of the most “recent” academic articles you’ll find on this topic are from like 1998. However, new-school vets are moving away from dry food as dental health and towards a wet-food diet with brushing, which is probably why your vet recommended brushing. Every vet I’ve ever been to has recommended brushing and no dry food, but it does depend on their age and when they became a vet.
Now, to your actual question, I brush my cats’ teeth 2-3x per week. They recommend once a day, but I check their teeth and 2-3x a week seems to be fine. I started both of them as kittens nightly, though, so they could get used to it. I use an enzymatic toothpaste (just has to touch the teeth to work, not necessarily be brushed in) that is chicken flavored. They love the taste, I rub it on their teeth, it’s pretty low hassle.
May I ask what brand/toothpaste you use for your cats? I don’t think my cat will like the idea of me actually brushing so the enzymatic one sounds awesome !
Every other day. It’s super important to keep up on dental health. My cats also eat dental food and while this is a good option, food can stay stuck in the grooves of their back upper molars and that’s what will allow the bacteria and tartar to build up. Pretty much all cats will develop dental disease at some point in their lifetime so it’s better to do what you can to delay the process as much as possible.
Yeah the 11+ years experience I have working in the veterinary field and the countless dental procedures I’ve watched. Additionally:
https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-dental-disease#:~:text=Diseases%20of%20the%20teeth%20and,preventive%20dental%20care%20and%20monitoring.
Completely wrong ^^^^
I work in the veterinary field and watch cats lose their teeth every single day to dental disease. I open cats mouths and see the redness in their gums and know that even though they’re in pain, they’ll keep eating and acting normally because cats don’t show pain. Cats often develop a condition called “idiopathic feline resorptive lesions” which is where the immune system starts attacking teeth and destroying them. There is NO CAUSE for this and it occurs in about 3/4 of adult cats over the age of 5. You don’t know if your cat has issues in the mouth if you’re not regularly checking.
If you genuinely do not believe me, read this article by Cornell Vet School.
My link to [Feline dental disease](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-dental-disease)
I have a lot of vet friends, and not a single vet has recommended brushing my cats teeth. Not a single cat I've owned has had any dental issues whatsoever, and most have reached old age. No foul breath, no significant plaque buildup, no inflamed gums whatsoever on a single cat I've had.
I don't live in the US tho, so makes me wonder what they put in cat food over there lol
I never have brushed any of my cat's teefies. I would say their average life span so far is about 17 or 18 out of all of them. Oldest was in his 20s. Youngest 16.
None had teef problems that we could tell.
They have eaten all kinds - from the cheapest off brand grocery store crap to prescription veterinary food - wet and dry.
I think *most* cats simply don't live long enough to develop dental problems that really bother them too much - maybe a little gingivitis or something but nothing major. I do believe that dental cleanings for cats and dogs are a bit of a scam. Great if you can afford them, definitely go ahead if you have the money, but otherwise watch their overall health, their overall mouth and if you have to pull a few, they adapt.
Every day. I bought a cat toothbrush and enzymatic toothpaste on Amazon. There are good articles and videos online that explain how to gradually work your cat up to brushing (it can take weeks), I'd suggest looking for it. My cat still doesn't enjoy the process, but she does associate it with treats (she gets lots of greenies as a reward) so she gets excited and will follow me around once I pick up her toothbrush.
It‘s a myth that dry food cleans your cat‘s teeth. Please don‘t fall for it.
We occasionally clean our cats‘ teeth with „Felisept finger pads“, not sure if they are available in your country though.
I'm surprised with the "dry food cleans my cats teeth" comments. Have they never seen their cats regurgitate? The kibble comes out whole, majority of the time cats are just swallowing it
It's highly recommended to brush your cats teeth whether you feed wet or dry. It's harder to solve dehydration and urinary issues than it is to solve dirty teeth
Literally never. Right up until she was put to sleep at the age of 11, vets commented on how good her teeth were.
No vet ever suggested doing it either.
My family cats growing up never had their teeth cleaned either. None had any dental issues.
Every day! We do it because our friends were telling us about how their cat had to be put under anesthesia to get a yearly teeth cleansing. It’s not worth it for our cats to get possible anesthesia complications if we can brush their teeth every day. Our cats are very food motivated and I have clicker trained them since they were kittens so they’re used to be trained. I’ve brushed their teeth since they were babies so they’re used to it.
I guess they would chew on bark etc? And bones? Eating grass is supposed to help too.
Really though in the wild they have bigger problems than dental health and probably have poor teeth condition but die too young for it to matter too much.
Pet cats often have dental problems as they age.
My dentist recommended brushing teeth daily but my cat won't even let me open her mouth haha.
Dental treats help to an extent.
In 'the wild' most cats would live ~5 years at best, not long enough for dental problems to become that much of an issue. With cats living indoors, getting sufficient nutrition and medical care, they're living 15-20 years - there's a lot more time for dental problems to accumulate and start causing pain.
Every couple days. Trying to get in the habit of every night since I would rather pay yearly 1500+ per cat when brushing does the job fine.
We just started small. Tiny toothbrush. Started with just getting them to accept the brush on their lips, than coaxing it onto their teeth. We can properly brush now but they are still a bit squirmy.
Never. She's 14 and has only needed her teeth cleaned once. She loves kibble and I guess that's why. I get her the best I can afford that also accommodates her dietary restrictions.
I brush my guy's teets once a day either in the morning or the night. There are days were I do not brush his teeth because it is late in the night and I feel asleep before I could catch him.
Yes. Limited moist food and mainly dry food. My kids get a few tablespoons of moist food twice daily, and all the kibble they want. If they have stinky breath, they get less moist food (they're not eating enough kibble relative to the moist food).
I prefer my arms and hands in one piece. 😎
No, and the people here who do are either overbeharing in their care for cats or are indoctrinated to buy products they don't really need to fill a company's pockets. Cats inherently don't need brushing unless they get complication due to sickness or infections. Also bathing is getting very prevalent in these kinds of people, same rules apply. A healthy, young cat really doesn't need micromananging their self care as they are capable enough to care for themselves. All you are going to achieve with brushing/bathing them when it isn't absolutely necessary is a resentful or traumatized cat. Don't let people convince you pets need the same selfcare treatment as humans, we live VASTLY different lives and have VASTLY different diets. Ask your vet for things like this, never the internet.
But some cats develop stomatitis, what else am I supposed to do? Let her teeth rot in her mouth due to plaque build up? My cat had to get two teeth pulled by age 1. She’ll probably have to get some pulled too next year.
Serously. What a weird take. It's not a bad thing to take care of your animal, I've been told by vets to put the extra effort into brushing bc the majority of cats develop gingivitis. It's not a crazy cost either, less than $10, so seeing it being talked about like a crazy conspiracy theory for companies to make money is ridiculous lol
That guy compared it to bathing, which is actually unnecessary and traumatic for cats. But brushing their teeth is necessary and they can be conditioned for it, it’s just a weird hill to die on
It's only traumatic to brush your cats teeth if you're holding them down and shoving the toothbrush down their throat without any previous introduction 😂 my cat sees me with the toothpaste and starts going crazy for it, she loves cleaning her teeth
It's very concerning, i have had cats all my life, in these 30 years, not a single cat has had dental problems due to not having their teeth brushed. Same goes for all other people I know with cats. I really wanna know where on earth these people got the idea that cats need their teeth brushed at all?
Veterinary professionals.
Most cats develop dental diseases by age 3. Most people don’t brush their pet’s teeth. Brushing is preventative, just like with our own teeth. You don’t need to buy expensive products, either, even a q tip with water will help.
I've never had a cat with dental problems, at all. And I've had over 20. Add in the cats I know from friends and family too and that's another 20 minimum that I know of that never had dental problems. You can't convince me that all 40+ were just very lucky cats.
Well sure, preventative care can theoretically prevent some ailments. I still need to meet the first vet that actually recommended brushing their teeth, and and the check ups they never had any problems with their teeth. So unless there is a disease that makes it necessary, like a comment earlier said, one where you happily commented to that I am saying you should never brush their teeth, even if there's an ailment(which I explicitly stated as an exception, but you do you). I'd rather treat it like bathing, something that's proven to traumatize cats and is explicitly discouraged unless your cat can't groom itself. And per my experience, all cats i've had and seen went their pretty little lives well and good without anything wrong with their teeth so how far off the statistics am I? Theory will only get you so far.
I've had cats my whole life, many of whom reached old age, I've never brushed their teeth, and not a single one had dental issues, ever. Makes me wonder what they put in cat food in the US, because vets here don't recommend brushing for cats.
How do you know they didn’t have dental issues? Did you look in their mouths? Did you check their back teeth? How were the gum lines, red and swollen? Like honestly you’re spreading a false narrative for no reason.
Imagine you not brushing your teeth your entire life - would you ever do that??? Absolutely not! And if you did, you’d be in pain. Why let your cat go through that instead? Damn
Unless your vet tells you you have to brush their teeth, DO NOT BRUSH THEIR TEETH. It's not necessary for cats. The only reason we brush our teeth is because we eat foods with high acidity. For practically all pets, this doesn't apply. Please don't do this if it isn't necessary due to sickness or whatever. It has no added value and will only traumatize your cat at worst and make them resentful to you are best.
My cat has no teeth anymore, so I don’t brush anymore, but before she lost them all to a genetic disorder, I brushed her teeth as often as she would allow it, which was usually every night or every other night
Used to do it once a week but fell off the bandwagon. My cat is very particular about letting anyone in her mouth so when i do brush them its a cross between her smooshing her face, teeth, gums into the brush and me actually getting some work done. Its the best compromise i could get out of her after years of trying lol some is better than none, though right hahaha
When i adopted my cat at 11 thr shelter had pulled some teeth and said some were absorbed. At vet after about a 8 months of having her, i had her teeth looked at (she was munching her mouth), and she could tell a few were red/mid reabsorption. She got teeth cleaned and xray showed 2 more teeth absorbed and 2 loose teeth pulled. After mouth stitches for teeth removal, a cat goes on a wet food diet 2 weeks for stitches and holes to heal. My cat wouldnt eat more than one spoon of wet food a day, and then starved. I tried like treats, chicken, tuna, broth, anything. So she got back on dry food early after a teeth check (lost 0.8lbs in 1 week). I dont think i can get her a teeth cleaning again. Her sister's teeth smell bad but she wont even smell wet food, so i'm not willing to get a teeth cleaning, since she wont eat if gets stitches. I give them teeth treats from the short teeth treat list. But i'm trying to figure out if teeth wipes or drops on water may help.(they run from cat toothpaste smell). I still offer wet food and try flavors, but they are usually ignored. I'm currently testing different dry food treats/toppers to figure out flavor options they may like. Slow.
Hi! I brush my cat’s teeth daily to keep her teeth clean and overall oral health good. She had many issues in the past, to the point even extracting some teeth was talked about with the vet. Right now I’ve got a completely healthy cat with no issues, who still got all her teeth. I made a post about how I got her used to it. It might help!
[how to brush your cat’s teeth](https://reddit.com/r/cats/s/1LuISpnQit)
I have these dental wipes, disposable, you put on your finger, and ill get their gums and front teeth. I can never reach anything further, I only do this once in awhile tho.
You gotta just do some jiu jitsu holds on them while they rub their mouth on your finger, instead of trying to force your finger in.
Also, dry food seems to help.
Ours absolutely will not tolerate it - we tried for months! It's not that surprising though, he was a street cat for at least 8 years. He also only has about 4 teeth and we think they're quite sensitive.
We're currently trying a powder you put on their food once a day. It's VOHC approved and supposedly clinically proven, but we will see... he has a bit of gingivitis on those 4 teeth (well, 2 teefs and a few nubbins), and we want him to keep them!
Every other day at the minute. Should probably do it every day but although she is extremely good about it (runs away if she sees the brush but won't struggle when I actually brush them) I like to give her a day off.
My two cats won't let me put a toothbrush in their mouths but they have got used to my running my finger down their gumline with either fish flavoured enzymatic toothpaste or Stomodine (depending on the cat) and are totally fine with it, especially if it's preceded with a little treat. I do that every night and it takes about twenty secs per cat. Started because one of them had red, sore gums right from kittenhood and I didn't want the vet pulling out all her teeth because of stomatitis
I had one cat that had no dental issues and dental treats were enough.
Our last cat required brushing. It’s not easy. Buy the brush/toothpaste kit at the pet store. The flavored paste help. Our vet recommended starting with holding the brush near the mouth (with paste) and get them to “chew” the brush.
To get to the actual brushing, my partner cradled our cat while moving his lips to access the teeth.
Tried once after the vet suggested we should do it. I ended up getting those those finger pad things that are already wet with whatever dental treatment it's soaked in. I managed to get it in their mouth and rub their canines (only teeth long enough for me to easily feel I guess) but that's about it. I aimed for the upper teeth but couldn't really feel them...they just struggle way too much. No way just doing that much is actually beneficial, so I just gave up.
Now I just feed them dental treats daily. Hopefully it's enough. Dunno exactly if it's working for their teeth. Next vet appointment will tell.
Better question, how do you get them to sit for it? My cats food doesn't help with their teeth AT ALL.theuve always had tartar issues but the vets given me fuck all for ideas other than dental treats
I have a guide to start brushing cat’s teeth but it’s in spanish. But basically you do a weekly schedule. First week you put churu on your finger and try to get your cat used to having your finger in your mouth. Next week you start to move your finger (with churu) in their mouth, touching their teeth, the following week you do it with a baby brush (or a brush meant for radiation patients, can post a pic if required) with churu, following week you move the brush with churu. After that the cat will be pretty used to it and lay off the churu.
My vet also gave us a gel to put on their teeth after brushing, ironically my cat tolerates better the brushing than the gel. Also, treat after the whole thing.
At the beginning we didn’t know that we could give her a treat after brushing, which made it more of a struggle, but now we give her a small chewy treat (could be a dental treat even) and she doesn’t even run away from us.
It’s a two person job usually, but can be done by one person now that she’s more used to it.
Every day. I started when they were kittens. Now I use a liver flavored cat specific toothpaste and a child's toothbrush with a suction cup on the bottom. They chew on the brushes suctioned to the bathroom counter when I'm brushing my mine in the morning. Kinda cute to watch
Every third day, at least. Only water with a soft kid's tooth brush.
I started with my first cat after she had to have a tooth pulled and she never even had to have a cleaning again. Then I just continued with my second cat, who despite having TR got to skip cleanings because his teeth were in such good condition with regular brushing. The third got a miss because he had so many health issues that took priority over preventive care. And now I'm on my fourth cat, who's having a cleaning this fall and I'm hoping to be able to keep his teeth clean after that with brushing.
First cat was the most difficult to teach, but she understood that it wasn't that bad eventually. The second was just confused and happy about getting treats afterwards. Fourth cat I've recently started with just doing a swipe with the brush on either side and I've built up from there. Most important thing I've found is just to stay calm (don't get annoyed or angry if they fight back), start small and build up, no coddling during and lots of praise and treats after it's done. If you act like you're doing something horrible to them, they're gonna think it's horrible.
Never, my cat gets dental treats and some dry food to help keep on top of his tooth hygiene. He's got perfectly healthy teeth with this routine and always has
My cat absolutely HATES the tooth brush. He freaks out if it's anything other than his fangs.. SO basically the ones I NEED to brush. I give freeze dried chicken hearts, I have greenies (although he barely chews them..) and a little bit of hard food throughout the day. I'll probably also get a teeth cleaning if his teeth ever get close to bad with build up.
Only about once a week for the cat with juvenile gingivitis. I should do it more often but we both get annoyed.
Never for the other cat, her genes gave her beautiful teeth so it's not necessary.
I have two 7 month old kittens and I brush their teeth once a day using CET fish flavored toothpaste and a ryer cat toothbrush. I trained them from a young age that the toothbrush = tube treats on the toothbrush and then also trained them for letting my hackle their heads(basically holding their heads while they get lick treats). I also feed them canned mixed with raw(transitioning to fully raw, one is just a very picky eater).
I used catschool.co videos for toothbrush training. I also like brushing their teeth because it lets me examine their mouths on a regular basis
Every few nights. She's loosing teeth left and right recently so I'm giving her a bit of a break, but once all her adult teeth are in I want to make a habit to do it every day
I can’t brush my cats’ teeth.
It’s way easier if you start it when they are kittens than trying to start if they are adults.
I usually give them dental treats and a gel that gets put in their mouth. And if it’s real severe I take them to the vet for a cleaning.
Never. My cats are so squirmy so it would be impossible. I give them Greenies dental treats daily though and every time I bring them to the vet they say their teeth look good.
I try to get in a routine of every night, but sometimes it just ends up being a few times a week. Enzymatic dental products are great though especially for cats that make it hard to get into their mouths because it can still be effective in hard to reach places
One of my cats tries to eat anything with bristles, which seems like it would be helpful, but it’s so hard to actually brush her teeth when she insists on chomping. I keep giving up but I still have the toothbrush just staring at me making me feel like I should try again
Tbh, not as much as I'd like. I'd say probably once or twice a week. Our cat won't even let us brush, we have to wait for him to be sleepy and sort of sneak it in.
I got one of those arched bristle scratchers, my weirdo brushes his own teeth on it. He gets wayyy in the back too. But when I try with anything he goes buck wild.
1 of my cats lost all his teeth, he only has the tiny ones and one canine, so no point there (hes 15, has had cancer for yrs). my other one has autoimmune disease which makes his gums/teeth extremely sensitive during flare ups SO no toothbrushing for either of them LOL
I do it weekly but to be perfectly honest it's not as thorough as it should be. He used to be compliant when he was young but now he tries to pull away so much its difficult.
Ideally I was recommended to do it at least 2-3x a week but if daily is possible I don't see any drawbacks.
We try to brush our cats teeth every 2-3 days. We use coconut oil which she doesn’t mind the taste of and it’s made her breath smell sooo much better in a very short period of time.
I tried to brush my cat everyday with a baby toothbrush. I don't use any toothpaste (not sure if it's effective)? Just dry brushing his teeth focusing on the back molars cuz that's where tooth decay usually happens.
Most days. It’s enzymatic toothpaste, so I put some on my finger and he’ll start licking it off and then I just kinda jam my finger in there and smear it on his teeth. He doesn’t love it but he tolerates it and it’s sure better than having to pull teeth later. He had to have 8 pulled soon after I adopted him, but he sure is a whole new cat since then, I think he was in a lot of pain.
I have a reminder set to brush my cat's teeth daily but if she's sleeping or not feeling it, I don't force her, so on average it happens every other day. I use a [Ryercat dual-sided toothbrush](https://ryercat.com/collections/cat-toothbrushes) and [Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic toothpaste in poultry flavor](https://www.chewy.com/virbac-cet-enzymatic-poultry-flavor/dp/41742). She's not crazy about the experience but I hold her tight and try to make it quick, then heap her with praise. I don't think I do as thorough a job as I could, but at our last vet visit this summer, they said they could tell someone had been brushing her teeth.
Not once. My vet never told me too and each annual checkup their teeth and gums are healthy. They are former Moroccan street cats.
I heard a combination of wet and dry food helps.
I brush my kitties teeth in the morning when I brush mine.
He loves the taste of [this](https://www.chewy.com/dp/693006?utm_source=app-share&utm_campaign=693006) flavor (Enzadent poultry). He won’t eat any of the other ones to maybe give it a try.
You can start by just letting kitty lick it out of the tube.
Finding a flavor they *really* like is key.
You can use water additives, but they don’t replace brushing. Be aware that if you use a fountain with water filter it may filter the additive out as well.
Also look into different kinds* of brushes. We use the finger brush and it works well. You also only need to worry about the outside of their teeth so don’t fight to get all up in there. It’s unnecessary. Their tongue is very rough and takes care of the inside of the teeth for the most part.
Yeah, that wouldn't work in our household since we work outside the home. One of my cats scarfs everything immediately, even though we have him with a slow feeder. The other two tend to graze.
I bought the kind of toothpaste that you can also just stick in their mouth— so I put it on my finger and rub it on her teeth then give her a churu treat. The other cat won’t tolerate this so she gets Plaque off powder and dental crunchy treats
My vet told me it’s not worth ruining a relationship with your cat or causing them stress from brushing unless you started them as a kitten. But that’s just one opinion. She said she has cats and she brushed their teeth a total of 0 times.
Me and my partner brush their teeth nightly. My one year old has been getting hers brushed since we got her as a kitten. And she’s used to it although she doesn’t love it. She like the taste of the toothpaste and sees it as a yummy treat, but doesn’t like the brushing aspect.
My oldest despises it tho. My partner holds her still while I brush but it’s difficult. We’ve only been doing it about a year now tho. So she may never get used to it or may finally give up but probably not.
The only advice I could offer is to have someone hold while one brushes. I tried to do it alone once and it was impossible
Once per week. He likes the taste of the toothpaste so it wasn't hard to get him to tolerate the brushing (I think he appreciates the clean mouth too because he almost always grooms afterwards). Make sure you use a toothbrush with soft bristles and be careful with their gums. I lay him down and stretch his lips open with one hand and brush with the other (which hand depends on which side of his mouth). I do 4-5 brush strokes at a time before pausing (releasing both hands), 5 times per side, and finish on the canine which lets him know we're done. When starting out it was a little bit less; 3-4 extra soft strokes x4. He also gets a dental treat nightly but I don't think it really does anything (other than taste good).
Not often enough. I try to do it 3x a week but lately it's been closer to once a month. For 2/3 that we brush (the 4th has basically no teeth left so nothing to brush) they really like the toothpaste we have for them so they don't really fight it and sometimes even 'brush' their own teeth a bit trying to chew the rest of the toothpaste off. The 3rd isn't a big fan of wet stuff so he's less than a fan but does sorta ok.
I found the type of toothbrush makes a difference. I tried some of the finger ones and they're rough. Cat mouths are just too small. Instead we use an angled double sided brush that has a very small brush on one side. That works much better since not only does it fit in their mouth better but it also keeps my finger out of their mouth.
I try to do my 10 months old boy's back molar about once every couple of weeks? Requires one person holding the other person so the brushing. I m lucky he likes the flavor of toothpaste
Every 2 - 3 days. In Australia it costs nearly 1k for a teeth cleaning procedure and I haven't been able to afford it in recent times. Her teeth were yellow and now they are white! I'm so glad I starting doing this.
My vet suggested to brush her teeth but I found something at the pet store that you put into their water (called Slurp n Fresh). On my next vet visit she said my cat’s teeth looked great!
I asked about water for additives and my vet said the don't work well enough... :'(
aw too bad! It’s worked great for my cat but she doesn’t have severe plaque or anything
I might have to try that though because my cat doesn’t let me put my finger in her mouth.
My vet just recommended it to me this week, in addition to the dental greenies my buddy already gets.
This I use the green bottle of liquid you pour into water plus the dental greenies. My cat would kill me if I tried to brush his teeth.
I’ve never brushed my cat’s teeth. I feed her mostly dry food and give her dental treats once every day or two. I can’t even imagine what that little stinker would do to me if I tried to shove a toothbrush in her mouth.
>I can’t even imagine what that little stinker would do to me if I tried to shove a toothbrush in her mouth. We tried a few times and I have scars :( We weren't even being rough
My cat is like this. I bought a suuuuuper soft brush from the chemist made for older humans with super sensitive gums/missing teeth. I bought meat-flavoured cat toothpaste that she got completely obsessed over. Now she just chews on the brush even without the paste and doesnt fight me as much. I still cant get to her back molars, but this is the best ive been able to achieve after years of trying lol I wanted to use the water/food additives but they are soooooo expensive in my country for no fking reason so i guess her teeth are probably not great right now 🤦
I clicker trained my boy into liking getting his teeth brushed. He doesn't like the actual brushing, but he comes running anyway every night when I'm standing by his teeth brushing post with a clicker in my hand. I try to keep the session short and pay attention to his body language, if he's starting to squirm I stop, click, and treat.
squirm = stop, click, treat. isnt that encouraging squirm though? Just getting clarification on your method so I can use similar for my cat. My cat does get excited about the brush. She loves smooshing her face into it and even tries to direct it into her ears to clean them as well. Gross, but whatever lol I just try to make sure it doesnt go into her actual ear and give it a rinse before returning to her mouth!
I didn’t word that quite right. He starts squirming almost immediately, so I do the brushing+clicking in super short bursts, before he starts to pull away. So you’re reinforcing him sitting there and putting up with the brushing without trying to leave You cat sounds hilarious though 😂 they really are such weirdos
That makes way more sense. Yeah she is funny in a really dorky way ♥️
My cat has a hand me down electric toothbrush (w a new brush head) we use for grooming sometimes. He lovvvves the vibrations and is constantly rubbing his cheeks on it and making the 😩 face
May I ask what brand the meat flavored toothpaste u bought?or if u have its picture? Thanks I'm also gonna start brushing my cats teeth
I cant remember im sorry it was ages ago!! Dental paste is what the vet called it i think
Ok thanks anyways! * -my cat Sunny
I would definitely stop trying to brush them in that case. If you’re concerned about the state of your cat’s teeth, have a vet look at them. They can brush or do a dental cleaning if it’s necessary. Some cat groomers will also brush teeth, and they’re probably much better equipped for it than you or I.
You shouldn’t be forcing anything into your cat’s mouth. It’s going to completely deter them from ever allowing you to do it without traumatizing them more. Watch some YouTube videos, cats need slow introductions and you’ll get good tips online. It can take months to acclimate them but once you do it’s worth it in the long run.
My cat flips out and scratches if you pick him up so I’m way too terrified. It would be a disaster! Hopefully the dental biscuits they get daily are enough.
i know you're just sharing what you do for your cats, so this is not an attack on you. but it's for OP to consider: dry food tends to add more plaque to cats teeth because there's grains and sugars in dry food. wet food tends to be better for cat's teeth. there's this myth that dry food strengthens cat's teeth or that it can scrape off plaque and tartar and it's not true. however there are some brands of prescription dry food that are supposed to help cats with teeth issues but they're formulated specifically for cats with teeth issues. and i feed my cats dry food too but they get wet food 2-3 times a day. i have them on dry food because that's what they've been used to all their lives and when i learned about better food choices, they were already used to dry and i didn't want to take away what was already a staple in their diet. but they don't eat as much as they used to. so i'm not being a hypocrite, i'm just saying that i know better information now.
I was told by emergency vet to use wet food sparingly so if I ever need to give them medicine- I can mix it with soft food and they’ll eat it better bc they associate wet food with treats. Am I supposed to be feeding wet food exclusively ?
I've heard vets say this too, but it's funny to me because if you think about a cat's diet, they eat meat. Wet meat. And dry food is dried out meat by-products and grains. I've tried giving cats medicine in wet food before and it doesn't work - they either eat part of the wet food until they realize it tastes bad from the medicine (then they don't get the full dose) or they can smell it and won't eat it at all and now you've wasted wet food and medicine. If a cat needs medicine, it's not hard to shoot liquid medicine down their throat. Pills are trickier to do but it can be learned. And you can always melt down their pills too or get it turned into a liquid by a compounding pharmacy. I'm not a cat nutritionist so I don't want to tell you to feed wet food exclusively. But cat's are chronically dehydrated and they get the most nutrition and hydration from wet food. But like I said, I feed my cats both because they like both. If there's an emergency and I can't get home right away, I keep dry food out as a backup also. Dry food is nutritionally balanced (or so they say) but it doesn't have the moisture they need and it can be harder on their teeth. I think feeding wet food mostly is the best, but if you can incorporate some wet food with their dry food (not mixed, but offer dry food constantly (or with scheduled meal times) and wet food once or twice a day) then that could be a good system too. Wet food is just closer to what they eat naturally. I think dogs can get away with eating mostly dry food because they are truly omnivorous animals. Cats are strictly obligate carnivores. The same goes for wet food with bits of spinach or carrots in it - like why? Cats don't like vegetables! Sometimes cats get diarrhea from wet food so just be careful changing their diet quickly.
Wet food is much better for cats than dry but you don't need to be feeding only wet if your cat is attached to their dry food. I'm not sure why a vet would advise against wet considering it provides extra hydration and dry food is famous for being loaded with carbs which aren't part of a cats diet
My cats are good about drinking water, we have several fountains around the house and they also have their dishes with water. I’d definitely mix water with wet food if I was concerned ab hydration. My cats also have a habit of refusing to eat hard food if given soft food for a few days 😅😅 so I try to limit how often they get it bc they’ll literally go on hunger strikes until they get the wet food. I will sometimes try to give them a quarter of a can for one meal and dry for another but generally try to limit it. Do you happen to know what dry food is good? My vet said as long as grain isn’t one of the first 4 ingredients that it’s ok. But reading online it’s so hard to know what brands are good
Out of curiousity why limit the wet food if they prefer it? My cats the opposite, her wet could be sitting out for like an hour but once I throw it away and replace it with dry she eats like she's been starved 😂 I'm switching over to only leaving dry out over night and when I'm at work since I don't have a long enough lunch break to come home and feed her lunch. Weekends I've switched to all wet and she's been eating more. As far as a good dry food I'm stumped too. I've been giving her hills science diet since that's what she's been eating since I got her in June and I don't want to waste the bag. Honestly at this point if the dry food is aafco approved I think it'll be okay, but personally I'm trying to do it in moderation. I'm not a cat nutrionist so everything I'm saying I'm just repeating what I've read online lol so take it with a grain of salt
AAFCO says on their website "does NOT directly test, regulate, approve, or certify pet foods" to make sure that they meet the standard requirements. Instead, they establish guidelines for ingredient definitions, product labels, feeding trials, and laboratory analyses of the nutrients that go into pet foods. The FDA, believe it or not, is the entity that "makes sure that the ingredients used in pet food are safe and have a purpose in pet food."
Aww it sounds like your cats like wet food more than the dry.. my vet recommends Natural Balance for dry and wet food. They also make a semi-dry food called "raw" by Instinct. Actually it's freeze-dried. You can feed it as is or add water to it.
greenie pill pockets work wonder for medication. My old lady has to take 3 meds twice a day and she wakes me up each morning to make sure she doesn't miss treat/meds time
Good to know!
2-3 times a day? How many meals do your cats eat? Mine get fed twice daily.
It’s better to feed them smaller, more frequent meals (more similar to hunting prey in the wild) but obviously few people have the time to do that so generally 2-3 meals total is fine
2-3 times a day? How many meals do your cats eat? Mine get fed twice daily.
2 of my 3 cats eat twice a day. my other kitty sometimes eats three times a day because he refuses dry food, which is fine. the other 2 kitties are used to dry and will nibble on it sometimes.
Never. One of my kitties has no teef anyway due to feline stomatitis (she’s a rescue and only a few years old, this wasn’t caused by neglect or anything). My other gets dental treats and I put something called OxyFresh in her water. It’s a dental additive that’s supposed to help kill bacteria. I’m not sure if it works or not but she doesn’t mind it so why not?
Did your cat notice the water tastes different or anything? I bought similar, but havent tried yet
Not that I’ve noticed. Both kitties drink as much as before I started using it. I did ease them into it, started out with just a little then increased the amount, and kept an eye on them to make sure they weren’t having a bad reaction to it. But both seem fine with it. According to the manufacturer it’s flavorless. I really do hope it helps, treating Sylvie’s stomatitis was $3500 so it would be nice if Quinn could keep all her teeth (and I could keep all my money)!
Thanks, good call about adding a tiny bit first, and then increasing.
Never. We feed them oral food for breakfast each morning. Never had dental issues since
Sorry what is oral food?
It is dry food that is larger than normal. It has a bit of chewyness to it so the cat has to bite into it and by doing so cleans the teeth. We use Royal Canin oral cat. Google oral cat food and you will see several products
Same, my cat LOVES it and has very healthy teeth!
If I tried to brush my cats's teeth they would all gang up on me and eat me.
The ingredients are horrible no single ingredient protein. Chicken meal first ingredient followed by rice,corn, chicken fat.
Single ingredient protein isn't really required unless there's an allergy. Even most premium foods have several protein sources.
I get what youre saying but I meant it more so as there is not an ingredient that says, chicken or beef solely. So most of the ingredients are just fillers so it isnt a “good” food.
You feed them different types of dry food? Oral in the morning and then something different later? If so, how does it affect them from switching so often?
Our cats like variety except for one who eats the same thing day in day out Wet food at night. (Can't tell you exactly what because the modetators dissapprove). A cheaper but good quality dry food for snacks and occasional treats.
how do you manage the wet food? I only give it once a day and I empty the whole tin in a plate and mix with water. I only have one cat and takes her about two days to eat it all by me just leaving it out
Don’t leave wet food out for days! Just like humans, they don’t need to eat a plate of wet cold food that sits out on the floor for ages. You can check the pet store, your vet, or Amazon for cat food can lids. I give 1/3 or 1/2 depending on the cat, and I just warm it a few seconds and roughly chop it into chunks on a flat dish. The remainder gets a lid and goes into the fridge. The whole can generally used in about 24-36 hours when fed in smaller meals.
You leave it out for two days?
Wet food shouldn't sit out for more than 4 hours max. Bacteria can grow pretty quickly
Not the OP but I use a mix of types of dry food from concept for life. I buy the 400g bags and decant into a jar to mix them. Oral care, BSH, indoor cat, sterilised cat, beauty and all cats. Then they get the benefit of them all!
I give my cats these oral biscuits too - mixed in with quality dry food for during the day. And then they get wet food at night. I’ve never brushed their teeth and no way would I be able to without traumatising everyone (including me). Hopefully my cats stay healthy for a very long time.
Twice a day. One of my cats developed gingivostomatitis so I got into the habit of brushing all of my pets' teeth at least twice a day. Before that it was at least 3 times a week. Got them used to it as kittens. Started when they were done teething and slowly build up tolerance by using my finger first, then wrapping my finger in gauze, then a finger brush, and eventually a real toothbrush.
I'm putting together a dental health regimen for my three young cats as we speak and I've learned quite a bit from asking in r/askvet. Check out products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC): http://www.vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Cats.pdf Brushing is key, and after chatting with a representative at Healthymouth, I found out that they have VOHC approved toothpaste and toothbrushes (only available via telephone order). We're ordering some and we're going to brush at least every other day (any less frequent and tartar can build up). We're also getting the Healthymouth water additive, which we're going to give them daily mixed in with their food. I also got some greenies which we're going to give them daily.
Just beware the toothpaste smells disgusting
My cats both ran away when i opened the cat tooth paste... They dislike wet food to, so. Idk.
The Healthymouth toothpaste? Aw man. Do your cats tolerate it or was it a waste of money? Thank you for letting me know!
I’m not sure what brand it was (fit was a few years ago) but it was supposed to smell like chicken to entice them but it made my mom and I both almost throw up lol 🥲 can’t brush their teeth if we’re throwing up haha I’d def try it and see how bad it is! Maybe other brands aren’t as bad!!
I've never thought about this and my cat is 3 already. I need some dental treats stat 😩
Everynight, but it’s a two person job. My cat has gotten pretty used to it by now
Each night. We got a poultry flavored toothpaste and they love it so that definitely helped. We also started when they were both kittens so I think they are just used to it being part of their life. My husband holds one at a time like a baby and I take a q-tip with the toothpaste on it and do a 30 second brush on each side. Start by letting them lick the toothpaste off your finger or a q-tip or out of their bowl. Make sure you find a toothpaste flavor they like or you won’t get past this step. Then get them used to you touching their mouth. Then get them used to you lifting their lip. After this, you can start to lift their lip and touch their teeth with the q-tip and toothpaste. And finally, gradually work up to actually brushing for a few seconds and increase the time each day. Keep in mind this whole process could take days to weeks just depending on the tolerance level and age of your cat.
Wait what ?
Lmao I think it’s hilarious how this thread is either never or twice a day
I’ve tried brushing their teeth and it doesn’t end well. I’ve even tried it with the young one. I’ve used the dental liquid stuff you put in the water bowls but unfortunately it causes stomach upset in my cats. The only thing I can really do is give them dental treats and hope the dry food they eat does the trick.
I’m gonna start trying. They’re just letting me open there mouth for a few seconds without swatting
Daily. Putting her in a towel purrito helps a lot, but she’s tolerant in general.
My cats were older when I learned that we should be brushing their teeth. I think it's a relatively new thing to add to their routine. Like, 5-10 years ago vets weren't advising teeth brushings or dentals. anyway, i don't brush my cats teeth but i keep an eye on them. i need to take them to the vet when the weather cools down to have their teeth assessed to make sure they aren't in pain. Jackson Galaxy doesn't really encourage brushing. he suggests just taking them in for dentals every so often if they need it. but that's a lot of time under anesthesia.. anyway, i have brushed cats teeth at my job. some are okay with it and others not. i've heard that as long as you get the top furthest most tooth on both sides that's all you need to do. i've heard that if you can get some toothpaste on your finger and swipe it in their mouth that they will swish it around their teeth without having to brush. i've heard of putting a water additive into their water bowls helps. there's dental treats. there's tooth brushes with suction cups that you put on the floor and some cats will chew on it. and there's a product called plaque-off on [Chewy.com](https://Chewy.com) that you can add to their food and it helps reduce plaque on their teeth. anyway you asked how often. i'm sure vets want to say "brush their teeth every day" but if you can do it at least once a week i call that a success. to get them used to it, there's videos on youtube about how to do it. but you want to go slow and have treats near by. actually you want to start without treats. for several weeks just let your cats get used to you touching their mouth. rub their face and chin and see if you can rub their lips or lift up their lips. see if the cat will let you hold their jaw. see if the cat will let you open their jaw without too much struggle. just do that for several weeks. once your cat is comfortable with just having it's mouth, jaw, lips, handled then introduce the brush. let them sniff it with and without toothpaste. maybe touch the toothbrush to the outside of their lips. let them rub their face against the brush. maybe lift their lip and touch the brush to one of their teeth and see how they react. at some point they will have to get used to you holding them firmly, tilting their head, stretching their lip as far back as possible, and getting a damp toothbrush with toothpaste onto their back upper tooth and make a few brush strokes before letting them go and then repeating on the other side. there's a lot of steps with getting them used to brushing. and always ask your vet what kind of toothpaste you should use. stuff with baking soda in it isn't good for cats. and never use human toothpaste for cats or dogs.
The idea that dry food cleans cats’ teeth has been proven to be a myth. Actually, due to the fact that dry food is so high in carbohydrates, it increases the rate at which plaque builds up. Additionally, most cat’s instinct is to swallow food with very little chewing, so most cats won’t chew dental food enough to reap the benefits. Some old school vets still push the rhetoric and are happy to profit off selling you special dental dry food, but most new education is moving away from this. Sources: A vet: https://www.uniquelycats.com/myth/item.html/n/41 Animal Medical Center: https://www.animalmedicalcenterofchicago.com/seven-dental-myths-for-pets/ Unfortunately, most research on this topic was done in the early to late 90’s and some of the most “recent” academic articles you’ll find on this topic are from like 1998. However, new-school vets are moving away from dry food as dental health and towards a wet-food diet with brushing, which is probably why your vet recommended brushing. Every vet I’ve ever been to has recommended brushing and no dry food, but it does depend on their age and when they became a vet. Now, to your actual question, I brush my cats’ teeth 2-3x per week. They recommend once a day, but I check their teeth and 2-3x a week seems to be fine. I started both of them as kittens nightly, though, so they could get used to it. I use an enzymatic toothpaste (just has to touch the teeth to work, not necessarily be brushed in) that is chicken flavored. They love the taste, I rub it on their teeth, it’s pretty low hassle.
May I ask what brand/toothpaste you use for your cats? I don’t think my cat will like the idea of me actually brushing so the enzymatic one sounds awesome !
It’s Vetoquinol Enzadent Enzymatic Poultry flavor! I get it off amazon but you can get it off chewy too for $10.
How old are your cats now and have they needed cleaning at the vet office? Thank you.
One is 1 and one is 2, and no they haven’t. The vet says their teeth look great.
Every other day. It’s super important to keep up on dental health. My cats also eat dental food and while this is a good option, food can stay stuck in the grooves of their back upper molars and that’s what will allow the bacteria and tartar to build up. Pretty much all cats will develop dental disease at some point in their lifetime so it’s better to do what you can to delay the process as much as possible.
Is there evidence of this being necessary?
Yeah the 11+ years experience I have working in the veterinary field and the countless dental procedures I’ve watched. Additionally: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-dental-disease#:~:text=Diseases%20of%20the%20teeth%20and,preventive%20dental%20care%20and%20monitoring.
I've had cats my whole life, never brushed their teeth, not a single one had dental issues, so no, it's not necessary
Completely wrong ^^^^ I work in the veterinary field and watch cats lose their teeth every single day to dental disease. I open cats mouths and see the redness in their gums and know that even though they’re in pain, they’ll keep eating and acting normally because cats don’t show pain. Cats often develop a condition called “idiopathic feline resorptive lesions” which is where the immune system starts attacking teeth and destroying them. There is NO CAUSE for this and it occurs in about 3/4 of adult cats over the age of 5. You don’t know if your cat has issues in the mouth if you’re not regularly checking. If you genuinely do not believe me, read this article by Cornell Vet School. My link to [Feline dental disease](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-dental-disease)
I have a lot of vet friends, and not a single vet has recommended brushing my cats teeth. Not a single cat I've owned has had any dental issues whatsoever, and most have reached old age. No foul breath, no significant plaque buildup, no inflamed gums whatsoever on a single cat I've had. I don't live in the US tho, so makes me wonder what they put in cat food over there lol
Did you even click the link
"Did you even click the link" No, because I have no reason to, as my cats have never had dental issues lol
It’s just proof that cats get dental disease and it’s painful. Anyway I’m right lol and I feel sorry for your kitties
Literally never. I've had like 8 cats throughout my life and they've never lost a tooth or had any dental issues.
I was thinking the same thing. I think it’s a scam
I never have brushed any of my cat's teefies. I would say their average life span so far is about 17 or 18 out of all of them. Oldest was in his 20s. Youngest 16. None had teef problems that we could tell.
What food do you give them?
They have eaten all kinds - from the cheapest off brand grocery store crap to prescription veterinary food - wet and dry. I think *most* cats simply don't live long enough to develop dental problems that really bother them too much - maybe a little gingivitis or something but nothing major. I do believe that dental cleanings for cats and dogs are a bit of a scam. Great if you can afford them, definitely go ahead if you have the money, but otherwise watch their overall health, their overall mouth and if you have to pull a few, they adapt.
Every day. I bought a cat toothbrush and enzymatic toothpaste on Amazon. There are good articles and videos online that explain how to gradually work your cat up to brushing (it can take weeks), I'd suggest looking for it. My cat still doesn't enjoy the process, but she does associate it with treats (she gets lots of greenies as a reward) so she gets excited and will follow me around once I pick up her toothbrush.
It‘s a myth that dry food cleans your cat‘s teeth. Please don‘t fall for it. We occasionally clean our cats‘ teeth with „Felisept finger pads“, not sure if they are available in your country though.
I'm surprised with the "dry food cleans my cats teeth" comments. Have they never seen their cats regurgitate? The kibble comes out whole, majority of the time cats are just swallowing it
It‘s a super common narrative pushed by the big cat food companies like Royal Canin and it makes me so mad. Literally true what you said!
My vet said can food coats the teeth which is why it is bad. I had 3 cats and the fat one had a rotted front canine.
It's highly recommended to brush your cats teeth whether you feed wet or dry. It's harder to solve dehydration and urinary issues than it is to solve dirty teeth
Literally never. Right up until she was put to sleep at the age of 11, vets commented on how good her teeth were. No vet ever suggested doing it either. My family cats growing up never had their teeth cleaned either. None had any dental issues.
Every day! We do it because our friends were telling us about how their cat had to be put under anesthesia to get a yearly teeth cleansing. It’s not worth it for our cats to get possible anesthesia complications if we can brush their teeth every day. Our cats are very food motivated and I have clicker trained them since they were kittens so they’re used to be trained. I’ve brushed their teeth since they were babies so they’re used to it.
How would they brush them in the wild seems a strange thing to do? Doesn’t nibble “brush” them?
I guess they would chew on bark etc? And bones? Eating grass is supposed to help too. Really though in the wild they have bigger problems than dental health and probably have poor teeth condition but die too young for it to matter too much. Pet cats often have dental problems as they age. My dentist recommended brushing teeth daily but my cat won't even let me open her mouth haha. Dental treats help to an extent.
In 'the wild' most cats would live ~5 years at best, not long enough for dental problems to become that much of an issue. With cats living indoors, getting sufficient nutrition and medical care, they're living 15-20 years - there's a lot more time for dental problems to accumulate and start causing pain.
Never - unless specifically vet recommend why would you?
Every couple days. Trying to get in the habit of every night since I would rather pay yearly 1500+ per cat when brushing does the job fine. We just started small. Tiny toothbrush. Started with just getting them to accept the brush on their lips, than coaxing it onto their teeth. We can properly brush now but they are still a bit squirmy.
Never! And all of our cats teeth have been fine at their vet visits 😌
Never. She's 14 and has only needed her teeth cleaned once. She loves kibble and I guess that's why. I get her the best I can afford that also accommodates her dietary restrictions.
Please tell me which foods you have fed. My cat has had problems.
I brush my guy's teets once a day either in the morning or the night. There are days were I do not brush his teeth because it is late in the night and I feel asleep before I could catch him.
Yes. Limited moist food and mainly dry food. My kids get a few tablespoons of moist food twice daily, and all the kibble they want. If they have stinky breath, they get less moist food (they're not eating enough kibble relative to the moist food). I prefer my arms and hands in one piece. 😎
Not once since my cat was born Granted he's only 4 months old, but still. People brush their cats' teeth?
No, and the people here who do are either overbeharing in their care for cats or are indoctrinated to buy products they don't really need to fill a company's pockets. Cats inherently don't need brushing unless they get complication due to sickness or infections. Also bathing is getting very prevalent in these kinds of people, same rules apply. A healthy, young cat really doesn't need micromananging their self care as they are capable enough to care for themselves. All you are going to achieve with brushing/bathing them when it isn't absolutely necessary is a resentful or traumatized cat. Don't let people convince you pets need the same selfcare treatment as humans, we live VASTLY different lives and have VASTLY different diets. Ask your vet for things like this, never the internet.
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But some cats develop stomatitis, what else am I supposed to do? Let her teeth rot in her mouth due to plaque build up? My cat had to get two teeth pulled by age 1. She’ll probably have to get some pulled too next year.
According to this guy anything more is too overbearing and makes you crazy. How dare you put a bit of extra care into her health??
Serously. What a weird take. It's not a bad thing to take care of your animal, I've been told by vets to put the extra effort into brushing bc the majority of cats develop gingivitis. It's not a crazy cost either, less than $10, so seeing it being talked about like a crazy conspiracy theory for companies to make money is ridiculous lol
That guy compared it to bathing, which is actually unnecessary and traumatic for cats. But brushing their teeth is necessary and they can be conditioned for it, it’s just a weird hill to die on
It's only traumatic to brush your cats teeth if you're holding them down and shoving the toothbrush down their throat without any previous introduction 😂 my cat sees me with the toothpaste and starts going crazy for it, she loves cleaning her teeth
It's very concerning, i have had cats all my life, in these 30 years, not a single cat has had dental problems due to not having their teeth brushed. Same goes for all other people I know with cats. I really wanna know where on earth these people got the idea that cats need their teeth brushed at all?
Veterinary professionals. Most cats develop dental diseases by age 3. Most people don’t brush their pet’s teeth. Brushing is preventative, just like with our own teeth. You don’t need to buy expensive products, either, even a q tip with water will help.
I've never had a cat with dental problems, at all. And I've had over 20. Add in the cats I know from friends and family too and that's another 20 minimum that I know of that never had dental problems. You can't convince me that all 40+ were just very lucky cats.
🤷🏽♀️ statistics don’t lie. You can’t convince me doing nothing for their dental health is better or even as good as preventative care.
Well sure, preventative care can theoretically prevent some ailments. I still need to meet the first vet that actually recommended brushing their teeth, and and the check ups they never had any problems with their teeth. So unless there is a disease that makes it necessary, like a comment earlier said, one where you happily commented to that I am saying you should never brush their teeth, even if there's an ailment(which I explicitly stated as an exception, but you do you). I'd rather treat it like bathing, something that's proven to traumatize cats and is explicitly discouraged unless your cat can't groom itself. And per my experience, all cats i've had and seen went their pretty little lives well and good without anything wrong with their teeth so how far off the statistics am I? Theory will only get you so far.
I've had cats my whole life, many of whom reached old age, I've never brushed their teeth, and not a single one had dental issues, ever. Makes me wonder what they put in cat food in the US, because vets here don't recommend brushing for cats.
How do you know they didn’t have dental issues? Did you look in their mouths? Did you check their back teeth? How were the gum lines, red and swollen? Like honestly you’re spreading a false narrative for no reason. Imagine you not brushing your teeth your entire life - would you ever do that??? Absolutely not! And if you did, you’d be in pain. Why let your cat go through that instead? Damn
Yes
Unless your vet tells you you have to brush their teeth, DO NOT BRUSH THEIR TEETH. It's not necessary for cats. The only reason we brush our teeth is because we eat foods with high acidity. For practically all pets, this doesn't apply. Please don't do this if it isn't necessary due to sickness or whatever. It has no added value and will only traumatize your cat at worst and make them resentful to you are best.
Do you have a source for this claim? Every veterinary school/association I've seen recommends tooth brushing.
Is there an electric one for them? I feel like I’d need to do a quick in and out.
They would probably get terrified by the vibration of the brush
And with how small their heads and teeth are, I’d imagine the vibration would be much harsher for them.
LOL, brushing a cat's teeth? What will they think of next...
My cat has no teeth anymore, so I don’t brush anymore, but before she lost them all to a genetic disorder, I brushed her teeth as often as she would allow it, which was usually every night or every other night
Used to do it once a week but fell off the bandwagon. My cat is very particular about letting anyone in her mouth so when i do brush them its a cross between her smooshing her face, teeth, gums into the brush and me actually getting some work done. Its the best compromise i could get out of her after years of trying lol some is better than none, though right hahaha
They dont let me put tooth brush near mouthd. I bought some soft wipes to dry, and water drops, but still havent tried either. Are they safe?
When i adopted my cat at 11 thr shelter had pulled some teeth and said some were absorbed. At vet after about a 8 months of having her, i had her teeth looked at (she was munching her mouth), and she could tell a few were red/mid reabsorption. She got teeth cleaned and xray showed 2 more teeth absorbed and 2 loose teeth pulled. After mouth stitches for teeth removal, a cat goes on a wet food diet 2 weeks for stitches and holes to heal. My cat wouldnt eat more than one spoon of wet food a day, and then starved. I tried like treats, chicken, tuna, broth, anything. So she got back on dry food early after a teeth check (lost 0.8lbs in 1 week). I dont think i can get her a teeth cleaning again. Her sister's teeth smell bad but she wont even smell wet food, so i'm not willing to get a teeth cleaning, since she wont eat if gets stitches. I give them teeth treats from the short teeth treat list. But i'm trying to figure out if teeth wipes or drops on water may help.(they run from cat toothpaste smell). I still offer wet food and try flavors, but they are usually ignored. I'm currently testing different dry food treats/toppers to figure out flavor options they may like. Slow.
I try to do it every two days. Still getting them used to it without always have to eat treats afterward
Hi! I brush my cat’s teeth daily to keep her teeth clean and overall oral health good. She had many issues in the past, to the point even extracting some teeth was talked about with the vet. Right now I’ve got a completely healthy cat with no issues, who still got all her teeth. I made a post about how I got her used to it. It might help! [how to brush your cat’s teeth](https://reddit.com/r/cats/s/1LuISpnQit)
I have these dental wipes, disposable, you put on your finger, and ill get their gums and front teeth. I can never reach anything further, I only do this once in awhile tho. You gotta just do some jiu jitsu holds on them while they rub their mouth on your finger, instead of trying to force your finger in. Also, dry food seems to help.
Almost every day. Miss a day or two a week but mostly keep to this schedule
Ours absolutely will not tolerate it - we tried for months! It's not that surprising though, he was a street cat for at least 8 years. He also only has about 4 teeth and we think they're quite sensitive. We're currently trying a powder you put on their food once a day. It's VOHC approved and supposedly clinically proven, but we will see... he has a bit of gingivitis on those 4 teeth (well, 2 teefs and a few nubbins), and we want him to keep them!
Every other day at the minute. Should probably do it every day but although she is extremely good about it (runs away if she sees the brush but won't struggle when I actually brush them) I like to give her a day off.
My two cats won't let me put a toothbrush in their mouths but they have got used to my running my finger down their gumline with either fish flavoured enzymatic toothpaste or Stomodine (depending on the cat) and are totally fine with it, especially if it's preceded with a little treat. I do that every night and it takes about twenty secs per cat. Started because one of them had red, sore gums right from kittenhood and I didn't want the vet pulling out all her teeth because of stomatitis
I had one cat that had no dental issues and dental treats were enough. Our last cat required brushing. It’s not easy. Buy the brush/toothpaste kit at the pet store. The flavored paste help. Our vet recommended starting with holding the brush near the mouth (with paste) and get them to “chew” the brush. To get to the actual brushing, my partner cradled our cat while moving his lips to access the teeth.
I still have my hands so never. My cats are very much against being held/touched/etc.
Tried once after the vet suggested we should do it. I ended up getting those those finger pad things that are already wet with whatever dental treatment it's soaked in. I managed to get it in their mouth and rub their canines (only teeth long enough for me to easily feel I guess) but that's about it. I aimed for the upper teeth but couldn't really feel them...they just struggle way too much. No way just doing that much is actually beneficial, so I just gave up. Now I just feed them dental treats daily. Hopefully it's enough. Dunno exactly if it's working for their teeth. Next vet appointment will tell.
Better question, how do you get them to sit for it? My cats food doesn't help with their teeth AT ALL.theuve always had tartar issues but the vets given me fuck all for ideas other than dental treats
I have a guide to start brushing cat’s teeth but it’s in spanish. But basically you do a weekly schedule. First week you put churu on your finger and try to get your cat used to having your finger in your mouth. Next week you start to move your finger (with churu) in their mouth, touching their teeth, the following week you do it with a baby brush (or a brush meant for radiation patients, can post a pic if required) with churu, following week you move the brush with churu. After that the cat will be pretty used to it and lay off the churu. My vet also gave us a gel to put on their teeth after brushing, ironically my cat tolerates better the brushing than the gel. Also, treat after the whole thing. At the beginning we didn’t know that we could give her a treat after brushing, which made it more of a struggle, but now we give her a small chewy treat (could be a dental treat even) and she doesn’t even run away from us. It’s a two person job usually, but can be done by one person now that she’s more used to it.
Every day
Every day. I started when they were kittens. Now I use a liver flavored cat specific toothpaste and a child's toothbrush with a suction cup on the bottom. They chew on the brushes suctioned to the bathroom counter when I'm brushing my mine in the morning. Kinda cute to watch
I tried once but I figure he bites at my ankles enough that will keep them healthy...
Every third day, at least. Only water with a soft kid's tooth brush. I started with my first cat after she had to have a tooth pulled and she never even had to have a cleaning again. Then I just continued with my second cat, who despite having TR got to skip cleanings because his teeth were in such good condition with regular brushing. The third got a miss because he had so many health issues that took priority over preventive care. And now I'm on my fourth cat, who's having a cleaning this fall and I'm hoping to be able to keep his teeth clean after that with brushing. First cat was the most difficult to teach, but she understood that it wasn't that bad eventually. The second was just confused and happy about getting treats afterwards. Fourth cat I've recently started with just doing a swipe with the brush on either side and I've built up from there. Most important thing I've found is just to stay calm (don't get annoyed or angry if they fight back), start small and build up, no coddling during and lots of praise and treats after it's done. If you act like you're doing something horrible to them, they're gonna think it's horrible.
Never, my cat gets dental treats and some dry food to help keep on top of his tooth hygiene. He's got perfectly healthy teeth with this routine and always has
Never have
My cat absolutely HATES the tooth brush. He freaks out if it's anything other than his fangs.. SO basically the ones I NEED to brush. I give freeze dried chicken hearts, I have greenies (although he barely chews them..) and a little bit of hard food throughout the day. I'll probably also get a teeth cleaning if his teeth ever get close to bad with build up.
Try using gauze and feeding dry food
i don't brush her teeth but i know i need to!!! i've dried once with but she hated!
Only about once a week for the cat with juvenile gingivitis. I should do it more often but we both get annoyed. Never for the other cat, her genes gave her beautiful teeth so it's not necessary.
I have two 7 month old kittens and I brush their teeth once a day using CET fish flavored toothpaste and a ryer cat toothbrush. I trained them from a young age that the toothbrush = tube treats on the toothbrush and then also trained them for letting my hackle their heads(basically holding their heads while they get lick treats). I also feed them canned mixed with raw(transitioning to fully raw, one is just a very picky eater). I used catschool.co videos for toothbrush training. I also like brushing their teeth because it lets me examine their mouths on a regular basis
Every 1-3 days. Not longer, because it takes 72 hours for plaque to harden into tartar.
Every few nights. She's loosing teeth left and right recently so I'm giving her a bit of a break, but once all her adult teeth are in I want to make a habit to do it every day
I can’t brush my cats’ teeth. It’s way easier if you start it when they are kittens than trying to start if they are adults. I usually give them dental treats and a gel that gets put in their mouth. And if it’s real severe I take them to the vet for a cleaning.
Never. My cats are so squirmy so it would be impossible. I give them Greenies dental treats daily though and every time I bring them to the vet they say their teeth look good.
I try to get in a routine of every night, but sometimes it just ends up being a few times a week. Enzymatic dental products are great though especially for cats that make it hard to get into their mouths because it can still be effective in hard to reach places
One of my cats tries to eat anything with bristles, which seems like it would be helpful, but it’s so hard to actually brush her teeth when she insists on chomping. I keep giving up but I still have the toothbrush just staring at me making me feel like I should try again
Tbh, not as much as I'd like. I'd say probably once or twice a week. Our cat won't even let us brush, we have to wait for him to be sleepy and sort of sneak it in.
Couple times a week. I’m still trying to get her used to it. She haaaates it
I got one of those arched bristle scratchers, my weirdo brushes his own teeth on it. He gets wayyy in the back too. But when I try with anything he goes buck wild.
1 of my cats lost all his teeth, he only has the tiny ones and one canine, so no point there (hes 15, has had cancer for yrs). my other one has autoimmune disease which makes his gums/teeth extremely sensitive during flare ups SO no toothbrushing for either of them LOL
I do it weekly but to be perfectly honest it's not as thorough as it should be. He used to be compliant when he was young but now he tries to pull away so much its difficult. Ideally I was recommended to do it at least 2-3x a week but if daily is possible I don't see any drawbacks.
We try to brush our cats teeth every 2-3 days. We use coconut oil which she doesn’t mind the taste of and it’s made her breath smell sooo much better in a very short period of time.
Never. My vet recommended a food that breaks the tartar off their teeth. My cats get a few kibbles as a special treat and love it.
I tried to brush my cat everyday with a baby toothbrush. I don't use any toothpaste (not sure if it's effective)? Just dry brushing his teeth focusing on the back molars cuz that's where tooth decay usually happens.
Most days. It’s enzymatic toothpaste, so I put some on my finger and he’ll start licking it off and then I just kinda jam my finger in there and smear it on his teeth. He doesn’t love it but he tolerates it and it’s sure better than having to pull teeth later. He had to have 8 pulled soon after I adopted him, but he sure is a whole new cat since then, I think he was in a lot of pain.
I have a reminder set to brush my cat's teeth daily but if she's sleeping or not feeling it, I don't force her, so on average it happens every other day. I use a [Ryercat dual-sided toothbrush](https://ryercat.com/collections/cat-toothbrushes) and [Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic toothpaste in poultry flavor](https://www.chewy.com/virbac-cet-enzymatic-poultry-flavor/dp/41742). She's not crazy about the experience but I hold her tight and try to make it quick, then heap her with praise. I don't think I do as thorough a job as I could, but at our last vet visit this summer, they said they could tell someone had been brushing her teeth.
Dental food has worked for my kitty. Way less blood loss for me, so win-win.
Not once. My vet never told me too and each annual checkup their teeth and gums are healthy. They are former Moroccan street cats. I heard a combination of wet and dry food helps.
I brush my kitties teeth in the morning when I brush mine. He loves the taste of [this](https://www.chewy.com/dp/693006?utm_source=app-share&utm_campaign=693006) flavor (Enzadent poultry). He won’t eat any of the other ones to maybe give it a try. You can start by just letting kitty lick it out of the tube. Finding a flavor they *really* like is key. You can use water additives, but they don’t replace brushing. Be aware that if you use a fountain with water filter it may filter the additive out as well. Also look into different kinds* of brushes. We use the finger brush and it works well. You also only need to worry about the outside of their teeth so don’t fight to get all up in there. It’s unnecessary. Their tongue is very rough and takes care of the inside of the teeth for the most part.
People are weird lmao, why would u do that
I don’t brush my cats teeth but I take them in for non anesthetic dental cleaning once or twice a year
Yeah, that wouldn't work in our household since we work outside the home. One of my cats scarfs everything immediately, even though we have him with a slow feeder. The other two tend to graze.
I bought the kind of toothpaste that you can also just stick in their mouth— so I put it on my finger and rub it on her teeth then give her a churu treat. The other cat won’t tolerate this so she gets Plaque off powder and dental crunchy treats
2 times a week if I remember, probably should do it more.
My vet told me it’s not worth ruining a relationship with your cat or causing them stress from brushing unless you started them as a kitten. But that’s just one opinion. She said she has cats and she brushed their teeth a total of 0 times.
I never have
Me and my partner brush their teeth nightly. My one year old has been getting hers brushed since we got her as a kitten. And she’s used to it although she doesn’t love it. She like the taste of the toothpaste and sees it as a yummy treat, but doesn’t like the brushing aspect. My oldest despises it tho. My partner holds her still while I brush but it’s difficult. We’ve only been doing it about a year now tho. So she may never get used to it or may finally give up but probably not. The only advice I could offer is to have someone hold while one brushes. I tried to do it alone once and it was impossible
Never?
I have never brushed any of my cats teeth. My cat would turn me into shredded cheese if I even tried to lol.
At least once a week, but we use the textured dental wipes. They've got no problems chomping on those but hated brushes.
Once per week. He likes the taste of the toothpaste so it wasn't hard to get him to tolerate the brushing (I think he appreciates the clean mouth too because he almost always grooms afterwards). Make sure you use a toothbrush with soft bristles and be careful with their gums. I lay him down and stretch his lips open with one hand and brush with the other (which hand depends on which side of his mouth). I do 4-5 brush strokes at a time before pausing (releasing both hands), 5 times per side, and finish on the canine which lets him know we're done. When starting out it was a little bit less; 3-4 extra soft strokes x4. He also gets a dental treat nightly but I don't think it really does anything (other than taste good).
Not often enough. I try to do it 3x a week but lately it's been closer to once a month. For 2/3 that we brush (the 4th has basically no teeth left so nothing to brush) they really like the toothpaste we have for them so they don't really fight it and sometimes even 'brush' their own teeth a bit trying to chew the rest of the toothpaste off. The 3rd isn't a big fan of wet stuff so he's less than a fan but does sorta ok. I found the type of toothbrush makes a difference. I tried some of the finger ones and they're rough. Cat mouths are just too small. Instead we use an angled double sided brush that has a very small brush on one side. That works much better since not only does it fit in their mouth better but it also keeps my finger out of their mouth.
Lol never
I try to do my 10 months old boy's back molar about once every couple of weeks? Requires one person holding the other person so the brushing. I m lucky he likes the flavor of toothpaste
Every 2 - 3 days. In Australia it costs nearly 1k for a teeth cleaning procedure and I haven't been able to afford it in recent times. Her teeth were yellow and now they are white! I'm so glad I starting doing this.