Tutorial: How To Brush Your Cat’s Teeth

Tutorial: How To Brush Your Cat's Teeth Image © Jiri Foltyn – Fotolia.com

We discovered a great tutorial for how to brush your cat’s teeth. The link follows after our introduction and discussion of the importance of taking care of your cat’s teeth.

Good dental health is instrumental in giving your cat a healthier and longer life. Studies have shown that appropriate dental care is essential in keeping the gums and teeth of your cat healthy. Furthermore, research revealed that cats, like humans, are susceptible to several periodontal diseases, and one of the best to ways to prevent the development of these conditions is actually through daily brushing of teeth.

Without proper cleaning, food residue in your cat’s mouth may enable bacteria to thrive which can only lead to gingivitis and tooth decay. Daily brushing of teeth also proves to be beneficial in fighting off bacteria and plaque, thereby keeping teeth and gums healthy. The status of your cat’s oral health may actually affect the lifespan of the animal.

Failure to provide regular dental checkups and toothbrushing may cause fatal damages to palate, teeth, gums, and tongue, which can lead to a number of health risks. When plaque forming foods and bacteria begin to build up in the mouth, it could harden and develop into tartar. In the long run, this can lead to loss of teeth, receding gums, and gingivitis.

Meanwhile, when swelling occurs, the help of veterinarians needs to be sought after as it can develop into gum diseases which could result to loss of teeth, and difficulty in eating. Failure to seek treatment for swelling and inflammation may lead to internal conditions such as feline immunodeficiency virus and kidney problems.

By practicing good dental hygiene everyday, your cat becomes less susceptible to various conditions such as endodontic and periodontal diseases, tooth abscess, stomatitis, gingivitis, and feline ondoclastic resorptive lesions. ^[1]

Some of the most common signs that your cat is suffering from certain oral and dental illnesses may include excessive pawing within the mouth area, difficulty in chewing food, pus, loose teeth, appearance of red line along with cat’s gums, tongue and gum ulcers, swelling red gums, and excessive drooling. ^[2]

When brushing your cat’s teeth, never use human toothpaste as it contains ingredients which can cause stomach upset in your cat. Toothpaste for cats normally comes in meat flavor to make it more appealing to your pet! Supervision of veterinarians is highly suggested when choosing the best toothpaste for your cats.

Brushing your cat’s teeth may seem difficult, but you can actually do it. Here’s the link to the full tutorial: https://thecatsite.com/ams/how-to-brush-your-cats-teeth.29653/

References:
[1] http://www.medicanimal.com/viewarticle/~contentId=111461/~nodeTrailCsv=AR-CATS-DENTAL,111461/~category_id=MA_CATS
[2] http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/ten-steps-dental-health

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Tutorial - How To Brush Your Cat's Teeth
Graphic – lovable-cats.com. Image © Jiri Foltyn – Fotolia.com (under license)