Annual health check - dental problems!

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

So this morning was the annual trauma of vaccinations and wailing bengals in the car!

During their health check it was picked up that jagger in particular has inflamed gums, bringing up issues around dental care and diet.

I feed them good quality food and they also have access to dry. Jagger however seems to inhale his dry food and doesn't crunch it, unlike Hendrix who has better gums and less plaque.

We are trying out an additive for their water (dentagen) as I really don't think jagger will eat the special oral dry food that was suggested, he's very fussy with his food and it took me ages to find a dry food he liked. I am going to get a small bag and add a bit to their dry, however from experience jagger will probably spit those biscuits back out and I'm reluctant to introduce a different dry food to Hendrix because of his sensitive tummy!

Does anyone have any experience with dentagen? Does it work?? And are there any tips for dental care, they are only two and it concerns me they already have inflamed gums! I don't think teeth cleaning is an option unless done under anaesthetic by the vet....!

Any advice welcome!

spitspot · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:26 pm **Posts:** 734

OMG! Do people clean cats teeth???? If I tried that I would probably need a transfusion from blood loss! Oscar has some dried but he does not crunch it either, just kind of throws his head back and swallows it. I tried a bigger dried food about a cm square biscuits hoping he would have to crunch it, but no he swallows that too! Oscar is at the vets at six today. Am feeling decidedly nervous :sad:

I know Oscar had some dental treatment last year just before I adopted him so I will get the vet to check his teeth thoroughly. I wonder why your boys have inflamed gums? I know you feel very good quality food etc. Do you think that they just don't use their teeth enough not living in the wild? Maybe Oscars cardboard chewing habit will be beneficial to his teeth? I hope this dentegen stuff does the trick. I guess that also mean another vet visit soon to see how their gums are doing?! :rolleyes:

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

I did burst out laughing when he said about cleaning their teeth! But there are things out there on the market for it as I've looked!

Hendrix really crunches his dry as you can hear him a mile off when he's eating it. But Jagger just swallows, and when he eats too much too fast and it swells up in his tummy, he regurgitates whole biscuits.

Maybe I should encourage them to chew cardboard like Oscar! I have just ordered them a big cardboard lounger (due to arrive when Jon goes back to sea lol).

My ears are still bleeding from the car journey and jagger also hissed and growled at the vet when he was giving him his very thorough health check and they are now sulking in the conservatory, very subdued...

He said he'll check their teeth and gums again at their next visit, hopefully at their next annual check and we'll see if there is any improvement then -assuming they will drink the water with that stuff in it!

Good luck this evening, I'll be thinking of you, I'm sure Oscar will be very well behaved!

CMYKjill · **Joined:** Tue Sep 23, 2014 6:38 pm **Posts:** 1838

I cleaned my last cat's teeth. When I adopted her she had to have her front fang removed and her gums were bright red and inflamed. I was told that is not uncommon with siamese. I tried to regularly clean her gums with gauze and the liquid dental cleaner. It was pretty difficult and she always wiggled away before I was finished. She would however sit perfectly still while the vet chipped the plaque off her teeth! Eventually her gum issues went away with TLC.

I could never clean Grace and Blondie's teeth! They won't let me even cut their nails. They are only a year and a half old and have sparkling white teeth so far so dental cleanings are down the road. I got this great toy that I think helps with gum stimulation. It is a soft rubber ball that has rounded spikes all over it. When you bounce it the ball flashes red and blue. Grace sits for hours and gnaws on the rubber spikes. Both of them also love to bite the hair brush when I brush them. That's sort of like brushing their teeth. I should try playing with a tooth brush and see if they like biting the bristles on that.

Oh, and Grace regularly gnaws on wood furniture. My two bedside night stands (when she wants me to get up and feed her) and the teak planter by their feeding area (she gnaws on the corners while I am preparing her food).

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Well I've ordered some catnip filled chews specifically designed to remove plaque so will see how that goes when they arrive!

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

Raiden had his first teeth cleaning in August -- he's 8-1/2 years old. He came through it fine and didn't have to lose any teeth. I've thought about brushing his teeth -- or trying to, but not sure he would like it. He doesn't sit still and it would require four to six hands! I know there are foods that are supposed to be better at cleaning teeth and treats that claim to prevent tartar build up. Even though it cost a couple hundred dollars for the vet to do it, Raiden recovered just fine! The hard part was not letting him eat breakfast before the cleaning.

brianj12 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 29, 2015 5:41 pm

Both my bengals have terrible teeth. I actually have a very guilty conscience that I'm not brushing their teeth, but I know how that would go :rolleyes:

The idea of brushing Serafina's teeth in particular is almost laughable. You could shoot that scene and include it in a horror movie. I've never heard of dentagen. Please let me know how that goes.

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

Jagger sniffed the water, tentatively stuck his tongue in, then his paw... Tried it again and walked off! I've been assured it doesn't taste of anything but it clearly has an odour. Will keep an eye on it as I don't want them getting dehydrated. And yet Hendrix will walk past his water bowl, go outside and drink stagnant water in the garden. You can't win!

neonyellowclover · **Joined:** Mon Apr 01, 2013 11:03 pm **Posts:** 535

Kyenta1 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 30, 2015 3:41 am

The fact is that cats do not have molars. They have not evolved for chewing. Cats in the wild gnaw, tear, and lick the meat from a carcass and then swallow hunks of it.

Chews that allow for this gnawing action may be beneficial to dental health if the cat enjoys them.

Crunching dry food is not a dental cleansing action. The notion that chewing dry food cleans teeth is analogous to humans brushing their teeth with crushed cereal.

Sherry · **Joined:** Thu May 23, 2013 2:21 pm **Posts:** 9217

I watched a video of a guy brushing his cat's teeth and the cat opened wide for it!

Eggman · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 11:22 pm **Posts:** 730

I wonder if it's just something to do with the breed?

When Muskey was ill recently his teeth were checked and the vet told us he had excellent teeth for his age. He's been fed on both wet and dry over the years and all kinds of brands although he is extremely fussy now.

This makes me think it may not be diet related.

As for cleaning teeth haven't got a clue there what you can do! I know a lot of people feed dry food thinking that it cleans teeth but I've read that this is not the case.

spitspot · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:26 pm **Posts:** 734

Claire - where did you get the catnip chews from? Oscar was fine all the way to the vets but when the vet tried to look in his mouth all hell broke loose. I have never heard Oscar growl and hiss before - vet was VERY respectful of him from then on :lol:

She managed to pull his lips back to get a little look but for a proper look Oscar will need sedating! He has slight inflammation of the gums - nothing serious but the chews would probably be beneficial. I was only bleeding slightly on the way out of the vets (back foot trying to claw the vet away when injection went in) :rolleyes:

Vet said he was in tip top condition and his coat is amazing so feel happy about that :smile:

Tabitha · **Joined:** Sun Feb 02, 2014 8:11 pm **Posts:** 1196

So pleased Oscar's health check went well! I was equally surprised when Jagger started to hiss and growl at the vet, when he went for his microchip he came back out purring and kneading! But I think when Hendrix is involved and literally doesn't stop crying in the car, Jagger gets very stressed, he was shaking by the time we got to the vets, poor soul. They were both so quiet last night though, it was lovely lol Having said that it was nice to see them back to their usual noisy selves this morning!

My vet always takes them out the back to get a vet nurse to hold them if they play up so they don't associate it with us - I hope Oscar has forgiven you if he took offence! I kept out of that bit this year, and just tried to keep the other one calm or in Hendrix's case, quiet!

I've ordered a couple of the chews from Amazon, but Pets At Home also do some and I've detailed off Jon to pop in there today and get a couple. In fact he's just called me and he's getting some oral care biscuits to add into their dry as well - I imagine Jagger will spit them out but Hendrix will probably eat them and then have a bad tummy again!

http://media.petsathome.com/wcsstore/pa ... 10770P.jpg

It's all worth a try. I'm going to try the water additive again later today but add just a tiny bit and gradually build up to the full dosage.

I imagine the chews will need to replaced fairly regularly to keep them attracted to the catnip but will see how it goes!!

spitspot · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2015 2:26 pm **Posts:** 734

Thanks Claire, I will pop into pets at home and get him a couple of those! He is feeling sorry for himself today and refused breakfast this morning. I know they can feel a bit poorly for 24 hrs after vaccination :sad:

Poor Jagger, it would be good to take them separately but it would take you all day ! :rolleyes:

Annual health check - dental problems!

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