How do I open my cat's mouth to examine her teeth?

My cat is having dental problems and the vet told me to check her back teeth to see if the infection is healing or getting worse. The vet has no problem with it, but I can't seem to open her mouth in a way that allows me to see her back gums. She resists when I try to move her lips out of the way. Is there a technique for doing this that makes it easier for the vet than it is for me?

How do I open my cat's mouth to examine her teeth?
take your fingers and open her mouth she wont bite you or he
Reply:Why do you want to examine her teeth?take her to the doctor to examine her teeth
Reply:Wait till the cat yawns, then look. You can see all their teeth then.
Reply:Wrap her up in a towel. Make sure her feet are well secured in the towel. Position her so as she can't move her head. (Tip her head back against the crook of your arm..make sure you have a really tight hold on her body, she'll squirm like crazy to try and get out of it). Gently press the fingers of your free hand against her cheek over her back teeth, she'll open her mouth very wide. This should give you at least a small peek. Repeat if you haven't gotten enough of a look.
Reply:Get somebod else to hold her down and comfort her then gently unlclasp her teeth using your fingers and you should be able to hold it open easily in the right postion make sure theres lots of light and be briskly about. Cats hate that sort of thing.
Reply:Vets do it so easily because of practice, practice......... and countless small scars that you dont notice :-)





start with pulling the corners of her lips back, as if you were trying to make the cat smile, that will help you look the back teeth. With another finger (or the other hand if you have someone hold the cat) lift the lips up or down as needed. Do this for a short period of time, if you don't see anything, try again later. Don't piss off kitty. Youll get better w time.
Reply:Easty as... the technique for examining mouths/getting them to open their mouths in both dogs and cats is:


1 scruff the thing by the back of the neck so that it wont rund away.


2 put your hand under its chin with your thumb and first finger forming a U shape under its chin.


3. at both sides of the jaw toward the back are the molars and then right at the back a bit of a gap it is actually more toward the cheek area of the animal and this is the area you will target ...


4. place your two fingers identified earlier on either side of the jaw now making more of a C shape. Fingers should be past the lips and back toward the gap area (practice will help you work out that one) then simply squeeze ... pushing the skin in onto the teeth particularly gap area (ie where a bit goes with a horse).. The animal finds this uncomfortable and will open its mouth to avoid the the discomfortonce the mouth opens you will see the gap bit at the back and you can hook yur fingers into that area as the animal cant actually bite you. So long as you keep a grip on its lower jaw you will then be able to release you grip on its neck and use the other hand eith to administer a table (on its tongue right in the back of the throat.. ie where we would normally be gagging) or to poke around in the mouth.


Good luck