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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / October 2004Dental cleaning - how often?
Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due again next month. Are yearly dentals really necessary? Amber HATES to travel and the procedure is expensive. I would prefer to wait if it isn't really needed. ---MIKE--- > Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing > one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > ---MIKE--- It depends on the cat. Some take a long time to build up plaque and some not. How do her gums look? Amber is a very "personal" cat. She loves to be petted and skritched but the only way I could look at her gums would be to take a quick look when she yawns. Over the years the orange pigment has turned partially black (normal for orange cats). Her breath is not bad (before her dental last year her breath was foul). ---MIKE--- > Amber is a very "personal" cat. She loves to be petted and skritched > but the only way I could look at her gums would be to take a quick look [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > ---MIKE--- Well, if you can't look, you might want to get a vet to do it, but I wouldn't decide about a cleaning until then. The breath is a good indicator that they are doing well but not a certainty. If she has black gums it's hard to catch bad gums early. I think you are just going to have to make the call. > Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing > one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due > again next month. Are yearly dentals really necessary? Not usually. It's a pocket liner for most vets. Some breeds that are prone to bad teeth (Persians, Abbys) sometimes need yearly cleaning, but for most cats, it is unnecessary. -L. >> Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing >> one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >-L. A simple checkup would determine that rather than a sweeping generalization. -mhd > >> Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing > >> one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due > >> again next month. Are yearly dentals really necessary? I'd really recommend checking her food - get advice perhaps from the vet.... a cat should not get any build up of plaque (did I dpel thatrite?) at least not if given the right food, and please- no milk (what animal do you know of that drinks the stuff after being weaned off the mother??) - Dry quality food should be sufficient, and water. Our 5 year olds have never had to have any teeth cleaned on their annual check-ups. Not trying to be clever or anything.. but I DO believe it's down to the right food, and staying clear of canned slop, and milk. > > >> Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing > > >> one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Not trying to be clever or anything.. but I DO believe it's down to > the right food, and staying clear of canned slop, and milk. No it is NOT just a food issue. There are genetics involved, as well as immunity and allergy issues sometimes. There is no "miracle" dry food keeps your cats teeth healthy. I just wanted to clear up that generalization. Jason, that is just plain bad advice. I would rather provide dental cleanings once a year than have the cat get urinary blockage from insufficient water. Feeding canned food provides more water than dry food plus drinking would provide. ---MIKE--- > Jason, that is just plain bad advice. I would rather provide dental > cleanings once a year than have the cat get urinary blockage from > insufficient water. Feeding canned food provides more water than dry > food plus drinking would provide. Well.. I'm just basing it on experience.... we feed our 3 cats on Science diet, and be assured we provide them plenty of water - it comes alongside their meals, and theres a container out front and another out back - theres clean water available always, don't know where you got the idea they were short on water? Any extras are rare - like once or twice a month they might get a piece of fish, or a piece of raw meat, as and when we get it in for ourselves, but these are only very occasional extras - science diet and water is the main, two of the cats are 5 the other is 2 years old - and none have had any plaque buildup on their teeth - in fact I'v heard the Vet comment favorably on their (teeth) condition ( almost with a sound of surprise in his voice), they'v never needed their teeth cleaned - theres NO plaque at all. > > Jason, that is just plain bad advice. I would rather provide dental > > cleanings once a year than have the cat get urinary blockage from [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > with a sound of surprise in his voice), they'v never needed their > teeth cleaned - theres NO plaque at all. I have to say, even though I currently feed my cats both canned and dry, I had a cat live to be 20 on nothing but dry SC for the last 15 years of her life. I started her out on canned but she had loose stool, so switched her over. I know it has something to do with genetics, but she had every tooth in her head (1 small chip only) and very little plaque even though she had never had a dental cleaning. This cat was never sick a day in her life. She died of old age. > I have to say, even though I currently feed my cats both canned > and dry, I had a cat live to be 20 on nothing but dry SC for the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > never had a dental cleaning. This cat was never sick a day > in her life. She died of old age. Thanks for the support :) Now.... Georgies big day out!! (the look-a-like main con)(I like to think anyway) :) I got home from nightshift... something to eat, watched a recorded program on the tv.. then off to bed about 9am.. only there about 5 minutes when wife came up to say a neighbor was ringing anyone nearby who owned a cat.. a motorist had called on her to say she'd hit a cat !! the description fitted Georgie!! (specially the big bushy tale) though some parts didn't - we locked onto those in hope it wasn't him. For 3 hours I was out calling him and going around wherever I could to find him, then at 12:30pm in he came through the catdoor ! pheeew! looking ok, but in closer inspection turned out it WAS him who was hit! but thankfully and extremely luckily only a small cut to the side of his face to account for it, but took him for a vet visit all the same, everything in good working order, and the cut wasnt deep enough to warrant any stitches, but the amusing part wasn't till later that evening ` I'm back at work, and get a call from wife to say he was still pretty worn out by the ordeal, and still sleeping up on the bed, she hadn't the heart to get him down for his meal - and ha` I wish I had been there to take a pic!! she took it up to him on a tray!! :)) good grief :) dinner in bed! :) Hopefully he'll remember it and stay away from the road.. and now know what moving cars can do!! it's not like there isnt anywhere else to go.. we'v a quarter acre section, with open ground over the back as well! but much relief to see him come in when he did. ( oh... and no we don't make a habit of spoiling them this way ~ but losing at least one life on the edge of the road kinda qualifies for a little special treatment. >> I have to say, even though I currently feed my cats both canned >> and dry, I had a cat live to be 20 on nothing but dry SC for the [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > one life on the edge of the road kinda qualifies for a little special > treatment. Try bringing him in before dark. Most road accidents happen after dark. I'm glad he is OK. Nothing wrong with spoiling him. Poor guy was probably really in need of sleep above all. > > I have to say, even though I currently feed my cats both canned > > and dry, I had a cat live to be 20 on nothing but dry SC for the [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > For 3 hours I was out calling him and going around wherever I could to > find him, then at 12:30pm in he came through the catdoor ! pheeew! Must he go out? Wouldn't it be nicer never to have that feeling of wondering if he was the one hit, ever again? "> Must he go out? Wouldn't it be nicer never to have that feeling of wondering > if he was the one hit, ever again? This took place around 8:30 - 9am, there always kept in at night - it's the best advice, definetely more likely to get into trouble with any unfriendly stray's, or cars after dark! - around 5:30 - 6pm is when the catdoor gets shut. This is the 1st incident we'v had with any of them (3 - now 4 with the addition of a stray that turned up a few weeks back) and in fact it's only in recent times that we'v noticed 2 of them venturing toward the street! It IS a worry, I'd absolutely hate any thought of them being injured -or worse- but there not the kind to like being kept inside, the car problem is the only danger, otherwise it's perfectly safe - no other animals around ~ well.. except for the Mutt next door! but he's closed in his backyard !! apart from the couple of times we'v spotted one on the street edge, and a few weeks back Georgie came home walking across the street and up to me!! horrors! I was out calling him - not expecting to see him return from that direction!! cos they nearly always head out the back where there are no houses or cars ~ just long grass and open land. The Vet did say that in his experience, when a cats had a shock like that - they DO learn and remember to beware of that place - I hope he's right. I'm about to start a web site - and a page of that is going to be cat pix gallery... might be a little ways off yet, cos there will be more to it than that page... and it'll take a bit of development - and spare time! to get up and running, will release the site name here 1st! :) >> >> Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing >> >> one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Not trying to be clever or anything.. but I DO believe it's down to > the right food, and staying clear of canned slop, and milk. Gideon needed his first cleaning at 4 years old, on a diet of Science Diet dry. Lemieux never did until recently. I believe it's because Gideon chewed his dry food, and LeMieux swallowed it whole (he clearly threw it up whole when he ate too fast or brought up a hairball), but for some reason started chewing it after he was 10 years old. And any low-carbing human can tell you that not eating starchy food leaves virtually no coating on your teeth to become plaque and tartar. A quality canned food should leave far less crud on their teeth than "quality" dry, if they chew their dry.  Signaturejamie (jamiemck@newsguy.com) "There's a seeker born every minute." > > >> Amber had her first dental cleaning last October at age 9 (after losing > > >> one of her fangs). I just got a "reminder" from the vet that she is due [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Not trying to be clever or anything.. but I DO believe it's down to > the right food, and staying clear of canned slop, and milk. As others have noted, food choices do not always provide protection from gum disease. For example, the oriental breeds are more prone to gingivitis than other cats are. I have a friend who's two siamese (who are both under a year old) have gingivitis already, and they eat only quality dry food. And....every obese cat I have ever encountered was fed a diet of dry food only. Of course, not every dry food kitty is going to get fat, but I've never seen a cat who was fed a mix of both canned and dry who was overweight. So, a *lot* depends upon the genetic makeup of your own particular cat. Some kitties are just born with stronger constitutions than others. As to your question about how often to clean -- if your cat is healthy, I would think that yearly cleanings are not necessary. There is always a risk of something going wrong when the cat is put under anesthesia. However, if your cat is struggling, health-wise, getting their teeth cleaned regularly can really help matters in this regard. dragon |
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