Stinky Breath!

[hemlock91]

I have 4 cats with stinky breath! My oldest cat has a lot of plaque build up and needs to have it all scaled off by a vet. The others don't have that kind of build up, just gross mouths!

What do you all do to keep your kitty's mouth clean? How often do you take them into a vet to have their teeth brushed? Do you do it at home... and how?

 

[LTS3]

You can brush your cats' teeth at home Use ONLY pet toothpaste. Most pet stores sell toothpastes in various pet friendly flavors. You'll need a small pet toothbrush or finger brush. CET poultry flavored toothpaste is popular but it's not sold in most pet stores. You'll have to buy it online from Amazon or other web sites. Buy the CET starter kit so you have the mini cat toothbrush. The toothbrush isn't sold on its own.

There's a video of how to brush a cat's teeth here: Brushing Your Cat's Teeth | Partners in Animal Health You basically just swab the teeth with the toothpaste.

The vet will determine if a cat needs to have a more thorough dental cleaning or if dental issues need to be addressed.

Dental rinses are somewhat helpful. They're basically like mouthwash except the cat doesn't spit it out. They don't remove particles of food that may be stuck between the teeth, though.

Dental additives that are put into a bowl of water are pretty useless IMO but some people say they do work. A cat isn't going to drink much water from a bowl daily for a dental additive to have much of an effect.

Most dental treats and chews and even dental dry foods don't work either. Cats don't crunch and gnaw on treats. They pretty much just swallow the treat whole.