One of the important aspects of cats which most first-time cat owners ignore is dental health. They only start noticing their cats’ oral health when they sense a smelly breath or if their veterinarian mentions it. It is immensely vital to ensure excellent dental health in cats to prevent many dental disease that leads to illnesses and inflammation.
In this blog, you will see five simple yet highly effective tips which will help you to keep strong cat teeth and excellent oral wellness in them.
So let us begin,
- Brush Your Cat’s Teeth Regularly
Brushing your cat’s teeth regularly keeps excellent dental health as it helps in removing plaque and also reduces the risk of periodontal disease. Although there is a chance that a cat will show resistance at first, you can still make them follow this routine gradually. Start by letting your cat lick the toothpaste off your fingers or a toothbrush. Always use a small soft-bristle brush which suits the small mouths of the cats.
To clean your cat’s teeth, make them like the toothbrush around their mouth by offering cat treats and praises. Once they accept the brush, slowly lift the lip to brush the big canine teeth. Then do three soft strokes back and forth with a 45-degree angle around the gumline.
A foul breath in cats is often the first sign of bad bacteria in your cat’s mouth. It happens through plaque, which is a bacterial film that forms on the cat’s teeth resulting in redness and swelling. Plaque then mixes with saliva and turns into Tartar, which in turn leads to gum inflammation or gingivitis. Remember that Gingivitis is the first stage of Periodontal disease.
If you feel that your cat’s breath has worsened, ask your veterinarian for an overall health evaluation. Early detection of periodontal diseases is vital to stop their progression since they can be harder to treat once they become severe.
- Go For Annual Vet Check-Up
Annual vet check-ups are important to ensure good health in the cats. This is because veterinarians are trained to detect signs of diseases like gum recession, irritated gums, foul breath, loose teeth, missing teeth etc. Annual vet check-ups are immensely helpful since they help in detecting dental illnesses early and help you avoid painful and expensive teeth extraction in its advanced stage.
- Give them a Healthy & Nutritious Diet
Did you know that a poor diet can also negatively impact the dental health of your cats? For instance, a diet having high carbohydrates can lead to the rise of Tartar and Plaque in the cat’s mouth, resulting in tooth decay. Therefore, you should always feed high-quality cat food to your felines. Apart from endowing good dental health, balanced cat food will also ensure excellent immunity to fight infections and diseases in the felines.
- Offer Dental Water Additives
The dental water additives go a long way in keeping excellent oral health in the cats. It generally consists of natural extracts like Holy Basil, Neem, Aloe vera etc which help remove Tartar and Plaque between the dog’s teeth. The best thing about dental water additives is that you don’t have to wrestle with your cat to feed them. All you need to do is add 5-6 drops to their drinking water and you are done.
In a Nutshell,
You have seen 5 easy tips which will significantly help you to keep excellent oral health in the cats. At the same time, you also need to be vigilant of your cat’s dental health. If you see some of the concerning signs & symptoms given above, take them to the vet at the earliest to nip any dental illnesses from the bud.
