Dental Health

GranolaLouise

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 26, 2022
Messages
1,876
Purraise
1,547
Location
Massachusetts
My senior cat had a few teeth pulled and a cleaning a few weeks ago.
The vet said to start brushing around this time.
Easier said than done..no way does she let me get near her jaws!
I stopped giving her treats because she was swallowing them whole. That goes for Greenies as well..she doesn't chew them and just sends them down the hatch whole, defeating the whole purpose of the treat!
Does anyone have an alternative to dental health other than Brushing and Greenies?
 

Alldara

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Apr 29, 2022
Messages
5,284
Purraise
8,921
Location
Canada
Fresh Breath Clean Teeth Oral Care Gel for Cats

Getting them used to brushing can be a long process. Especially if you haven't done it before.

- above dental gel
- Instead of a brush I use a q-tip. I don't have to actually hold the mouth open for this. Your focus should be on the outside of the cat's teeth
- silvervine sticks to chew. Might have to play to encourage chewing
- I never use Greenies personally as I find them too dense for young and senior cats 😊 She might be swallowing them whole for this reason. Nobel would swallow a whole Greenie but is happy to chew temptations dental treats.

- at the vet, you can also get Purina dental treats. They are expensive but apparently worth it.

Brushing Your Cat's Teeth.
 

verna davies

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 23, 2016
Messages
23,619
Purraise
17,456
Location
Wales uk
Logic and Virbac claim to work without brushing as it works with saliva , just put a small amount on your finger or her paw for her to lick. They come in chicken, fish and malt flavour.
 

daftcat75

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Messages
12,642
Purraise
25,128
You may pick up some chicken gizzards. If she is willing and able to chew through them, this is the best for dental health. You may have to cut it up for her to start. I don't really have practical advice on this. I tried them raw and sauteed and Betty didn't like either. 🤦‍♂️
 

arr

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 20, 2020
Messages
333
Purraise
587
I don’t know if it really does anything for dental health, but I lightly crush the Greenies with a meat mallet. At the very least, it takes them longer to eat it and I figure they can enjoy the flavor more.

I also brush my cat’s teeth with Virbac toothpaste and a finger brush. The kittens were easy to train, their mother was much harder. It took several months. She still doesn’t do as good as her children, but I hope it helps a little. The Greenies come afterwards, as an incentive for the brushing.
 
Top