Dental Care for Senior Cats

by **hlmcentyre** » Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:36 pm

Dear Cat Lovers:

My mom and I both have older cats (hers is over 13 and mine is almost 18) who are not at all used to having their teeth brushed, nor are they the slightest bit open to the idea. We have tried some dental bites provided by the average cat care company but are seeking something more effective with more reliably quality ingredients. Does anyone have any recommendations for natural or holistic products that are safe & keep cats' teeth clean and breath smelling fresh? Oh, and I almost for got the most important issue: my mom's cat cannot eat anything with *fish* in it (gives her the terrible runs). Obviously, this significantly narrows our choices, or we might have tried Virbac's C.E.T. Hextra Premium Chews or some such product. We could REALLY use your input, so:

:thankyou:

And Aloha!

by **FYI** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:28 am

by **hlmcentyre** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:17 pm

Thanks for the kind welcome!

Any ideas on improving cat's breath & general dental care (not involving fish-related ingredients)?

Mahalo & Aloha!

by **CarolC** » Thu Feb 16, 2012 10:33 pm

Did you try the Feline Greenies in chicken flavor?

Feline Greenies wrote:unique nubbed shape that scrapes away tartar, while chlorophyll and rosemary extract help support fresh breath. Made with real chicken and oat fiber for a tasty treat

I've never tried them, but here's a link.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... atid=13597

What about growing one of those little containers of kitty grass for indoor cats?

The best thing is probably just a dental appointment with the vet. That will take care of any tartar and loose or broken teeth. My vet can scrape tartar off my cat's teeth without anaesthesia, if you're concerned about doing a full dental.

If your kitty is almost 18, you might want to have her kidney values checked, as some degree of kidney trouble (chronic renal failure, or feline CRF) could be expected with a cat that age, and kidney problems can cause bad breath.

http://www.petwave.com/Cats/Health/Kidn ... ptoms.aspx

by **hlmcentyre** » Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:44 pm

Thanks for the great input! Aloha!

by **critters** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:28 am

We've never used chews, etc., so I can't help you there. I used to brush Tad's teeth, though--with an infant toothbrush, and he didn't mind too much. The dog brushes are just too big. He also liked the meat-flavored critter toothpastes and considered them a treat.

by **Bendy Kitty** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:32 pm

An easy thing to do that seems to help quite a bit is to get one of teh water additives for tartar control. There are a variety of them available, I don't really know which is best. I think right now we are using one made by Tropiclean. Add a tablespoon to a quart of water. No one has objected to the additive in the water, everyone still drinks normally. I would not put an 18 year old through a dental because of the anesthesia unless they needed a tooth removed. If they have severely bad breath, it can indicate an infection and a course of Antirobe (from your vet) is often a big help.
we haven't found the treats/chews to be very effective, although they are very tasty!

hope this helps.

bendy