Discussion
Hi all,
My 3 year old Persian has Gingivitis which was caught after she was looking a little unwell. She is on antibiotics due to an infection which produces black scabby bits on her nose and chin and this was when the vet noticed it.
They don't want to treat the Gingivitis till the infection has cleared but she did reccomend to only eat dry food till the teeth get properly in 2 weeks, that's if the infection clears up on her face.
I know chicken wings and necks are good for teeth cleaning but she wont touch them at all, she currently lives on Go-Cat as lots of other dry catfoods never interested her, it's only wet food she really cries for and wolfs down. She also doesn't have any treats, she wont eat them from your hand or when put in a bowl. I don't think her teeth are painful as she will happily crunch on her normal dry food.
So, are there any foods which work particularly well at cleaning teeth?
Dave!
My 3 year old Persian has Gingivitis which was caught after she was looking a little unwell. She is on antibiotics due to an infection which produces black scabby bits on her nose and chin and this was when the vet noticed it.
They don't want to treat the Gingivitis till the infection has cleared but she did reccomend to only eat dry food till the teeth get properly in 2 weeks, that's if the infection clears up on her face.
I know chicken wings and necks are good for teeth cleaning but she wont touch them at all, she currently lives on Go-Cat as lots of other dry catfoods never interested her, it's only wet food she really cries for and wolfs down. She also doesn't have any treats, she wont eat them from your hand or when put in a bowl. I don't think her teeth are painful as she will happily crunch on her normal dry food.
So, are there any foods which work particularly well at cleaning teeth?
Dave!
Personally I wouldn't take 'crunching' on dry food as a sign her teeth aren't hurting her. Cats are very adept at wolfing biscuits down whole 
Gum disease sounds worrying, and I can't believe it's as the result of some other illness. If I were you, I'd get her teeth properly checked, and if needed, cleaned under anaesthetic by the vet.
They may well recommend you cleaning your cat's teeth at home afterwards, which is possible (just). 'Logic' oral hygiene gel is the stuff: smear some on a bit of gauze, wrap it round your forefinger, and rub their teeth and gums with it as far as they'll let you. If they won't allow that, licking a cm or so of gel off your finger has to be better than nothing.
Others may disagree, but I think carbohydrate fillers in most modern processed cat foods have a lot to answer for in terms of rotting cats' teeth and increasing the prevalence of diabetes. In the wild, cats are obligate carnivores and would never eat a diet comprised of up to 70% carbohydrate.
My cat gets 100% meat. Moreover he doesn't get anything I wouldn't be prepared to eat myself.
Gum disease sounds worrying, and I can't believe it's as the result of some other illness. If I were you, I'd get her teeth properly checked, and if needed, cleaned under anaesthetic by the vet.
They may well recommend you cleaning your cat's teeth at home afterwards, which is possible (just). 'Logic' oral hygiene gel is the stuff: smear some on a bit of gauze, wrap it round your forefinger, and rub their teeth and gums with it as far as they'll let you. If they won't allow that, licking a cm or so of gel off your finger has to be better than nothing.
Others may disagree, but I think carbohydrate fillers in most modern processed cat foods have a lot to answer for in terms of rotting cats' teeth and increasing the prevalence of diabetes. In the wild, cats are obligate carnivores and would never eat a diet comprised of up to 70% carbohydrate.
My cat gets 100% meat. Moreover he doesn't get anything I wouldn't be prepared to eat myself.
Mobile Chicane said:
Others may disagree, but I think carbohydrate fillers in most modern processed cat foods have a lot to answer for in terms of rotting cats' teeth and increasing the prevalence of diabetes. In the wild, cats are obligate carnivores and would never eat a diet comprised of up to 70% carbohydrate.
My cat gets 100% meat. Moreover he doesn't get anything I wouldn't be prepared to eat myself.
I don't disagree at all. My cat gets 100% meat. Moreover he doesn't get anything I wouldn't be prepared to eat myself.
I HATE seeing adverts with statements such as cats need meat, yet what is offered is not raw meat, the thing that cats are designed to eat!
I know OP your cat doesn't like chicken wings etc and it can take time to switch them to raw food - it is a bit like asking a person who has eaten McDonalds/Chinese/Pizza all their life to switch to a healthy diet.... But perservere, it is worth it. You can even get easy packets of raw meat from Pets and Home (Freezer section) or I can supply you with a list of companies that will sell raw food.
ETA - and I am now more and more convinced that cats have renal problems and other health issues due to cat foods not being the right food for them, they have not evolved to eat grains/cereals etc..
The main cause of gum disease in cats is viral related, so diet hasn't been the culprit, though can play a part in supporting the immune system etc.
A dental maybe needed esp if the inflamed guns are causing neck lesions on the teeth (these cam be painful)
In meantime you could try starting to use a chlorhexadine based product such as Hexarinse to help the gums stay clean.
My colleague started using raw ckn wings for her Maine coons due to the dental care, she didn't see a huge difference but the cats liked them then read that the impact would be quite small if gum disease is viral linked! Can't win!
Anyway a dental may be an option, if she is insured maybe you could have her tested to see if she is a viral carrier (it is very common) and then work out an appropriate long term care plan to reduce the need of further dentals. Some cats need mist teeth removed in very severe cases but treatments are improving all the time to try and reduce this.
Go cat is poor quality. There is a new cat food called Meowingheads. Not easily sourced but contains very low CHO hence it costs more but I'd recommend it.
A dental maybe needed esp if the inflamed guns are causing neck lesions on the teeth (these cam be painful)
In meantime you could try starting to use a chlorhexadine based product such as Hexarinse to help the gums stay clean.
My colleague started using raw ckn wings for her Maine coons due to the dental care, she didn't see a huge difference but the cats liked them then read that the impact would be quite small if gum disease is viral linked! Can't win!
Anyway a dental may be an option, if she is insured maybe you could have her tested to see if she is a viral carrier (it is very common) and then work out an appropriate long term care plan to reduce the need of further dentals. Some cats need mist teeth removed in very severe cases but treatments are improving all the time to try and reduce this.
Go cat is poor quality. There is a new cat food called Meowingheads. Not easily sourced but contains very low CHO hence it costs more but I'd recommend it.
Edited by bexVN on Saturday 5th January 09:26
Thanks for the replies guys, much appreciated.
Apoligies for my first post, no idea what my brain was doing when I composed that.
I have tried the chicken wings again and chopped them up quite small, our other cat George crunched through 3 or 4 1cm sized pieces but he is 2.5 times the weight of Lilly. Lilly herself chewed on one piece for a few minutes and then walked off.
I'll get some of the more protein based food for them this week and then persevere with the chicken wings. I'm feeding them in the morning and then waiting till 7pm t the chicken wing pieces down for an hour or so, after they look bored I put their normal food down.
Lilly is looking lots better, the next morning after the antibiotics and her face has cleaned up a lot. She seems to be doing a good job of cleaning her face now which is good. She is also bounding about a lot more which is good to see !! I will get her booked in for a dental very soon and will have to check on her teeth more carefully.
Dave!
Apoligies for my first post, no idea what my brain was doing when I composed that.
I have tried the chicken wings again and chopped them up quite small, our other cat George crunched through 3 or 4 1cm sized pieces but he is 2.5 times the weight of Lilly. Lilly herself chewed on one piece for a few minutes and then walked off.
I'll get some of the more protein based food for them this week and then persevere with the chicken wings. I'm feeding them in the morning and then waiting till 7pm t the chicken wing pieces down for an hour or so, after they look bored I put their normal food down.
Lilly is looking lots better, the next morning after the antibiotics and her face has cleaned up a lot. She seems to be doing a good job of cleaning her face now which is good. She is also bounding about a lot more which is good to see !! I will get her booked in for a dental very soon and will have to check on her teeth more carefully.
Dave!
Our 6 year old Maine Coon had this late last year, he became quite withdrawn and ate very little. He usually nuzzles his cheeks against your hand or against doors, table legs etc. when happy but when he tried this he'd yelp a little and pull back. He ended up getting a dental (covered by Petplan thankfully - I thought my own dentist was expensive!) and they recommended we switch his dried food to Royal Canin specialist dental stuff. This can be found online or at the vet.
It won't cure his teeth but the vet reckoned it would provide some level of cleaning. We tried brushing his teeth but he was having none of it. He has very large teeth which makes me somewhat disinclined to force the issue with him...
It won't cure his teeth but the vet reckoned it would provide some level of cleaning. We tried brushing his teeth but he was having none of it. He has very large teeth which makes me somewhat disinclined to force the issue with him...
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