The Necessity of Teeth Cleaning for Cats
Jan 29,2025 | puaintapets
As a cat owner, you might be aware of the importance of grooming and maintaining your cat's health. While most pet owners focus on regular baths and flea prevention, dental care is often overlooked. Just like humans, cats need to maintain good oral hygiene to avoid dental problems. But do cats need teeth cleaning? The short answer is yes! Cats are prone to dental issues, such as tartar buildup, gum disease, and tooth loss, which can significantly affect their overall health. In this article, we’ll explore why cats need teeth cleaning, the signs of dental problems, how to maintain your cat’s oral health, and when to seek professional care.
Why Do Cats Need Teeth Cleaning?
Dental health is essential for your cat’s overall well-being. Here are some reasons why regular teeth cleaning is necessary for cats:
1. Oral health problems
Calculus and plaque: Cats are prone to forming calculus and plaque in their mouths, especially cats that have been eating wet or soft food for a long time. These substances will adhere to the surface of the teeth, leading to bad breath, red, swollen and bleeding gums, and in severe cases, periodontitis and loose teeth.
Gum disease: If the mouth is not cleaned in time, the gums will be infected by bacteria, leading to gingivitis and periodontitis, which will affect the cat's appetite and health.
Also Read: What if my pet has a gum disease?
2.Preventing Oral Diseases
Difficulty in daily cleaning: cats usually do not cooperate with tooth brushing, making daily oral cleaning difficult to carry out effectively, so regular scaling is needed to maintain oral hygiene.
Influence of dietary structure: Cats lack sufficient chewing and friction in their diet to effectively clean their teeth, which can easily lead to the formation of dental calculus.
3. Systemic health effects
Risk of bacterial infection: Bacteria in the mouth can spread throughout the body through the blood circulation, triggering infections in other organs such as heart, liver and kidney disease.
Impact on quality of life: oral problems can lead to loss of appetite, bad breath and pain in cats, affecting their quality of life and interaction with their owners.
4. The need for dental scaling
Professional cleaning: Dental scaling can effectively remove calculus and plaque, prevent and treat oral diseases, and is an important means of maintaining your cat's oral health.
Early prevention: Regular scaling helps to detect and treat oral problems at an early stage to avoid further development of diseases.
Signs Your Cat May Have Dental Problems
Many cats don’t show obvious signs of dental issues until the problem becomes severe. However, there are several symptoms to watch out for:
- Bad Breath: Bad breath in cats is a common sign of dental problems and can be caused by periodontal disease, oral ulcers, abscesses, infections, etc. It can also be caused by internal diseases, such as diabetic cats with a fruity aroma on their breath, or cats with kidney disease whose breath smells like ammonia. If bad breath is accompanied by changes in appetite, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting or diarrhea, it may be a sign of serious illness and requires medical attention as soon as possible.
- Red, swollen and bleeding gums: Red, swollen and bleeding gums are a common symptom of periodontal disease. Plaque and tartar buildup can lead to inflammation of the gums, and in severe cases, the gum tissue may break down, the roots of the teeth may be exposed or even the teeth may fall out.
- Teeth discoloration and looseness: Normal teeth are white or slightly yellow, if there is a significant discoloration, such as yellowing and blackening, it may be due to dental caries, plaque or other dental problems. Loose teeth are also an important sign of dental problems and may be caused by periodontitis, tooth resorption, etc.
- Loss of appetite and anorexia: Dental problems can cause pain or discomfort when your cat eats, resulting in loss of appetite and anorexia, especially when confronted with hard foods or snacks, and may refuse to eat or eat only soft foods.
- Difficulty in chewing and food dropping: the cat may take longer to chew food, or even food particles may fall out of the mouth during chewing, or directly swallow the food whole without chewing.
- Drooling: Oral pain or discomfort can cause your cat to drool more, and blood may be found around the mouth or in food and water dishes.
- Scratching the mouth and face with claws: cats may scratch the mouth and face with their claws in an attempt to relieve discomfort or pain in the mouth.
- Behavioral changes: Cats may become more hiding, less playful, avoid human touch or contact, or even lose interest in their usual favorite toys or activities.
- Head tilting and rocking: Some cats may exhibit head tilting and rocking movements, which may be caused by pain or discomfort in the mouth.
- Teeth chattering and grinding: In some cases, cats may experience teeth chattering or grinding, which may also be a sign of pain or discomfort caused by dental problems.
How to Clean Your Cat's Teeth?
Here are some ways to clean your cat's teeth.
1.Brushing
Preparation tools: Choose a cat-specific toothbrush and toothpaste, which should be mild and non-irritating, so that even if the cat swallows it, it will not have side effects on the body.
Fixing the cat: you can wrap the cat with clothing or let the cat lie on your lap, gently stroke the cat to make it relax, and then gently break open the cat's mouth with your hand to expose the teeth.
Steps for brushing: Apply a little bit of toothpaste on the cat's lips first to let it get used to the toothpaste flavor. Before using the toothbrush, gently touch the gums with a cotton swab to get the cat used to it. When the cat is ready, brush the cat's teeth with the toothbrush, pet toothpaste or salt water solution.
Brushing frequency: cats at 8 months of age, the teeth are basically fully developed, at this time you can start to join the work of brushing, the frequency is best to maintain at 3 ~ 4 times / week.
2.Use of teeth cleaning products
Teeth Cleaning Powder: Choose a teeth cleaning powder formulated from natural brown algae to effectively tackle plaque and tartar for cleaner teeth. The teeth cleaning powder can be sprinkled in your cat's food so that your cat can clean its teeth during the eating process.
3.Teeth grinding tools
Teeth grinding stick: Cats have the nature to grind their teeth, and by chewing on the teeth grinding stick, you can effectively clean your cat's teeth and reduce tartar buildup.
Teething freeze-dried snacks: Feed your cat appropriate teething freeze-dried snacks to delight your cat and clean its mouth at the same time.
4.Regular dental cleaning
If the cat's dental calculus and plaque are more serious, it is necessary to go to the pet hospital for scaling, which usually needs to be carried out under anesthesia.
5.Precautions
Do not use human toothpaste: Human toothpaste contains ingredients that may be harmful to cats, such as fluoride, so be sure to use cat-specific toothpaste.
Don't force the cat: If the cat is very resistant to brushing, don't force it so as not to make the cat fearful and resentful of brushing, try other cleaning methods or gradually guide the cat to adapt to brushing.
Attention to brushing strength: Brush gently to avoid excessive force causing bleeding or pain in the cat's gums.
Timely medical treatment: If you find any abnormalities in your cat's mouth, such as bad breath, red and swollen gums, bleeding, drooling, etc., you should take your cat to the pet hospital for examination and treatment.
How to Adjust Diet for Cats with Dental Health Problems?
Dietary adjustments for cats with dental health issues need to be tailored to the specific dental problem, here are some common adjustments.
-
Tartar and tartar problems
Increase the intake of dry food: dry food can play a certain role in cleaning the teeth during the cat's chewing process, helping to reduce the formation of tartar and tartar.
Choose special dry food: Some cat food specially designed for oral health has a particle shape and texture that helps to clean the cat's teeth during chewing.
Avoid sticky foods: Minimize the intake of sticky wet or canned foods, which tend to adhere to the teeth and increase tartar formation.
-
Problems with broken or missing teeth
Provide soft or liquid food: e.g. cat food paste, canned pureed meat, etc. to reduce the pressure and pain caused by chewing.
Split multiple feedings: Divide the daily amount of food into multiple feedings to avoid the cat eating too much at once due to chewing difficulties.
-
Gingivitis or periodontal disease problems
Feed wet food: During periods of inflammation, wet or canned food may be more appropriate as they do not require excessive chewing and reduce gum irritation.
Avoiding hard foods: Do not feed your cat hard foods or toys that may increase inflammation and pain in the gums.
Related: Gingivitis in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
-
Oral tumors or other serious problems
Adjust the diet according to the veterinarian's recommendations: In this case, the veterinarian's recommendations need to be followed and special nutritional support, such as high-protein, high-energy food, may be required to help the cat maintain its strength and regain its health.
-
Precautions
Maintain water intake: Ensure your cat has adequate water intake to help maintain a moist mouth and minimize oral problems.
Change food regularly: avoid feeding the same food for a long period of time and change food types and brands regularly to maintain your cat's oral health.
Pay attention to food temperature: the temperature of the food fed should not be too high or too low to avoid irritating the cat's mouth and teeth.
When Should You Take Your Cat to the Vet for Teeth Cleaning?
Even with regular home care, your cat will need professional dental cleanings from time to time. Here’s when you should schedule a vet visit:
- If your cat has visible tartar: A buildup of tartar can only be removed by a veterinarian. If you notice yellow or brown discoloration on your cat’s teeth, it’s time for a professional cleaning.
- If your cat has inflamed or bleeding gums: Gum disease can progress rapidly, so it’s crucial to seek professional help if you notice any signs of gum inflammation or bleeding.
- If your cat has bad breath or drooling: Persistent bad breath or excessive drooling can indicate an infection or other dental problems that require professional attention.
- Routine check-ups: Even if your cat doesn’t show obvious signs of dental problems, routine veterinary check-ups, including dental exams, are important for maintaining your cat's oral health.
FAQs
Do all cats need their teeth cleaned?
Yes, all cats need some form of dental care. Regular cleaning helps prevent plaque buildup, gum disease, and tooth loss. Brushing at home combined with professional cleanings is the best approach.
How often should you clean cat teeth?
How important is professional dental care for my cat?
Conclusion
In conclusion, cats do need teeth cleaning to prevent dental disease, bad breath, pain, and more serious health issues. Regular oral care, including brushing, dental treats, and professional veterinary cleanings, can help keep your cat’s teeth and gums healthy. The earlier you start incorporating dental care into your cat’s routine, the better their chances of maintaining good oral health throughout their life. If you suspect your cat has a dental issue, don't hesitate to consult your vet for a thorough examination and treatment plan.
Comment
