Tuna Breath
According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, about 70 percent of cats show signs of gum disease by age 3. While many factor can affect a cat's propensity for gum disease, the main culprit is the combination of saliva and food, which together form that nasty stuff called plaque.
When plaque, which is familiar to us as that fuzzy yucky stuff on our teeth becomes mineralized, it forms tartar. There's trouble when the combination of plaque, tartar, and bacteria cause an infection. Pus accumulates in pockets between the tooth and gum, causing pain and possibly tooth loss. Worse yet, the infection can spread to other parts of the body. For all these reasons, us humans brush, floss, and go to the dentist often. Our cat friends however, lacking the requisite opposable thumb or the mind-set to brush and floss, are out of luck.
Or are they? Veterinarians encourage cat owners to be proactive in preventing gum disease by brushing their cat's teeth for them.
Now don't use toothpastes meant for us humans. They are not suitable for cats. Cat toothpastes are made with the consideration that they will not be swished out with water. Cat toothpaste manufacturers claim that human toothpastes are made with flavors that appeal to us but cats don't think much of. Accordingly, most cat pastes re made in flavors cats love such as seafood and malt.
Now cats are not too keen on the idea of brushing their teeth. In fact, some toothpaste packages come with instructions that show a photograph of a cat getting his teeth brushed; in each case, the face says it all "what are you ding to me? I not like diss!1 hiss". That's pretty much the reaction you should expect. If you can easily pick up your cat and get anywhere near his mouth, your doing good and headed in the right direction. If however, your cat interprets any purposeful movement ( and mine do! ) in his direction as an invitation to flee for the deepest reaches of the closet, get used to the idea of wearing the toothpaste.
Before you begin, make sure that your4 cat's mouth is healthy. Don't brush if there is inflammation or soreness. You may want to have treats on hand to reward him for good behavior. Plan to introduce the brushing in a quiet part of the house. You can get your cat used to opening wide by wrapping a piece of gauze around your finger and rubbing it over the teeth. When you brush, however, you get down into the gum line where the cleaning is most needed. A finger brush can help get him used to the idea of your sticking something in his mouth and scrubbing around ( gently). The finger brush is like a rubbery thimble and the tiny bristles are soft. Try offering a bit of the paste on your finger first; if your cat likes the flavor, you can try it on the finger brush. If not, try putting some on a treat.
When you're ready to progress to a toothbrush after using the finger brush several times, wet the bristles and add a dab of toothpaste. Start with the little incisor teeth in the front and work your way back. Make sure you get the large teeth in the back, as these accumulate plaque easily.
