A study done at the Louisiana School of Veterinary Medicine
showed that having just one bad tooth can cause failing
kidneys and heart ailments in cats. Worse, still 8 out
of every 10 cats older than three has at least one bad
tooth. And most cats 5 years old and older have dental
bone loss, infected teeth and gums. Now, that sure is
a grim statistic. The numbers shock!
Then
of course, there's a little understood observation - many
veterinarians are not too fond of dentistry, or applying
some of the great new ideas coming out in this new field.
The
idea of acting like a hammer and tongs expert doesn't
feel too good for many a pet vet. Who wants to feel like
a caveman anyway? Yet, that's precisely what gets done
when a tooth is bad. It goes without saying that to extract
a tooth from a terrified cat is intimidating even for
your vet.
With
names like endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, and
intraoral radiology ... who wants to know more? But it's
not that difficult really. There are ways to take corrective
measures. All you need to do to is to practise some great
habits regularly.
Remember,
your cat's teeth are just like your teeth. However, unlike
you, your cat will not stop eating food even with many
bad teeth and a bad tooth pain. For that, they could do
with a bravery award. The poor creatures would just go
on bearing the pain and eating the food. Just imagine!
Something you and me cannot even think of enduring! And
with each passing day, the decay in their gums and teeth
just keeps getting worse.
The
same basic principles apply. So, here's an important question
that you need to ask yourself. Do I need to brush my cat's
teeth and if so? How often?
10
easy steps to help save your cat's teeth
1.Smell your pet's breath every week or ten days. Bad
breath should ring alarm bells!
2.Brush your cat's teeth everyday. Use a good toothbrush
suitable for your cat. Remember, unlike us humans, the
inside parts of the mouth are not the places to look -
for plaque and tartar. Cats rarely get them there. You
can use a cotton wool or soft cloth to clean out most
places of your pet's teeth. However, where you really
need to use the brush is at the border bit - between gum
and teeth.That's where the plaque really settles down
- especially on the upper teeth.
3. Examine your kitty's teeth at least once a week or
ten days. Look for swollen, red, bleeding gums, broken
teeth, pockets of pus, ulcers and plaques.
4.Plaque deposits heavily at the border between tooth
and gum. Keep a sharp eye on that line!
5. Train your cat to enjoy eating raw carrots, apples
and pears after every meal. They make a natural way to
keep the teeth clean.
6. Give your pets chewies, and "tooth-safe"
chew toys to play with.
7. Make sure that your pet's chow is well supplemented
with vitamins. Vitamin C is especially useful to help
keep the gums and teeth in good shape.
8. Get your kitty's teeth checked and treated by your
veterinarian. Follow up with 3 monthly and later 6 monthly
check-ups.
9. If your cat has periodontal infection ask your vet
about perioceutics and bioactive ceramic materials. Perioceutics
are long acting antibiotic gels which when injected into
a periodontal pocket (area with bone loss) of more than
4 mm - reduce the infection there.Of course, if this is
done, you may need to apply a chlorhexidine rinse everyday
and avoid brushing your pet's teeth for at least two weeks.
Daily brushing will still be essential.
10. If you see that your cat has teeth which have become
shaky, don't panic! In the good old days such teeth were
just pulled out. Of late, a bioactive ceramic designed
to bond to bone as well as soft tissue can actually help
the bone to grow back in periodontal pockets.
Homeopathic
and herbal
remedies that help!
