Do you know the life quality of your cat depends on a number of factors to include her dental health? Cat teeth are an important part of the overall quality of feline well-being. Proper hygiene can go a long way in keeping your cat healthy and happy for a long time to come.

On countless occasions, veterinarians have made it clear that the dental health of a cat is one of the most crucial areas of her overall wellbeing. Cat owners are advised not to overlook this aspect of their kitty if they wish for her to lead a healthy and happy life. 

At the early stage of such dental diseases as gingivitis, most cats show no signs of oral discomfort or pain. This is because the pain brought about by the infection slowly increases with time. If left untreated, such oral disease will develop into periodontalwhich is terribly painful for a cat to bear as she finds it hard to chew on food or even swallow.

Studies have shown that about 70% of cats are prone to contract dental diseases as gingivitisand stomatitisat certain points of their lives.

This is why it is important for cat owners to pay close attention to the oral health of the cat teeth even when it seems she isn’t displaying any sign of pain or oral distress.

To save your cat from undergoing the severe pain that comes with a full blown oral disease, It’s always best to discover an oral illness on time and have it treated before it gets severe.

Cat Teeth: Signs A Cat Has Contracted A Dental Disease

As earlier made mention of, most cats in the early stages of an oral disease seldom show signs of pain or distress. So it’s of dire necessity to regularly take her to a vet for checkups and to carefully watch for other signs cats with dental issues tend to display.

How do I know if my cat has a dental disease?

1. Bad Breath:Is your cat’s breath now repugnant? If yes to that, she just may be on verge of a dental disease.

2. Drooling:When a cat drools more than usual and has blood contained in her saliva, that’s a clear sign something isn’t right with your cat’s health. If she allows you, check her cat teeth for tartar buildup, also check if her gum is reddish in color. 

3. Decreased Grooming: A healthy cat does a lot of grooming. If and when you notice your cat stops grooming as often as she used to, it may be a pointer that she’s contracted gingivitisor some other oral disease.

4. Eating Problems: Watch your cat when she eats, does she eat with one part of her mouth or does she struggle to chew on food? If yes, your cat may just be suffering from a severe dental health crisis.

5. Pawing at their Face: Cats in severe pain from an oral disease tend to paw at their mouths in a bid to reduce the pain they experience. 

6. Sudden Aggressiveness:The discomforting pain from an oral disease may cause a cat to become easily irritated and aggressive even to her owner. So if your cat’s behaviour suddenly changes, endeavor to take her for a dental check-up.

Measures To Safeguard Your Cat’s Dental Health

Your cat may have been diagnosed with an oral disease, but that shouldn’t get you feeling terrible. There’s a treatment for such, and your cat should get back to her healthy self in no time. However, it is important to note that a successful treatment from an oral disease doesn’t mean your cat is now immune to dental diseases. 

What you do as a cat owner to prevent your cat from contracting an oral disease is what completely safeguards her.

Here are measures that should be taken to ensure your cat doesn’t suffer the hurting effects of a poor dental care.

1. Regular Dental Checkups

One of the sure ways to keep your cat healthy and safe is to regularly take her for dental checkups. Felines who get the chance to be checked frequently by a vet stand a better chance of living longer. Life threatening diseases and illness are discovered in time and treatment is immediately administered. 

The problem most cat owners make is that they fail to frequently take their kitty for dental exams. But that should change if you wish to safeguard your cat’s teeth and maintain her health in general.

Other Dental Care Routines Includes:

2. Oral Cleaning With A Cat Toothbrush

One of the recommended methods for protecting cat teeth against such oral diseases as gingivitis and stomatitisis by regularly brushing her teeth. 

Anyone who’s tried brushing a cat’s teeth will tell you how tough a task it is. But should that discourage you from cleaning you cat’s teeth and gum? It shouldn’t!

Brushing your cat’s teeth lets you eliminate all those tartar and plaque buildup that cause an array of oral diseases if left to thrive.

Not just any toothbrush will do the job of cleaning up your cat’s teeth and gum. Get a cat toothbrush that’s made up of FDA approved materials, and is efficient enough to get every particle off the teeth of your kitty.

Before initiating a brush, try to take it very slow.

Don’t just wake up one morning and try to brush your cat’s teeth, it doesn’t really work like that.

Most cats aren’t comfortable with people touching them around the mouth. 

The best way to go about brushing your cat’s teeth is to start by gently touching her around the mouth while she’s been cuddled.

Try lifting up her lips and touch her teeth. If she let’s you get that far, then you know it’s safe to place the cat toothbrush in her mouth and start sanitizing.

Brushing should be done daily or twice a week.

Video: How To Brush Your Cat’s Teeth

3. Cat Teeth Dental Rinse

When tooth brushing your cat fails, dental rinse is an easier path to thread. Administering a dental rinse to your kitty’s mouth helps kill the bacteria therein. Consult your vet about using an oral rinse on your cat, and hear what he/she has to say. When choosing a dental rinse, ensure it is one formulated for cats and that it contains no harsh abrasives or foaming detergents.

4. Provide Your Kitty With A Dental-Friendly Diet

Giving your kitty dental friendly meals rich in vitamins also play a huge role in maintaining her oral health. Consult your vet and work with whatever dental formulated food he/she recommends for your cat. Dental friendly food are appropriate for cats as they contain large nuggets which help reduce the amount of tartar and plaque that should have stuck to your kitty’s teeth and gum.

I personally like getting a toothbrush kit, like this one on Amazon. It has the finger guard plus all the toothpaste you need.

Every cat owner should take cat teeth rather seriously.

The mouth of their kitty may seem as just a simple part of their body, but it’s one of the most vulnerable to diseases. Take your furry friend for regular dental checkups, watch for signs of a dental disease, and act immediately when you notice your cat’s dental health is in jeopardy.

This way you’ll get to maintain your cat’s overall health and give her the amazing life she deserves.

Summary Cat Teeth

The best way to prevent dental problems in your feline is to brush his teeth. Starting cats out early (when they are a kitten) is the best way, but if this is not possible, you can use the video in the post to guide you. If you have problems doing it on your own, talk to your vet about regular visits to have it done professionally.

Cat teeth cleaning done by your vet can save your cat’s teeth and frequent vet visits in her senior years.

Giving your cat food that will help ’clean’ her teeth can also mitigate gum and tooth disease.

Lastly, as your cat ages, it might be necessary to have a few teeth removed. This is not abnormal in senior kitty cats.

For other blog posts that discuss similar topics, check out:

Why Does My Cat Have Smelly Breath?

The Ultimate Guide To Adopting An Older Cat