6 year old female cat has severe gingivitis

Question
I was told my 6 year old female cat has severe gingivitis and requires her teeth to be cleaned.  I dont have the money right now to do this and I assume that brushing isnt going to help, she also wont allow me to.  This may be a silly question but I just wanted to see if there is anything I can do to help her until I have the money to have her teeth cleaned?  Her breath also has a very strong odor which I assume is due to the plaque.

Answer
You are correct Megan but the smell is due to the bacteria in the flesh that is inflamed and raw from the plaque.

Dental care is very important to more than just the cat's teeth. That bacteria feed into the heart, kidneys and liver causing illness in them all.

You can ask your vet if there is a topical you can apply to the gums to help them fight the bacteria off now, but there really isn't a lot you can do other than getting them cleaned and then implementing home care afterward.

Some foods help with dental care such as Hill's T/D formula which is made to clean off the tooth with each bite. While they won't fix the problem, I have seen a huge improvement in a dog's mouth and some cats with this food.

Ask the vet for a small bag. It is a prescription food so you have to buy it at the vets, but it might be a help for her until you can get her in.