My cat won't let me brush her teeth. Is it true that tartar and gum disease can cause other problems?

oh yeah, very true! It is hard to get a cat use to having some one put a toothbrush in its mouth.


Animal mouths work the same as humans, if you don't take care of them, then they will get tooth decay, and periodontal disease. Since the teeth are sooo close to the brain (this is for humans too) if there is an infection that is not taken care of, the brain may get poisoned.





Another way to cut the tartar on animals teeth is by buying special dry food formulated to knock the tartar loose, I believe Iams makes it. And stay away from wet food, very very very bad for thier teeth.


good luck

My cat won't let me brush her teeth. Is it true that tartar and gum disease can cause other problems?
THERE IT THIS STUFF FOR TARTAR IT CALLED WISKERS CAT TREAT WITH TARTAR CONTROL BECAUSE IF YOU DO THE CLEANING YOUR CAT WILL NOT GET USE TO CLEANING HERS OR HIS TEETH OR ENYTHING ELSE.AND IF YOUR CATS HAVE GUM DISEASE TAKE IT TO THE VETS THAY WILL DETERMEN WHEITHER IF YOUR CAT HAS GUM DISEASE OR NOT STAY POSTIVE
Reply:Tartar management is cats can be challenging, as you have found. If you have seen that there is significant tartar on your cat's molars and premolars, you are already at a stage where you will need your local veterinarian to perform a complete dental prophylaxis under anesthesia. This tartar is probably causing the gingivitis that you are seeing. Dry kibble diets help in tartar prevention, however, even cats who eat nothing but dry food occasionally need dental prophylaxis. The most important thing is to have the tartar taken care of because leaving it in the mouth can cause kidney infections and heart valve disease.
Reply:Plaque can trap bacteria at the base of the tooth where it has easy access to a blood supply, and thus the rest of the body. In cats it is especially important because that bacteria can lead to kidney damage. If your cat won't let you brush, there are commerically available "treats" that can help with tartar build up. Eukanuba and Iams have "dental defense", a coating on thier kibble that helps break up plaque and tartar (they are owned by the company that makes Crest, and have taken the technology from Crest toothpaste).





If you cannot easily brush her teeth, and other methods do not help, you may have to invest in a dentistry for your cat more often. Your vet can tell you the pricing, but they sedate the animal and clean their teeth just like they clean ours (scale, polish and sometimes, fluoride treat). It does involve sedating the cat, and it is a long procedure (usually for an average cat about 30-45 minutes of sedation), but if she is healthy otherwise it is a good option.





There is no truth to the wet food versus dry food myth. There are cats (and dogs) that eat nothing but canned food and have beautiful teeth, likewise there are animals that eat kibble only (even the best "dental" kibble) and have horrible teeth. While you can do your part to help, a big chunk of it is affected by her genetics and how strong her teeth and enamel are. I do not recommend ignoring her teeth if you think they look okay, but even if you do everything you can, she may still end up with tartar, plaque, gingevitis, cavaties or teeth that need to be pulled. None of which is all the fault of you, your managment or her teeth.