Feline Dental Care?

Question
After a visit to the local vet office, Doc informed us that our cat, George, has plaque buildup on his teeth. What is the best way to remove this plaque from his teeth? Thanks so much!

Joe

PS- George is 3 years in April 2010. He has updated rabies, wormer, and distemperment. He was neutered in October, 2007.

Answer
Your vet told you this and didn't discuss dental care with you? Bummer.
Well let me tell you this. You cannot remove the plaque from his teeth at home because you need to get under the gumline to get it all. That is why we give the pet an anesthetic to do the dental cleaning.

All pets that do not get home care from babyhood have dental disease and plaque build-up by the time they are two years old.

So George needs to have a dental cleaning then follow up long-term care at home to help keep his teeth clean. It's not easy to brush a cat's teeth, but it is doable. There are a lot of products available at your vets that will help with this.

Certain foods, such as Hill's T/D, is a good way to keep their teeth and the rest of him healthy for life.

Make an appointment for George to get his teeth cleaned. Since he is young, he can go a long time without having it done again IF you can keep them cleaned at home in between cleanings at the vets.

One thing to really watch with cats is a condition they get called Resorption lesions or cervical neck lesions on their teeth. Cats with a lot of dental disease get these and they are very, very painful.Gingivitis is the start of it- then what happens is that the neck of a tooth starts to re-absorb into the bone. It is not super common but not rare.

Most 3 yr old cats have pretty good teeth still even with the plaque build-up. Get them cleaned and start a good home care plan and George can be a much healthier cat for life.

Thank you for being such a great pet owner too!!