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Brushing Your Cat’s Teeth
Veterinary dentists recommend daily tooth brushing! Studies show that regular home care will help to prevent periodontal disease, so let us learn how to help your cat keep her pearly whites “pearly white”.
Note that every other day, or even twice a week tooth brushing has been shown to be better than no cleaning in research studies. This means that even if your busy schedule does not allow you the luxury of doing this procedure every day, a regular program carried out at a less frequent interval can still provide real benefits for your cat’s oral health.
Bottom line?—you cannot say you are too busy to fit in a few minutes at least twice a week, can you? This preventive care program will save you many hundreds of dollars in dental bills down the road, and help keep Kitty’s breath fresh and the gums and teeth healthy, so start now!
Note also that unattended periodontal disease will progress, and can lead not only to serious infections of the gums and tissues that support and keep the teeth anchored, but can lead to infections of other body organs. Kidney, heart and lungs are a few of the essential organs at risk for bacteria carried from an infected mouth through the bloodstream! Tooth brushing is proven to help remove the bacteria that live in the mouth along the gums, those same ones that can spread around the body.
Here are some tips for you:
- Do not force the issue. If Kitty is struggling, let him have a break and try again when he is cool. If you make this a pleasant experience, a whole life time of tooth brushing will be possible.
- Have everything on hand before you start brushing. The procedure is best done quickly and efficiently. Even the most patient kitty will find somewhere else to go and something else to do if you make it a long drawn out process!
- Do not be afraid to buy and try a few cat products. Each cat is going to have his own preferences, and for you, the type of brush may be important to your comfort and safety. If he is lukewarm to tuna toothpaste, try another brand or flavor. If a regular brush seems to irritate the sensitive gums, try a soft finger brush.
- Only brush the outsides of the teeth (those facing the cheeks) since the rough tongue will clean the inside tooth surfaces. Do not forget to brush along the tiny incisors at the front of the mouth, top and bottom. Use only light pressure.
- Start slow—if you get only a few teeth done the first time, only one side the fifth time and so on, this is normal! Just gradually increase the brushing effort until you get it done. Some cats may never hold still long enough for the whole mouth at once. In that case, just do the tops one day, bottoms another!
- Start young—kittens will grow up knowing that this is just a tasty part of their routine, and will learn to sit quietly. If starting with an older cat that is unfamiliar with brushing, take the learning phase very slowly so that they understand that this is not scary—just tasty!
- Avoid human toothpaste-cats do not prefer these flavors, and the foaming agents can lead to messy sessions. These are also meant to be rinsed out after brushing with water, while pet pastes are meant to be left in the mouth and swallowed.
Ready?
- Set out your materials and load the paste onto the brush
A cat toothbrush loaded and ready to use. Note our enthusiastic Kitty’s facial expression!
Hold the head steady and begin by brushing along the upper side arcade of the teeth. Only a small amount of paste is needed.
- As you work your way around the parts of the mouth, praise him for sitting still!
- There is no need to flush the paste out of the mouth after brushing (like we do) because cat toothpastes are designed to be left in the mouth.
Many cats will look forward to tooth brushing as a pleasant part of their regular interaction with people if care has been taken to introduce them to brushing slowly, the materials are well suited to that cat (and the people doing the brushing), and the cat's good cooperation is regularly rewarded!
For video demonstration, select the links below:
Brushing with a finger brush:
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To access video suitable for broadband connection, select here
Brushing with a cat toothbrush:
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Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly. Information at Cathealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site.
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