plaque on teeth?

Question

My cat has a problem with plaque what dry cat foods have worked out best for you or what have you done to win the battle of plaque. I give dry cat food like my vet says and also the dental kitty treats, I had tried brushing but that was a battle and a half anyone with a fiesty cat can tell you that.

Answer 1

Dry food doesn't clean the teeth, nor will so called "dental" treats since they're much the same thing. Any vet who tells you that it does isn't worth seeing.

The link below will explain why in detail, but I can sum it up for you pretty well.

Have you looked at a cat's teeth? They don't have molars. They have FANGS. These teeth were not designed for eating cookies. They were made to rip through flesh and bone.

Have you ever seen a cat chew? Many cats simply swallow dry food whole. Others may go so far as to crack it with a tooth. One tooth. How in the world does that clean teeth?

If anything, dry food is bad for the teeth. Bits can get stuck in the gums and all the carb content is going to leave a sugary residue behind.

I don't understand why people still believe this myth. If they would stop to think about it - or observe their cats eating - it would die the painful death it deserves.

I'm not coming down on you - you're just believing what you're told by a source you trust. Unfortunately, that source is wrong.

So what SHOULD you do? Brushing is the obvious answer, but I wasn't able to manage it either. There are other options. You can purchase products that you rub on their teeth and gums weekly. You can purchase supplements for their water and/or food. You can do nothing and wait for a dental cleaning to be required. This last isn't a great option - it does cost a good amount depending upon how much needs to be done.

Other options are to feed a raw meat diet of healthy chunks of muscle meat and bone. Or you can do what I do - feed chicken necks. Raw. Even lightly cooked is ok. While raw bones are quite safe to eat, cooked bones will splinter. But the vertabrae in chicken necks are an exception...they get crumbly when cooked.

I cut them into 1/4" slices, roll them in dry food dust, and the girls chow down.

Answer 2

Plaque on the teeth seems like a small thing but as your cat ages it will become a problem. I do not believe that there is a specific dry food that will help with plaque even though Hills Science Diet states that the TD will help with it however, dry food is always better than wet food. You can call your veterinarian and schedule a dental for your cat. It is completely pain free and is reasonably priced. WHy is this a good idea? Plaque is full of germs and bacteria and it will absorb into the blood stream. It is an absolute contributor to heart disease in cats and dogs. Plaque left unchecked also leads to periodontal disease which leads to tooth loss, rot, abcesses and infection. Simple answere, go to the vet, let them do a dental, keep your pet on dry food.

Answer 3

My cats all eat dry IAMS. However, I have one that we rescued that had a significant problem with tartar on his teeth and we fed him the Hills t/d. I don't know if it helped or not because we found him a new home quickly. Sometimes cats will have a hereditary tendency to have problems with their teeth, and I don't think there is any home remedy for this. As cats get older it seems to be inevitable that they will have some tooth problems. Dry food and dental treats help. In order for a vet to work on a cat's teeth, they have to use anesthetic, so I don't have that done very often.

It's a good idea to open your kitten's mouth and check it's ears, clip it's claws and feel for bumps on it's body routinely from the time they're small. That way they will be easier to handle as they get older. I've seen the toothbrushes for cats that you fit over your finger and the fish-flavored toothpaste, but my cats would strongly object so I'm not brave enough to try it. I'm assuming that if this is done routinely from the time they're small you'll be able to do it when they're older. Maybe.

Answer 4

If it is a serious problem (your vet should know how bad it is) you may need to have a dental scaling (the same goes for people, a professional cleaning, removal of the junk).

None of these dry foods clean teeth, neither do treats- think about it, does eating popcorn clean your teeth, or do the kernels get stuck?

You may be able to try a cloth to brush, something from the store- that's better than nothing, and I find when I brush my little boy the fact that he likes the taste of his paste helps.

Don't expect to just be able to grab him and brush, he needs a lot of time and patience to get used to it. Don't force it, either, when he gets tired, just try again the next day. It should be an OK experience, with petting, reassurance and something that doesn't taste too gross.

Answer 5

I have never had a issue with my cats having a plaque problem. My cats eat dried cat food every day, have lots of fresh water (twice a day) and occasionally have treats. I never feed my cats wet food, except for very, very rare occasions (maybe 2-3 times a year). Typically my cats (I have two males, one is 3 years old and the other is 5 months old) like Whiskas and the 9 Lives Tender Cuts the best. What I do is buy the small normal size bags of food (+/- 3 lbs) and when one bag is gone, I switch flavors, and I rotate the different foods regularly so they always have a variety and they don't get sick of any one kind. I also buy new things here and there.

Answer 6

My mother has a Siamese which has the WORST breath ever!!! We took him to a vet and know we are scheduling an appointment with the vet to clean his teeth. The vet did take a look and showed us how bad the teeth were. We tired to feedhim dry food and wet food and kitty treats to clean the teeth. But none of them worked. (My moms cat is a picky eater) I will let you know how things went after it gets its teeth cleaned (and fresh breath too)

Answer 7

You could try using a food such as Hills t/d. It is a dry food product formulated in such a way that it helps to remove tartar from the teeth as the animal chews. If there is only a low grade tartar to begin with, or it is used following cleaning, it can be very effective at preventing tartar build-up.

If she'll have them, you can also try offering her raw chicken wings to chew on.

Answer 8

I've always fed my cats Purina Cat Chow (& Kitten Chow when they were little). My cats are 8 years old, and they have sparkling white teeth.