Topic: Teeth Cleaning (Read 2669 times)

Mitramonday · « **Reply #22 on:** February 27, 2009, 20:47:05 PM »

Yup - I'm another veggie! But, hey, our fur-babes can't survive as veggies so we're having to give them meat anyway and I'd rather steel my stomach to see if I can't make it a 'good' and more natural diet for Percy than the stuff the manufacturers pass off as 'food'? I'm not 100% sure whether a) Percy will take to it

or even b) whether I will be able to fork out the slightly higher costs........but I'm gonna have a damn good try!

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #21 on:** February 27, 2009, 18:13:52 PM »

me too - I shalll have to pay extra for free range organic chicken to ease my conscience - I have a nasty feeling this is going to be another of my expensive failures

Angeladeedah · « **Reply #20 on:** February 27, 2009, 18:02:56 PM »

I don't know about these raw chicken wings......but, if it does the job then I'll look into it. Not something I'm looking forward to - especially as I'm vegetarian.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #19 on:** February 27, 2009, 12:54:16 PM »

For some cats the concept of eating raw food is completely crazy because its ingrained in them to eat processed foods that require no or minimal chewing, if your cats arent interested it will take time to get them into the idea

Start small and work up, its like moving children to solids, you dont present them with a large mutton leg!

Most of mine took to it very quickly but tabitha and milly have taken more work but now they can both chew cubes of meat

im hoping milly will get to it as shes going to need another dental this year which will be the 2nd since iv had her

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #18 on:** February 27, 2009, 00:25:55 AM »

Quote from: trigger on February 26, 2009, 23:26:39 PM

Would it be OK to try the chicken wings just for the purpose of removing tartar?

Yep, I think that's what most of us who have tried chicken wings have had as the ulterior motive. My two looked at me like I was crazy when I presented them with raw wings

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #17 on:** February 26, 2009, 23:26:39 PM »

Would it be OK to try the chicken wings just for the purpose of removing tartar? I think I might get mine to chew on them if I hid them out in their enclosure, so they think they've caught them

but they won't even try raw mince so I doubt I could use raw chicken as food

Mitramonday · « **Reply #16 on:** February 26, 2009, 22:16:16 PM »

for that, milly's mum! If you check out my other post re raw feeding, you will see that I have now 'bitten the bullet' and ordered some InstinctsTC - it seemed the easiest way to prepare home recipes for a raw diet (without the need for grinders, or for a PhD in mathematics?!). But according to their site, the InstinctsTC powder contains all the necessary calcium, so they say NOT to feed any bones. However, it seems I can substitute a couple of meals a week with (eg) a raw chicken wing so that Percy will get some of the teeth cleaning properties as well as the raw diet?! Well, all that is, of course, dependant on whether or not I can get his taste buds used to something healthier than the processed sh-one-t he's on at the mo??!!

Millys Mum · « **Reply #15 on:** February 26, 2009, 19:55:49 PM »

Quote from: Mitramonday on February 26, 2009, 16:54:02 PM

A couple of questions - a) do you literally just buy raw chicken wings and give them to your cat whole?

If you have never given raw then you will probably have to introduce slowly but they may surprise you. I started with small pieces of meat for them and increased the size, then i gave wings, broken into 3 pieces at the joints, the ones who were more keen got the bigger end. They started just chewing the meat off but then realised they have jaw muscles to chomp with

Quote

b) can this clean off any tartar already present?

The chewing action will remove tartar

Quote

c) where can you get Logic and the other things and are they more 'preventative' than 'curative'

You get dental products from your vet or online from vet uk, they are more preventative, a cat with tartar wont lose it just from using these products

Janeyk · « **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2009, 17:26:31 PM »

It's ok no offence at all in fact that's exactly right, it didn't work tbh

We have 2 oldies Byron who is 25 and she just had to have her teeth removed more or less when we adopted her over 2 yrs ago because her breath was bad and tummy problems, both cleared up after her teeth were removed (she just has 2 which were too far in her jaw to extract). Schui (don't know age but again old) we have had 4 years and he had an autoimmune problem and bad gingivitis, tartar forming on his teeth and sore gums and mouth he was on steroid injections too. We gave him all those treatments but I was having to scrape the tartar from the teeth daily with some stuff and it was too stressful for him so in the end he had the lot removed and has been fine since touch wood.

Never tried raw food with my cats and the treatments I used on Schui, gels, mouth rinses and Logic etc were all prescribed by my vet maybe they failed because his was a bad case and he is old.

Mitramonday · « **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2009, 16:54:02 PM »

Quote from: janeyk on February 24, 2009, 11:02:11 AM

I have also used the Logic and various other things some you put in water etc when my cats had teeth.

doesn't sound as tho the Logic or other things did much good if your cats have now lost their teeth???!!!!

Only joking, janeyk - don't take offence! I'm interested in this thread though as Percy has inflamed gums at 18months. A couple of questions - a) do you literally just buy raw chicken wings and give them to your cat whole? (I think I'd be a bit anxious about doing this?) b) can this clean off any tartar already present? c) where can you get Logic and the other things and are they more 'preventative' than 'curative'?

Janeyk · « **Reply #12 on:** February 24, 2009, 11:02:11 AM »

I bought cat toothbrushes and toothpaste for my first cats but it was a waste of time they just wouldn't let me, my sister had good results with her dog though but I think you would have to do it from a young age and it would probably be too stressful. I have also used the Logic and various other things some you put in water etc when my cats had teeth.

toothfairy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2009, 22:16:52 PM »

there is a plaque off for humans you know too. (i am not suggesting that it is used instead of physical cleaning) it is prescribed as an additional aid in some very specific cases of periodontal disease.

although i do know of a dental hygienist (not someone who i have worked with) that fed her husband plaque off as an experiment without him knowing! i am asuming she had good results!

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2009, 21:26:03 PM »

my two love the logic gel - I just squirt a centimetre out and they lick it from the tube

Angeladeedah · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2009, 20:11:15 PM »

They've never commented on their teeth - which makes me think that they must be ok. Harvey goes in next week for a heart check-up so I'll ask them to have a look while I'm there.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2009, 19:14:30 PM »

Any supplements you get wont help if theres already tartar present...
Brushing is something that needs to be started from young, not many adults would accept it.
All vets who see my lot comment on their teeth, i mostly dont tell them they get raw as most would give a lecture but the proof is in the pudding

Milly is the only one of mine who wont chew and it shows, she will need another scale & polish this year

Angeladeedah · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2009, 18:39:38 PM »

I don't think I could give them raw chicken wings - so will try everything else first rather than doing that.

I might give that logic-gel a try - do Vet Uk stock that?

blackcat · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:42:43 AM »

yep, raw chicken wings work every time! and the dog gets a good marrow bone from time to time as well - the vet always comments favourably on my babies' teeth!

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2009, 08:41:19 AM »

Quote from: Angeladeedah on February 22, 2009, 14:22:32 PM

I was advised that I didn't have to as they have a mostly dry food diet as this cleans them for them.

That's a myth. There is no scientific evidence showing that cats fed on dry food have better dental health than cats fed on wet food. Unfortunately it's a myth that has been perpetuated by pet food companies, taught to vets and generally handed down over the years.

I give Jaffa chicken wings a couple of times a week. Mosi isn't interested in those but they both get plaque off in their food and logic gel when I can remember (they can lick that from the tube - you don't need to brush with it)

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2009, 23:50:15 PM »

I don't brush but I do use plaque off (a powder you sprinkle on food) and logic gel which is an enzymatic gel you're supposed to either brush on the teeth or squirt on the teeth but I end up squirting it on the food instead.

When the boys went for their first booster (so 1 yr 2 months old) the vet said Lu had quite a lot of tartar for his age so have been using the above in the hope that it prevents it worsening. They were both seen for poorly tummies a few days ago and the vet looked in their mouths and didn't mention anything so I can only presume there's no great issue with tartar. Will ask when they're due their boosters in April as that will have been a year of using the products.

Angeladeedah · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2009, 19:58:37 PM »

Unfortunately Harvey won't really eat wet food and he is currently on Hill's R/D to lose weight. My other cat Ollie will eat wet food but neither of them likes fresh chicken or fish - they're a little strange.

So, do you brush your cat's teeth then?

Millys Mum · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2009, 18:09:33 PM »

Dry food doesnt clean teeth, even the special dental diets are not all that, my lot swallow them whole

Dry food shatters on the tip of the tooth not at the base where the tartar builds up and causes problems, to shift that they need to chew something and the best thing for that is raw chicken wings/necks

If you do a search on purrs you'll find lots of links as to why dry food sucks

Angeladeedah · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2009, 14:22:32 PM »

I am curious to find out what people's opinions are on cleaning cat's teeth? And whether you do it or not?

I've never cleaned my cat's teeth. I was advised that I didn't have to as they have a mostly dry food diet as this cleans them for them.

I'm just getting concerned that maybe I should in actual fact be cleaning them - although not a job I fancy trying too much!

Author Topic: Teeth Cleaning (Read 2669 times)