Will this help tartar buildups?

[trudy1]

I feed a mixture of dry kibble and some canned wet food. Some of my cats have tartar buildup on their back canines. I’m guess from the kibble. I use mainly merrick. So I wondered if feeding them a really large hard kibble would force them to chew the hard kibble and maybe break off some of the existing tartar? So I bought some royal canine main coon ( really large, hard kibble) to try as treats. They seem to like it.
Opinions?

 

[muffy]

I feed a mixture of dry kibble and some canned wet food. Some of my cats have tartar buildup on their back canines. I’m guess from the kibble. I use mainly merrick. So I wondered if feeding them a really large hard kibble would force them to chew the hard kibble and maybe break off some of the existing tartar? So I bought some royal canine main coon ( really large, hard kibble) to try as treats. They seem to like it.
Opinions?

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The first cats I had were all related and they all had a problem with tarter buildup. The vet recommended Hill's Science Diet Oral Care. It really did make a difference in the two of my cats that would eat it.

 

[LTS3]

Dry food does nothing to clean teeth. It's a huge myth. Cat teeth are not designed to chew. They are designed to tear and rip apart meat.

Does Dry Food Actually Clean Your Cat's Teeth? - TheCatSite

Cat food is always a hot topic on our forums. There are so many things to consider when deciding which diet is best for your cat that debates can be lengthy, and occasionally heated. When dry food is brought up, we sometimes hear people mention its anti-plaque qualities, often tooted by their...

thecatsite.com

Poor dental care is the cause of tartar and other dental issues, just like it is for people. A home dental care routine will help keep teeth clean, though an occasional dental may still be needed. Some cats are more prone to dental issues because of genetics or breed. Teeth brushing is best. It's not as scary and intimidating as it sounds. Many cats do resist at first but soon tolerate it. A yummy flavored pet toothpaste helps. CET dental chews work pretty well in addition to teeth brushing.

Some people give their cats raw gizzards and hearts to gnaw on for dental health purposes.

 

[furdoctor]

Dry food does nothing to clean teeth. It's a huge myth. Cat teeth are not designed to chew. They are designed to tear and rip apart meat.

http://[URL]https://thecatsite.com/ams/does-dry-food-actually-clean-your-cats-teeth.30205/

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Poor dental care is the cause of tartar and other dental issues, just like it is for people. A home dental care routine will help keep teeth clean, though an occasional dental may still be needed. Some cats are more prone to dental issues because of genetics or breed. Teeth brushing is best. It's not as scary and intimidating as it sounds. Many cats do resist at first but soon tolerate it. A yummy flavored pet toothpaste helps. CET dental chews work pretty well in addition to teeth brushing.

Some people give their cats raw gizzards and hearts to gnaw on for dental health purposes.

all animals and humans having dental issues, even bovine having plaques.
1- diet is important. abrasive foods have the brush effect. the lactic acid in the diet helps controlling dental care. the probiotics/prebiotics we use also helps stomatitis and some other gingival immunologic disease by altering the bacterial overload. dry kibble has the lactic acid and mechanical action.
2- brushing. brushing will help your cat's oral hygiene.
3- some products also chemically/mechanically effective controlling plaque and calculus deposition.
4- regular vet visits is the key.

 

[minish]

If I remember correctly, there is no way to remove tartar besides a vet intervention. You can only prevent new buildup. But that's OK if the issue hasn't progressed too much (you will see when it does with red swollen gums)

 

[MissClouseau]

Studies show dry food indeed helps to clean the tartar when chewed. A big kibble could help. Dental treats like Feline Greenies could be better though instead of a normal kibble, just big in size.

Also try toothgels for cats, water additives, and chew toys if you can't brush their teeth especially.

 

[trudy1]

A few of my rescues might go for cleaning but ..... it’s kinda like when you’re at the tigers cage at the zoo. You see that cute long furry tail flipping in and out between the bars....for a moment you wonder...could I pet that? Kinda like that.
I do vet them for dental but it’s such a pain living in the country! Around here you can’t just call and say I need my cats teeth cleaned. You have to set up an an examination to see if they really do ($55) and 60 mile rt, then when confirmed you schedule another $55 appointment plus cleaning, 60 rt and another 60 mile rt to pickup!
Ok gripe session over
Thanks for all your input everyone

 

[daftcat75]

A few of my rescues might go for cleaning but ..... it’s kinda like when you’re at the tigers cage at the zoo. You see that cute long furry tail flipping in and out between the bars....for a moment you wonder...could I pet that? Kinda like that.
I do vet them for dental but it’s such a pain living in the country! Around here you can’t just call and say I need my cats teeth cleaned. You have to set up an an examination to see if they really do ($55) and 60 mile rt, then when confirmed you schedule another $55 appointment plus cleaning, 60 rt and another 60 mile rt to pickup!
Ok gripe session over
Thanks for all your input everyone

You can train cats to accept tooth brushing. Check out the sidebar on the right or jump to the videos on YouTube.
Feline Dental Disease | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

 

[dustydiamond1]

You can train cats to accept tooth brushing. Check out the sidebar on the right or jump to the videos on YouTube.
Feline Dental Disease | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

We need to work with Gypsy on teeth brushing. Hers are fine now but I hate that the vet clinic must sedate for office cleanings.

 

[LovelyStyle]

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The first cats I had were all related and they all had a problem with tarter buildup. The vet recommended Hill's Science Diet Oral Care. It really did make a difference in the two of my cats that would eat it.

Hey everyone,

I'm confused. I keep getting conflicting info on this topic.

Jackson Galaxy (some of you may be familiar with him...LOL) recommends eliminating dry food because of sugar spikes and it's so caloric. He didn't mention anything about wet food causing tartar build-up though. My vet has noticed some tartar and sold me Science Diet Oral Care "to slow down deposition and the need for a cleaning" but stated "most cats do need dental cleanings". My doing it isn't an option, therefore I guess I'll just keep with the moist food and prepare to pay for a cleaning.

 

[daftcat75]

Dry food won’t help with tartar. That’s a myth.

Giving your cat a couple gizzards a week to chew through actually will help with dental health. Search this site or Google for more info on that.

You can also brush your cat’s teeth. Cornell University put together a couple videos on how to ease your cat into this practice.
Brushing Your Cat's Teeth | Partners in Animal Health

 

[dustydiamond1]

Brushing Your Cat's Teeth | Partners in Animal Health

I checked the link and the info was fantastic. Getting starting with Gypsy as soon as we get the Virbac toothpaste. Thanks for the info

 

[daftcat75]

I checked the link and the info was fantastic. Getting starting with Gypsy as soon as we get the Virbac toothpaste. Thanks for the info

The videos cover a form of training called desensitization training: building up a routine slowly from manageable steps. You can adapt the same kind of training to all kinds of activities cats may not care for. I used the same strategy to get Krista comfortable with carrier and car rides.

 

[cataholic07]

Genetics does play a factor as well if a cat has health issues like Feline calicivirus, felv or fiv. Brushing their teeth is the best thing you can do, but if they already have gingivitis I would recommend a dental cleaning first then do the brushing of the teeth. Otherwise its too painful for them.

 

[dustydiamond1]

The videos cover a form of training called desensitization training: building up a routine slowly from manageable steps. You can adapt the same kind of training to all kinds of activities cats may not care for. I used the same strategy to get Krista comfortable with carrier and car rides.

I need to work with her to deal with Gypsys terror of the vaccuum. I can't even leave it sitting around, I have to disassemble it. I think someone tortured her with one at one time. She was the neighborhood stray at 1 or 2 years old when she decided to adopt us.