UPDATE: Furbaby is Ok--Wasn't What I Expected!
Younger furbaby (a bombay cat) had some fairly bad tooth decay that went systemic.
Which fooled me because his teeth are still very white. Guess I wasn't looking too hard at the gumline. He had to have two teeth extracted. I've always given him dry high end food. In fact he prefers it to soft food, or so it seems.
I've alway been vigilant about their water dish. It's one with a pump to keep the water fresh; I disinfect it and add "feline teeth" additive to it.
I don't brush their teeth as they can barely stand having their nails trimmed.
Anyway he is on the mend. The only issue was the older cat did not recognize his smell (he smelled like the vets) and so was hissing and snarling at him.
Gee whiz!! All the other tests came back negative. Sooooo almost $400 later.. .yikes!
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Glad your fur baby is doing
Glad your fur baby is doing better!
Aaw thinkthrice glad your
Aaw thinkthrice glad your kitty is on the mend.My 2 girls had their yearly check on Sat and vet said both are starting with plaque on their back teeth which could turn nasty if left unattended.So I will be booking them in for a scale and polish soon,they've quoted just under £500 for the two of them. But what can you do needs doing,I wouldn't neglect my own teeth by not going to the dentist so can't neglect the furkids teeth.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Both my kitties have bad
Both my kitties have bad teeth - it can be genetic.
The boy kitty has had teeth pulled.
I had another cat that was almost toothless due to malnutrition (as a stray kitten) by age 14, so it's not always easy to control.
One thing I do is brush my cat's teeth at least (least!) 3x a week. Yes, it is do-able if you gain the trust of the cat and use treats every single time. And find a toothbrush/toothpaste combo they like.
I swear by CET Enzymatic toothpaste, it works great at getting that plaque off, even if you can't brush as long as you want to.
Yikes at cost!!! You are a
Yikes at cost!!! You are a good fur baby mama
I'm so glad to hear your
I'm so glad to hear your kitty is ok. Dental work for cats can be so expensive!
I do have a caution on the dry food vs canned food. I have always fed mostly high end dry food. I have also had several cats die of renal failure. The prevailing theory is that cats don't get enough water when fed only dry food. They can't drink enough. In the wild when they eat mice and birds, they eat the whole animal and get moisture from the blood and other parts. When they eat only dry food they don't get any moisture with the food and are unable to make up the difference by drinking.
My vet suggests feeding both. The dry for the teeth and the canned for the moisture. I have an older cat in the beginning stages of renal failure now. He will eat canned food, but only a tiny bit at a time. I am probably going to have to start subcutaneous fluids soon. He is very mellow so it shouldn't be much of a problem and it will buy him months of life.
Glad he's okay!! Kitties
Glad he's okay!!
Kitties are resilient- my 8-year-old tabby had six teeth removed last month, and she's right back to her normal self. But with much better breath!
Oh gosh! If I went anywhere
Oh gosh! If I went anywhere NEAR either of my kitties with a toothbrush I'd be bitch slapped up one side and down the other! Even the vet agreed that with most cats it's pretty much impossible unless you start them as small kittens and get them used to it.
Mine are a both 8 years old, a gray tabby and a gray/white Maine Coon mixed with something else. I got them both from people whose cats had kittens and were giving them away for free. They coexist peacefully enough, but are usually swatting each other away. I wonder if it has to do with one being male and one female? I don't know. They've lived together since they were about two.
HA! I started brushing my
HA! I started brushing my cats teeth when I adopted them at about 6 mos old.
The boy (a real love) only took about a month to adapt to it.
The girl kitty took me about 3 months.
They both don't "love" it now, but tolerate it as long as it's quiet.
I.e. I don't do it when SDs are over.
CET also makes really good plaque removal treats. You can get them on-line. They are a little expensive but do work well as an alternative or supplement to brushing.