1. Where do you get urine test strips? ( I got pool ones but the lowest reading on them is 6.4) The one pet supply catalog sells litmus paper, is this usable for the cat? The people medical supply store can order some for me but they have about 40 different ones to choose from!?!?)
2.I know cats can have different types of bladder stones, can they have crystals of varying types??
3. What is a good range for cat urine ph?
(Baby Clyde's urine ph has been about 6. with stones and with/without crytals)
4.At the other end of the cat, what can I do for the teeth caked in residue and the red, almost raw looking gum line at the base of the teeth?
( I am rubbing teeth with Q-tip and a vet toothpaste. I have a sample mouth rinse and mouth gel with the same ingrediants - does this stuff do any good?? there must be SOMETHING I can do for his mouth?? He is young - will be 3 years old on the 4th of July and his teeth are totally caked in build-up!!)
Baby Clyde has rebounded well from his bladder surgery. He didn't get any herbals or supplements because I can't get ahold of anything I can give him ( big capsules - i ordered empty capsules and they are still too big for a cat...) He started to urinate less frequently and in larger amounts - but now he has reverted back to tiny piddles and more frequently(plus closing his eyes like he is in discomfort) . I am so nervous this could be 101 things - stones, crystals, swelling, pain, bladder, urinary tract, ....
He eats hard food only - will not touch canned or soft food, baby food, nothing of that nature! He does drink water well. Won't drink gatoraide, or flavored water, gravy, or even formula. ( mum put too many meds in formula to trust that stuff anymore!)
Any thoughts on his home care would be much appreciated.
Questions on cat things
Tartar
Hi Sandy,
I'm not trying to be unhelpful, but honestly, I think one solution to his tartar would be the plain old-fashioned one. Take him to the vet and let the vet chip it off his teeth with a descaling tool every so often.
Some cats just get tartar more than others. One of mine did. Sedation has not been required to chip tartar off of any of my cats's teeth.
Dogs have been another matter. A vet I no longer go to sold me a $12 tube of tooth gel to prevent tartar in my tartar-prone dog. I became upset when I saw that the big tube contained a half ounce of product. Then I read the ingredients and the main ingredient was something extremly sugary like corn syrup or molasses or something--don't remember. I decided I wasn't going to spend $12 to put half an ounce of sugar on my dog's teeth.
I'm not trying to be unhelpful, but honestly, I think one solution to his tartar would be the plain old-fashioned one. Take him to the vet and let the vet chip it off his teeth with a descaling tool every so often.
Some cats just get tartar more than others. One of mine did. Sedation has not been required to chip tartar off of any of my cats's teeth. Dogs have been another matter. A vet I no longer go to sold me a $12 tube of tooth gel to prevent tartar in my tartar-prone dog. I became upset when I saw that the big tube contained a half ounce of product. Then I read the ingredients and the main ingredient was something extremly sugary like corn syrup or molasses or something--don't remember. I decided I wasn't going to spend $12 to put half an ounce of sugar on my dog's teeth.
Re: Questions on cat things
I found that an infant-sized toothbrush worked great for kitties when used with that beef, chicken, etc. toothpaste they were so fond of. Like Carol says, you can also get the dentist to descale; you might even have to get a full-scale cleaning frequently.
Have the vet help you pick out the pee strips; you're right, there are a bunch to pick from. Pool strips probably won't help, but, if you're only looking for pH, you might find some from a scientific supply place. I don't get catalogs anymore, but, as I recall, many of them cover mostly bases or mostly acids.
Have the vet help you pick out the pee strips; you're right, there are a bunch to pick from. Pool strips probably won't help, but, if you're only looking for pH, you might find some from a scientific supply place. I don't get catalogs anymore, but, as I recall, many of them cover mostly bases or mostly acids.
Re: Questions on cat things
Cats can get crystals/stones from their urine either being too alkaline or too acidic. You need to ask the vet which kind of crystals they are. You can get the test strips from Walgreens. The holistic pet food company Solid Gold also had urine test strips. They also have suppliments to make the urinary PH rise or fall. My Trixie is prone to bladder infection due to her incontinence. She is taking Solid Gold's Berry Balance. Wet food is better for cats prone to urinary problems. The fillers in the dry food are very dehydrating and can mess with the urine PH. A lot of holistic vets recommend the raw food diets--they are a more natural PH for carnivores.
As for the tartar-a professional teeth cleaning is the best way to remove the tartar. In some cases the sedation is less of a risk than the health problems that can arrise from periodontal disease. Your vet probably has those C.E.T. treats that are good for removing tartar. Some of the raw diets are good for removing tartar. The only trouble with the can food is that it is bad for the teeth.
Good luck!
As for the tartar-a professional teeth cleaning is the best way to remove the tartar. In some cases the sedation is less of a risk than the health problems that can arrise from periodontal disease. Your vet probably has those C.E.T. treats that are good for removing tartar. Some of the raw diets are good for removing tartar. The only trouble with the can food is that it is bad for the teeth.
Good luck!
We're talking real basic stuff here
Hi Alisa, Ummm, could it be a question of terminology? My vet doesn't do all the things you describe, so it probably wouldn't qualify as a true cleaning? It's just that if you have a real tartar cat, it builds up so fast it has to be knocked off pretty often. He holds the kitty's mouth open, gets in there with his metal tool, and chips of big hunks of tartar. It never fails to scare me when I see him deposit a big piece on the kleenex, because it looks so much like he just knocked off half a tooth (tartar being sort of a dirty off-white color). There is sometimes a very small spot of blood. The tartar cats are used to it--I mean I'm sure they don't *like* it but they know what's going on. He does sedate for extractions. I'm pretty sure he'd have to sedate to do all the other things you describe, too, only I don't know if such elegant treatments are even offered. It may also depend on the cat? There are probably cats who'd pitch a fit over tartar removal, whereas my cats have always been really good about it.
Re: Tartar- Carol
I am absolutely amazed that your cats do not need sedation for a teeth cleaning! Does your vet use an ultrasonic scaler?? The ultrasonic scaler vibrates and has a water spray. It is excellent for removing tartar and also flushes out the bacteria that forms below the gumline (I'm a Dental Hygienist). =) My vet also polishes the teeth with a fluoride paste and follows up with a fluoride treatment. The polishing also removes plaque and bacteria from below the gumline. She also probes the gums to detect any pockets that are forming and checks for decay.
I can't get a toothbrush in any of my cat's mouths for more than a second let alone do a thorough teeth cleaning. I would love to know your vet's secret!! Would your vet tell us??
I can't get a toothbrush in any of my cat's mouths for more than a second let alone do a thorough teeth cleaning. I would love to know your vet's secret!! Would your vet tell us??
"basic" depends on your location!
Yes, here, we do have the national ad campaigns for dental month and posters for pet dental cleanings....but I don't know of ANY vet in my area that would do a teeth cleaning without sedation - they don't even ATTEMPT it. Anesthesia is definately part of the equation. Interesting to hear what is "normal routine" elsewhere.
Thank you!
No Walgreens here. Called and visited many hospital supply and drug stores - only found one that had anything and it was over $40...I get some meds made for the cats into a transdermal gel and called that pharmacy as a last resort before I called Solid Gold to purchase from CA to NY... the animal pharmacy does carry litmus paper. And you know how, out of the blue, someone can be SUPER nice to you - for no reason at all??? the lady at the pharmacy called a pharmacy local to me, gave the pharmacist all the ordering info, and had him order the papers for me so I can pick them up tomorrow and save $$ on shipping and time waiting. Is that too nice or what?!?
I realize that knowing the ph is a big factor in how I progress with his treatment.... The risk of sedation doesn't outweigh the risk of dental disease with BC especially since the vet doesn't recognize the dental problems as being as major as I feel it is...BC just had bladder surgery and his health has taken a hard hit because of the sedation - another sedation may very possibly mean death for him, or at least blindness.So, I am trying to avoid that if at all possible...
no word on the composition of the stones that were removed from him and the vet called the crystals before surgery "struvites" but the ph was low so think it was more an assumption that a scientific fact.
I realize that knowing the ph is a big factor in how I progress with his treatment.... The risk of sedation doesn't outweigh the risk of dental disease with BC especially since the vet doesn't recognize the dental problems as being as major as I feel it is...BC just had bladder surgery and his health has taken a hard hit because of the sedation - another sedation may very possibly mean death for him, or at least blindness.So, I am trying to avoid that if at all possible...
no word on the composition of the stones that were removed from him and the vet called the crystals before surgery "struvites" but the ph was low so think it was more an assumption that a scientific fact.