My cat died of an infection from his teeth.?

Question

Is there anything that can be done to prevent my new kitten from developing this horrible illness? From his teeth the infection got to his jaw and then to his kidneys. I was up and down the vets like a yo yo and it is a horrible thing to see your cat suffer from.

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear about your cat =/

Several things can be done to prevent this from happening again:-
1) believe it or not, you can actually brush your kitten's teeth, but that of course requires training from a tender age. You can get "finger" tooth-brushes (kinda like the toothbrush head can be worn on your finger) from your vet's or at a pet store. You just need to do this at least twice a week.
2) Hill's t/d: this has been clinically proven to promote dental health. The fibres in the biscuits are orientated in such a way that they will pare away dental plaque/calculi (aka tartar) when your kitty chews on them. Once again, you just need to feed your kitten this at least twice a week.
3) A cheaper alternative would be your typical supermarket dry food, such as Whiskas/Friskies/Purina etc. You've have to feed this almost everyday though, because the fibres in the biscuits aren't specially formualated to remove dental plaque. However, just the force of chewing on the biscuits should be sufficient to make dental plaque fall away.
4) A fair number of cats actually take to munching greenies - you can give that a go as well.
5) An annual health check's really important too, so that your vet can assess your kitten's teeth and can inform you if your cat is due for a dental. Your cat will most likely be due for it's first dental cleaning when he's about 3-5years old. As usual, this will depend very much on what he's eating.

Remember, which ever diet you choose, make sure that it is a balanced one, and that you provide your kitten with water ad libitum (free access at all times).

Also, although feeding your cat dry food helps to minimise the risk of dental calculi formation, i would suggest that you also feed your cat a component of wet food. Dry food promotes dental hygiene, but it is wet food that decreases the incidence of urolithiasis (urinary stones). If you're planning to feed a mixed diet of dry+wet food, make sure there's at least 6-8h between meals - never mix dry and wet in the same meal. In other words, you may give dry food at breakfast, then wet food in the evenings, but never give them together. This is to ensure that your kitten gets the optimal amount of water intake. Your cat's hydration status is very important in the prevention of several diseases, including that of renal (kidney) failure and urolithiasis.

Your local vet will be able to advise you further on this.

Good luck with your new kitten!

Answer 2

The only way to do this is to keep a regular check on his teeth. A couple of mine have had really bad infections and ended up having all or most of their teeth out. I asked my vet what the cause was and he said that with some cats it just happens whatever you do. My current toothless cat is thriving now and I'm going to have to watch that she doesn't get too fat !
Get your vet to check the kitten's teeth every time you go in and take any remedial steps straight away.

Answer 3

Yes to prevent tooth decay make sure you are giving the cat dry cat food. Many pet owners allow there cats to have way to much wet food and it should actually be only used as a treat 1-2 times a week. The dry cat food helps to keep tarter down on the teeth. Therefore would help keep the gums getting infections which can lead to abscesses that can rupture and poison the cats body.

Answer 4

You can regularly check your cats teeth yourself and note any smell, redness of the gum margin's and tartar build up especially on the back teeth.

Most cats are in need of a dental at sometime over the age of 5yrs.

If your cat is vaccinated and has his boosters every year, then the vet normally checks their teeth for you.

A good quality wet cat food like Felix and a good quality dry food, on the side, such as Purina One and clean water available at all times is all your cats diet requires.

So sorry to hear about the loss of your cat, its so upsetting and I can understand your anxiety. Dont worry it wont happen to your new kitten, if you take my advice.

I hope my answer has helped.

Answer 5

I'm so sorry to hear you had such a tragic loss. Any infection of the mouth can affect organs and such (even doctors today say that not having a healthy mouth in humans can cause heart disease). If you're not sure how the first cat got the infection, I would recommend the following:

1. Keep all cats as indoor cats. The outside is not really healthy for cats. Most vets will tell you that risks of diseases from eating live animals, getting hit by cars, attacked by feral cats, fleas, ringworm, etc. is not beneficial to the animal.

2. Feed your cat only high-quality cat food such as Wellness or Solid Gold will keep their immune system healthy (as well as reduce their chance of food allergies and give them a healthy coat and bright eyes). Neither of these cat food brands were part of the cat food recall as they are made in the U.S. using highest quality products.

3. Keep fresh bowls of clean water in several areas of the house to help them stay hydrated.

4. Bring your cats to the vet for routine check-ups or anytime you see a difference in their litter box habits or eating/drinking habits.

I wish you better luck with your new kitten. It is very hard to see your pet in distress and in pain and to lose them to an illness.

Answer 6

Schedule your kitten for a yearly dental cleaning. Once it gets to be about 8 years old it should probably have a cleaning twice a year. Schedule these visits 6 months from the time of yearly vaccinations - that way your vet will be checking your cats teeth twice a year & if your cat has any dental problems you will know that much sooner.

Answer 7

When you start with clean teeth (like a kitten's teeth) you can do a lot to prevent oral disease. Brushing regularly, fluoride supplements for their drinking water, and chlorhexidine saturated treats (CET Hextra cat chews, for example.)

Feed dry kibble, wet food has sugary syrup that sticks to their teeth and will accelerate the decay process. When your cat approaches 6 or 7 years old, initiate regular dental cleaning with your veterinarian. If you have preserved good oral health for your cat until that age, usually every 18-24 months is sufficient to maintain perfect teeth. If you have slacked a little and the teeth are vulnerable, every 12 months is best.

Coordinate with your vet regarding products available to you to keep your cat's teeth healthy, and when your cat approaches the geriatric age, make sure to keep those teeth clean and get them checked every year.

And let this be a lesson to all who think teeth cleaning is a waste of money! Oral infection can and will kill your pets, dog or cat, please don't ignore it.

Answer 8

Just care for your cats teeth every once in awhile. Clean them and make sure they look good if you see a tooth that is broken or looks bad take your pet to the vet to have it treated immediately. They are prone to many of the illnesses in life that we are and teeth are something that are commonly overlooked by pet owners as needed upkeep for the animal. Sorry to hear of your loss yet glad you've a new friend to help with the sadness.

Answer 9

The best treatment for this is actually just removing the teeth completely when they have repeated infections. I know it seems cruel in cats, but it does solve the problem. I see a lot of people posting here about their vet trying to "save the dog's teeth". Bad idea. Just remove them. It usually stops the sepsis.

Answer 10

Your vet should have checked your cats teeth at his annual visits. They need to be cleaned occasionally. Usually not every year, a good vet can tell when its time by looking at them. I would also start brushing your kitten's teeth regularly to get him or her used to it. You can get a little toothbrush and toothpaste especially for cats from most pet supply stores. I'm sorry for your loss :(