CAT HEALTH

Dental Care for Cats

To ensure that your cat stays healthy and happy, dental care is paramount. Another reason to take care of your cat’s teeth is because dental problems can lead to other health complications. For example, if your cat is experiencing periodontal issues, it may reduce its food intake and this could lead to a deterioration in health as a result of malnutrition. This is how paramount dental health care is for your cat.

If not well taken care of, a good number of cats have several different types of dental problems. for this reason, it’s the cat owner’s responsibility to ensure that they maintain a routine of good dental hygiene for their cats. It may be a bit stressful but in the long run, it would be beneficial to your cat and to you.

One of the dental issues cats face is plaque. As is with humans, cats also have a buildup of tartar known as plaque in their teeth. This is caused by the various kinds of food cats are fed in addition to the buildup of food particles in their teeth that decay and become tartar. If the plaque continues to accumulate, it may result in problems with the gum and eventually, your cat will begin to lose its teeth.

All cats do not have the same experience with plaque. Some cats seem to be more prone to accumulation of plaque and tartar while others fare well without much dental care. Some cats may need to have their teeth cleaned regularly to get rid of the plaque building up in their teeth. Plaque is a deposit that is whitish-yellow in color which develops on the teeth gradually.

Plaque, in cats, develop on the outer surface of the upper teeth. Cats can develop gum problems if the plaque is left to develop. This may be evident in gum lines that appear reddish, showing that the plaque is already irritating the gums.

To avoid plaque buildup on your cat’s teeth, it is advised that you take your cat your teeth cleaning every year. Vets would administer anesthesia to the cats to clean their teeth generally. However, it could really shake your pocket to get this done. The next better alternative would be to clean your cat’s teeth at home. You might take some time to get used to cleaning your cat’s teeth at home. It’s not a funfair for cats when they have to get their teeth cleaned. Therefore, to get this done, you may need someone to help you and you may need to put your cat in a bath towel straitjacket.

You could use a toothbrush size for children. you could also get some edible toothpaste from pet stores to help you in the task. Cats may get accustomed to having their teeth brushed if you do it weekly. Often times, when trying to provide dental care for your cat, you might discover that its breath smells bad. Two things can cause bad breath; it may be when your cat is growing new teeth. Cats begin to lose their baby teeth at 6 months of age and permanent ones begin to grow out. The teeth-changing process may be the reason for the bad smell. As soon as the teeth are grown out, the odor will be gone.