treatment for my 11 year old cats breath, gums

Question
Hello and thank you in advance, My cat is 11 years old and has had his teeth cleaned 3 times in the last four years and is regularly vaccinated. He appears to be in good health other then his periodic red gums (which he paws occasionally) and his breath which has been a concern for a decade. I feed him wet organic food, a quarter of a cup twice a day. He urinates and poops regularly, which I know because he is mostly an indoor cat.He is a Siamese seal point or mostly that. His gums on one side of his mouth (lower) are red, but his teeth appear to be in good condition. I brush his teeth somewhat regularly. Can I treat his gums now for his discomfort before I take him to the vet for another cleaning?

Answer
Regular eating of wet food seems to accumulate a lot of stuff under the gums of most cats and dogs, leading to this periodontal disease, which is what the red gums are. One cleaning a year is not enough for a cat with this advanced a case of periodontal disease.

Brushing his teeth EVERY day right after a cleaning would be the only way to help combat this problem. The biggest issue, however, is that the deposits below the gumline you cannot clean out or remove with brushing his teeth. There are products out there that can help, but a better diet might work as well.

Hills makes a prescription diet called T/D for cats that are made with pellets of food that are like really compressed shredded wheat. When the cat's tooth bites into them, they compress down and scrub the tooth off, from just below the gum line (due to compressing) to the very tip of the tooth. It has been proven to lower dental disease and help prevent it also. I have seen a remarkable difference in an animals mouth in just six months of feeding this food. It is formulated to be a complete diet as well, so nothing else needs to be fed.

If that doesn't work for you, then get him in for a dental cleaning every six months. That is the only way to get a handle on this runaway gingivitis that he has right now. It's very painful, which is why he paws at his mouth. He could even have some loose teeth or some resorption lesions in his mouth as well.

Call your vet and ask if they carry any Leba products,which can help with cleansing out some of the debris until you get him in for another dental cleaning. It might help with some of the inflammation.

His breath is a result of all of this disease going on in his mouth, and that won't get better until his gums do.

If your vet doesn't carry it, you can order online I think.
http://www.amazon.com/Leba-III-Dental-Spray-dog/dp/B0039OKN6A/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=ap

I cannot vouch for this spray but they advertise it in veterinary journals so it's possible that it helps. It is never, however, a substitute for his regular, TWICE a year, dental cleanings.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you get it and whether or not it helps.