Who successfully manages their cats' teeth at home? Share your secrets, please

[RJC]

I have three indoor kitties. My vet is adamant that I need to brush the cat’s teeth and doing so seems roughly impossible, or like enough of an ordeal that there’s no way we’d actually get it done every single day. I’m wondering whether any of the other products available are actually useful.

The options seem to include powders you add to their food, liquids for adding to water, little finger glove things you scrub their teeth with, traditional and enzymatic toothpastes for brushing, gels you just apply to teeth, and dental treats.

I was kind of overwhelmed by the mixed reviews I read on Chewy and Amazon and was wondering if anyone in CoTH world has a good system that works for their kitties as well as the human caretakers.

Goal is to reduce or avoid dental cleanings. Two of our kitties are about to have full cleanings and the other doesn’t really have tartar yet because he’s only about a year and a half, so this is a good time to start better maintenance with three clean mouths.

In case it’s relevant, I feed a prepared frozen raw food diet with 10g of Origin kibble per cat in their even treat balls for entertainment. No treats.

[Simkie]

I started mine on kelp because of this thread, and it does seem to be making a difference.

Probiotics for dog's teeth?

My 8 yr old former street dog has periodontal disease, presumably due to her rough start in life. As I have the same challenges with my own teeth, I got into a discussion with my dentist today. She gave me the name of a particular probiotic that will allegedly help keep down tartar/plaque build up. They sell the people version but she has a client (dog groomer) who claims it has helped a number of her doggie clients. Anyone heard of this? Used it? Name is Pro Biora. My dog is super sweet b…

[BrownDerby]

There’s a product called ProDen for cats. It’s a flavorless power to sprinkle on food, wet or dry. It also come in treat form. It is kelp based.

[RJC]

It’s so bizarre to me that eating kelp helps with tartar and plaque, but I ordered some to try. It’s at least much easier than brushing.

[hopper20]

I just put some kitty toothpaste on a washcloth and use my finger to scrub their teeth on each side. They don’t love it, but they get some Temptations treats right after so they tolerate it…begrudgingly. The toothpaste is chicken flavored so they always lick their lips after brushing.

[RJC]

Thank you! How do you get them to keep their mouths open to do the insides? I’m…kind of scared of what could happen to my finger

[hopper20]

I just do the outsides! See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vftmW6fR7VQ

[ratherberiding1999]

You can also just do a bit of gauze or paper towel wrapped around your finger, no toothpaste needed! Brushing pet teeth is more about the abrasive action, the toothpaste is mostly just for flavor to try to get it to be a more pleasant experience. And you don’t have to do the insides, just the outsides. The goal is just to prevent plaque/tartar buildup, it mostly happens on the outside of the teeth rather than the inside.

[shiloh]

I was lucky - I had a cat that loved to have her teeth brushed. She just loved the taste of the kitty toothpaste. I think it was malt flavored. I think I still have the teeny toothbrush somewhere.

Of my current cats 2 are toothless and the other 3 with teeth would not react well to a tooth brushing. And I would like to keep my hands and face please.

[Simkie]

How does brushing a cats teeth even work? I have weird cats that line up for things cats generally don’t like, like combing, but I just can’t even envision a cat that actually likes tooth brushing!

[RJC]

I’ll have to try to malt flavored enzymatic toothpaste…there are little samples at the vet office I can pick up when I take elder kitty in for his post-dental recheck next week.

Everyone is eating their kelp now AND I got some weird paste that you smear on their gums once a week, so if I can manage to brush their teeth even twice a week on top of those, I’m hoping it’s enough to actually DO something

[RJC]

I would like to announce that I DID ACTUALLY BRUSH CAT TEETH TODAY

Senior kitty just had extractions so I’m leaving his mouth alone, but the other two got a totally decent brush each and I even got the tiny front teefs. Poultry flavored enzymatic toothpaste and a teeny tiny round toothbrush. Who knew…I guess this is my life now. I brush all the cat teeth every day and feed kelp with their breakfast. I am a cat dental hygienist.

[SonnysMom]

I have only had 2 cats that needed teeth removed. One was a 4 year old barn cat that became a house cat. He had 2 “fangs” that abscessed. He lived to be 16 or 17.
The other was a cat that we suspect was rolled by a car or trailer. When we found her she already had tooth fractures from the accident- road rash, lip punctures. About 6 years later vet had to remove 4 teeth.
In the last 34 years I have had at least 26 long term cats, a hospice foster and a few short term fosters. I have never done dental care for my cats. 2 out of 26 or so cats with teeth issues isn’t bad. My current oldest cat will be 21 years old in a few months. I have had quite a few live to be at late teens, early twenties.
I personally have no plans of brushing teeth on my cats. I will admit I do get most of my cats as semi-feral, failed barn cats, or cats off the side/middle of the road. By the time I get them bushing their teeth isn’t reasonable. I think the last cat under 6 months old I got was the one that will be turning 21. She was maybe 12 weeks when I got her Mom and 5 from her litter. I kept Mom and Sasha, rehomed the rest. Some of them I am lucky to pet for the first 6 months or year I have them. Forget doing anything with teeth.

[RJC]

This is something I think about a lot…I have a friend a couple states over with 4 cats and 2 dogs. Her vet has never mentioned their teeth to her ever. Not once. No suggestions for dental cleanings, brushing, etc. No comments on how great their teeth look. She doesn’t remember whether the vet has ever looked her cats teeth at all.

Are some vets just not worried about kitty teeth or are my cats just prone to unusual amounts of tartar?

I will say that after a week of daily brushing and a couple weeks of kelp, I have some mightly clean cat mouths over here.

[Simkie]

@RJC

She doesn’t remember whether the vet has ever looked her cats teeth at all.

Vets range in attention to detail, skill, and specific focus. Cats are absolutely at risk of dental disease and various oral pathologies, too. A vet that’s never looking in the mouth isn’t performing a comprehensive exam, and that isn’t a good thing.

[sorrelfilly721]

I have one that has to be brushed every day. I use an enzymatic paste on a child’s soft toothbrush. I brush gently and she doesn’t like it, but she tolerates it. The vet says it has kept her from having to have teeth removed.