Bones/organs To Help Teeth For Senior Cat

[molly92]

My cat eats commercial raw (Primal and Radcat), but I'd like to get her chewing on some bones or organs to help her teeth. She's 16 and missing a couple of teeth, so I'd like to start with something softer and smaller-does anyone have older cats that eat raw chews that they particularly like/do well on?

I tried chicken necks before and Wendy was very interested, but couldn't make much headway! Part of it is she doesn't realize she needs to chew and gnaw, but she also doesn't have the jaw strength and the neck was large and daunting I think. I'm not expecting her to be able to tear off pieces and eat large amounts of whatever I get, just do a bit of gnawing. I'm also not going to start just yet-she had dental work done a year ago by the shelter, but the vet noticed some inflammation in one tooth today so we are doing a week of metronidazole, and then I'll ask the vet if it'd be ok to try some chews after that.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
1 bruce 1 I don't know the ages of your cats, but do you have thoughts for the OP?

 

[1 bruce 1]

My cat eats commercial raw (Primal and Radcat), but I'd like to get her chewing on some bones or organs to help her teeth. She's 16 and missing a couple of teeth, so I'd like to start with something softer and smaller-does anyone have older cats that eat raw chews that they particularly like/do well on?

I tried chicken necks before and Wendy was very interested, but couldn't make much headway! Part of it is she doesn't realize she needs to chew and gnaw, but she also doesn't have the jaw strength and the neck was large and daunting I think. I'm not expecting her to be able to tear off pieces and eat large amounts of whatever I get, just do a bit of gnawing. I'm also not going to start just yet-she had dental work done a year ago by the shelter, but the vet noticed some inflammation in one tooth today so we are doing a week of metronidazole, and then I'll ask the vet if it'd be ok to try some chews after that.

I would make sure her mouth is healthy, because no one wants to bite down on something very hard if they have a sore tooth!
For now, you could try bite sized chunks of boneless meats (we like using raw white meat, lean chicken as it's easy to chew). Later, you can make these chunks large (larger than her head) so, while still boneless, are easy to chew (lean and tender meat usually is) and won't cause her a lot of grief or be over difficult for her to work at.

Raw Feeding Cats & Ferrets

The link above has a picture (the last one, actually) of a plate of various meats cut into pieces, this might get her used to the idea while her tooth is being checked out.
Liver and heart are foods I remember reading that had a lot of nutrition in them good for dental health/gum repair, but I don't know if it's true or not (liver is rich, don't over feed this. A few times a week, in very small amounts, is fine. If you're feeding radcat and primal, check because they probably already contain it!)
Our cats and dogs get heart sometimes as a meal (we aim for that balance over time thing) because it's so loaded with nutrition, is considered a muscle meat, and (especially for the cats) it's LOADED with taurine. We use beef, chicken, turkey, and duck. (So far the cats like the duck best, probably because it's the only one that's actually expensive. )

Another thought is considering CoEnzyme10. Very good for heart health, teeth/gum health, and over all health especially in the older ones.

We have two cats (well, three if you count the non-raw fed one) that have dental problems and at almost 12, they no longer eat bone in chunks. I hate it, but it was causing them grief. But they handle chunks of boneless meat just fine.

 

[molly92]

Thank you! I'm thinking of putting together a hare today order, so I'll definitely get some chunks of meat. I will try to keep portions small to not throw off the balance of nutrients.

I hadn't heard of CoQ10 being used for dental health, so I'll have to look into that! She is a CKD kitty and I've heard of that being helpful for kidneys. I definitely think I'll ask my vet about it, thank you!

 

[molly92]

Turns out my vet loves CoQ10, so I've ordered some! She also recommended this seaweed powder for oral health, so we're going to try that too: ProDen PlaqueOff Powder Cat Supplement, 40g bottle

 

[1 bruce 1]

Turns out my vet loves CoQ10, so I've ordered some! She also recommended this seaweed powder for oral health, so we're going to try that too: ProDen PlaqueOff Powder Cat Supplement, 40g bottle

Wonderful news!!!

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Bones can splinter and cause big problems. I have been feeding chicken gizzards & heart to my cats a few times a week. Have to sizzle or steam for a few minutes so it can be cut into pieces. Somewhere here there is a posting on this ( from Australia? ) being recommended by veterinarians for kitty's teeth/gums.

 

[1 bruce 1]

~ Bones can splinter and cause big problems. I have been feeding chicken gizzards & heart to my cats a few times a week. Have to sizzle or steam for a few minutes so it can be cut into pieces. Somewhere here there is a posting on this ( from Australia? ) being recommended by veterinarians for kitty's teeth/gums.

Was this Dr. Ian Billinghurst? I have his books. Really cool guy.
Cooked bones splinter like no other, and the smoked bones (for canines) sold in stores are not allowed near my dogs. But poultry bones and non-weight bearing bones of large mammals like elk and cows are very good, but this bone must be balanced with meat and organs.
My cats consider gizzards a puzzle that they work with their mouths. The dumb dogs just hog them down but the cats really get into them.

 

[Azazel]

My vet recommended me to feed chicken gizzards. I don’t cut them up though, just feed them whole and the cats chew them with their teeth. They are pretty tough and seem to be helpful for keeping teeth clean.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

Was this Dr. Ian Billinghurst?

~ I believe it was the poster's own personal veterinarian . Wish I could remember what thread it was ... Something to do with teeth/gum health . '