Teeth!!!

riley1

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[GA[/GALLERY] DSCN1082.JPG I had my first kitty for 8 years and had his teeth cleaned once. He was 13 when he got cancer. My current girl is 5 1/2 and I had her teeth cleaned 3-5-18 at the vet's suggestion. Normally take her in about March for yearly check up but this year we didn't get there. Yesterday I took her in and the vet said her teeth need to be cleaned ASAP and that she has a tooth that may be in trouble. Well, of course, she is going in for this Monday! I asked the vet if the raw diet was affecting her teeth and she said the studies said it does not. She said it was more a genetic thing! Has anyone had experience with needing more cleanings with raw food? I mean this was a little less than 1 1/2 since her last cleaning and she is only 5 1/2 yo. I was shocked and upset because I am trying to take the very best care of her.
 

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What a sweet cat, riley1! She looks like has some Siamese in her (her markings remind me of our snowshoe mix's) so that might be why your vet mentioned genetics. Our vet told us the same thing! (She also mentioned digestive and respiratory issues and, unfortunately, the cats have proven her correct on both. They're about a year younger than your cat.)

We have two Siamese mixes and had to have their teeth cleaned when they were only two: they both had gingivitis and lots of tartar. Now, more than five years later, our lynx mix needs to have her teeth cleaned again; it's not urgent but she's built some tartar again.

We feed only wet food and never give bones or chicken necks or any of the other things people recommend for teeth. But we brush the cats' teeth almost every day. And we had them tested for the bartonella bacterium; when they tested positive, we gave them a course of antibiotics. Our vet is among those that believe bartonella can cause dental issues. (This page about bartonella mentions mouth issues.) You might ask your vet about that: the testing isn't cheap but if it helps, it's cheaper than annual dental cleanings. I'm not sure if it's the toothbrushing or the bartonella or the combination that's helped but I'm very glad we don't have to do frequent cleanings.

Please don't feel guilty, though! There's only so much you can do, particularly given the genetic factor. (I say that though I feel guilty that poor Ireland has to have her teeth cleaned again...)
 

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What a sweet cat, riley1! She looks like has some Siamese in her (her markings remind me of our snowshoe mix's) so that might be why your vet mentioned genetics. Our vet told us the same thing! (She also mentioned digestive and respiratory issues and, unfortunately, the cats have proven her correct on both. They're about a year younger than your cat.)

We have two Siamese mixes and had to have their teeth cleaned when they were only two: they both had gingivitis and lots of tartar. Now, more than five years later, our lynx mix needs to have her teeth cleaned again; it's not urgent but she's built some tartar again.

We feed only wet food and never give bones or chicken necks or any of the other things people recommend for teeth. But we brush the cats' teeth almost every day. And we had them tested for the bartonella bacterium; when they tested positive, we gave them a course of antibiotics. Our vet is among those that believe bartonella can cause dental issues. (This page about bartonella mentions mouth issues.) You might ask your vet about that: the testing isn't cheap but if it helps, it's cheaper than annual dental cleanings. I'm not sure if it's the toothbrushing or the bartonella or the combination that's helped but I'm very glad we don't have to do frequent cleanings.

Please don't feel guilty, though! There's only so much you can do, particularly given the genetic factor. (I say that though I feel guilty that poor Ireland has to have her teeth cleaned again...)
:yeah:
We have a few cats (and dogs) that get build up on their teeth anytime they sneeze it seems. Those animals we've noticed don't have a correct, proper bite (their teeth don't fit together perfectly). Baby Girl is our cat that has a bite like a steep trap and she's 5 and hasn't a speck of crap on her teeth, and we don't brush. All but one of our cats is raw fed, too.
Think of a person who has teeth with some gaps and a narrow dental arch. They're going to have more problems than a person who has teeth that fit together well, a wide dental arch, etc.
Do you feed ground food or whole chunks?
Don't be upset, you're doing just fine. Diet is only 50% of the equation, the rest is indeed genetics, and a good healthy diet brings them up to their genetic potential.
As our vet said once (with bad teeth), "Cheer up, it could be their kidneys." (Meaning, teeth cleaning every year or two is a pain, but at least their vital organs are strong and healthy. And with good dental care, they should stay this way for a very, very long time! :wave2:)
 

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Which study is your vet citing? As far as I’m aware, there has been no published research conducted on the effect of raw food on domestic cats’ teeth, and certainly nothing conclusive.

If we use deductive reasoning though, we know that cats eat and chew on raw meaty chunks and bones in the wild to keep their teeth clean and that raw meat has natural enzymes that help keep teeth clean, so if anything, it should be better for teeth than cooked food. My vet told me to feed my cat raw food to keep her teeth clean for this reason.
 
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riley1

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What a sweet cat, riley1! She looks like has some Siamese in her (her markings remind me of our snowshoe mix's) so that might be why your vet mentioned genetics. Our vet told us the same thing! (She also mentioned digestive and respiratory issues and, unfortunately, the cats have proven her correct on both. They're about a year younger than your cat.)

We have two Siamese mixes and had to have their teeth cleaned when they were only two: they both had gingivitis and lots of tartar. Now, more than five years later, our lynx mix needs to have her teeth cleaned again; it's not urgent but she's built some tartar again.

We feed only wet food and never give bones or chicken necks or any of the other things people recommend for teeth. But we brush the cats' teeth almost every day. And we had them tested for the bartonella bacterium; when they tested positive, we gave them a course of antibiotics. Our vet is among those that believe bartonella can cause dental issues. (This page about bartonella mentions mouth issues.) You might ask your vet about that: the testing isn't cheap but if it helps, it's cheaper than annual dental cleanings. I'm not sure if it's the toothbrushing or the bartonella or the combination that's helped but I'm very glad we don't have to do frequent cleanings.

Please don't feel guilty, though! There's only so much you can do, particularly given the genetic factor. (I say that though I feel guilty that poor Ireland has to have her teeth cleaned again...)
Thank you for all the information! My cat was a stray from the humane society, so you never know for sure what they are, but she definitely has a Siamese personality. When I first got her I read about the teeth but forgot about it! After her last cleaning I tried brushing but she was not really having it! I can just hope we have not lost a tooth and try the brushing again. I will ask the vet about bartonella!
 
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riley1

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:yeah:
We have a few cats (and dogs) that get build up on their teeth anytime they sneeze it seems. Those animals we've noticed don't have a correct, proper bite (their teeth don't fit together perfectly). Baby Girl is our cat that has a bite like a steep trap and she's 5 and hasn't a speck of crap on her teeth, and we don't brush. All but one of our cats is raw fed, too.
Think of a person who has teeth with some gaps and a narrow dental arch. They're going to have more problems than a person who has teeth that fit together well, a wide dental arch, etc.
Do you feed ground food or whole chunks?
Don't be upset, you're doing just fine. Diet is only 50% of the equation, the rest is indeed genetics, and a good healthy diet brings them up to their genetic potential.
As our vet said once (with bad teeth), "Cheer up, it could be their kidneys." (Meaning, teeth cleaning every year or two is a pain, but at least their vital organs are strong and healthy. And with good dental care, they should stay this way for a very, very long time! :wave2:)
Thank you! Now I will be much more watchful and maybe try the brushing again! I feed her Darwin's.
 
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riley1

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Which study is your vet citing? As far as I’m aware, there has been no published research conducted on the effect of raw food on domestic cats’ teeth, and certainly nothing conclusive.

If we use deductive reasoning though, we know that cats eat and chew on raw meaty chunks and bones in the wild to keep their teeth clean and that raw meat has natural enzymes that help keep teeth clean, so if anything, it should be better for teeth than cooked food. My vet told me to feed my cat raw food to keep her teeth clean for this reason.
I think she was referring to studies that show that dry food does not clean their teeth! Since Raw Cat is no longer I am feeding her Darwin's. Neither one has chunks or visible bones.
 

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I think she was referring to studies that show that dry food does not clean their teeth! Since Raw Cat is no longer I am feeding her Darwin's. Neither one has chunks or visible bones.
Ah, okay.

Even if the chunks aren't big enough for chewing, raw should still be better for keeping teeth clean because it's less likely to stick to the teeth and cause buildup. Raw meat also has naturally occurring enzymes that help clean teeth (same enzymes they put into cat toothpaste). You can also supplement the commercial raw food you're feeding with chicken or turkey gizzards as treats. You can get them from your local butcher or even grocery store and give them to your cat every once in a while. The gizzards are nice and tough and they have to chew them quite a bit to break them down.
 

lisahe

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Thank you for all the information! My cat was a stray from the humane society, so you never know for sure what they are, but she definitely has a Siamese personality. When I first got her I read about the teeth but forgot about it! After her last cleaning I tried brushing but she was not really having it! I can just hope we have not lost a tooth and try the brushing again. I will ask the vet about bartonella!
Did you try the gradual approach on brushing? There's a training program that's described in detail on The Conscious Cat Blog -- at our vet's suggestion, that's what I used when we got our cats started, though we skipped a step or two because they were so fascinated by the brush right from the beginning. I think it's also important to try to find a toothpaste your cat will like: ours love CET. (Of course one prefers poultry, the other seafood, sigh...)

And definitely check about bartonella. Like I said, it seems like not all vets really buy into that approach but our vet says she sees improvement in a lot of cats who are treated for it. And I'm just as glad not to think about cat scratch fever! :)
 
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riley1

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Ah, okay.

Even if the chunks aren't big enough for chewing, raw should still be better for keeping teeth clean because it's less likely to stick to the teeth and cause buildup. Raw meat also has naturally occurring enzymes that help clean teeth (same enzymes they put into cat toothpaste). You can also supplement the commercial raw food you're feeding with chicken or turkey gizzards as treats. You can get them from your local butcher or even grocery store and give them to your cat every once in a while. The gizzards are nice and tough and they have to chew them quite a bit to break them down.
thanks for the info! I am going to ask the vet about turkey/chicken necks! May just have to have them cleaned a lot!
 
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