Told by vet to brush cats teeth...are they mad?

[CucumberCool]

Really? This is a thing?! How on earth do I do it!

I wasn't the one at the apt I should add...

Do you do it?

My last cat died at 14 and always had dried food. He never had dental problems. I am tempted to go back to dried
food only.

My cat lets me , I use one of the baby toothbrushes you put over your finger and some liver toothpaste. Apparently even if they lick some off your finger it helps accord to the vet.

Public service announcement - the silicon toothbrush that goes over your finger does not in any way protect from biting.

it does make a good cat toy though.

😂

I have a very compliant dog who just about allows his teeth to be brushed. I value my life more than to try it on a cat.

Also had this, was offered a £200 scale and polish/assessment or a £14 cat toothbrush and paste to try first. The toothbrush came in handy for cleaning round taps and the paste went in the bin eventually. I felt an absolute idiot walking out with it, I knew it wouldn't be possible.

I have to do this with my cat who is 1 year old. His teeth and gums were quite bad so couldn't leave it at such a young age. It's a two person job and he sometimes doesn't come in for his biscuits as he knows what's coming. He also has some dry biscuits that are special dental ones - royal canin I think.

There's loads of you tube videos showing you how to do it.

One of mine was given a dental gel by the vet, we just have to swipe some onto her teeth/gums and it does its job without brushing. Cat doesn’t seem to mind it too much, it’s more successful than trying to use a baby toothbrush.

(Luckily the docile cat is the one with dental issues. I wouldn’t be putting my fingers anywhere near the other cat’s teeth.)

It must be an American thing. In the country they de-claw their cats and don't let them outside.

The YouTube video also showed me how to give a cat a tablet but it didn't mean I could do it

The vet sent me a dental reminder for my old boy
Me "want to get your one remaining toof checked?"

I do it. Simply because in the USA it costs about $95 to pull an infected tooth for a cat!

$95 is a bargain, I spent £300 getting a tooth removed and his teeth cleaned!

My vet said she used to recommend toothbrushing until she got a cat herself!

I am doing ok getting one of my cats to accept this, starting when she was 18m old. Better than paying for dental work.

It's actually a good idea if you can get them used to it from kitten-hood - most insurance companies don't cover dental work and most senior cats need something doing once they hit double figures.

That said mine are 8 and 3 and I wouldn't even attempt it 😂

All my cats have been rescues - first 2 had been feral & rehomed to me at 2, new one was a stray for a couple of years & rehomed to me at 3. Not exactly the best cats to try to get accepting tooth brushing, bearing in mind it took 6 month after getting Girlcat and a year after getting Boycat before I could even touch them.

Tobias is a different kettle of fish. Not only have I barely managed to touch him after nearly 4 months, but unlike the other 2 he will swipe HARD if you encroach on his current boundaries. With claws out (though this is improving). I'm trying to encourage him to accept touch, not drive him away!

Cat Three has gingivitis and the vet suggested brushing his teeth to me. Al the ???! He’s at least seven years old and took a day to get over being taken to the vet. Gawd knows how much he would hate me for trying to brush his teeth. It’s TD for him and an expensive dental clean in a month.

Not a chance with the teeth. But thankfully eye drops are easy! No idea why.

Hahaha haha!

I can’t even touch my cats belly. Trying to brush her teeth would be like wrestling with a tiger.

My vet recommended brushing my cat's teeth.
I've tried a baby toothbrush. Blood, scratches and wounds on me.
I've tried a clear silicone jobby that fits over my finger. Ditto result plus finger gnawing.
I've tried liver flavoured toothpaste. She didn't like it.
I've tried the granules added to her food. She took one sniff and wouldn't go near it.
I've tried the additive that goes in her water. She sniffed it and went out to drink in a puddle.
I've wrapped her in a bath sheet, but she wriggles out hissing.
She can clamp her lips together so well even the vet had trouble looking at her teeth.

So tomorrow she's being given a general anaesthetic for 4 extractions and a scale and polish. And I'll be paying £780 for the privilege.

If kitty toothbrushing is possible I'd say start them young, not when they're 10 years old.

Got told this for my dog. He isn't compliant!

I think I'd look at what they're being fed. Presumably felines in the wild don't need teeth cleaning? It must be something to do with the food that domestic cats are given that is causing these problems.

It will be more acceptable to the cat but unfortunately the kibble will either be swallowed whole (as evidenced when it is vomited back up) or will shatter on impact and serve no useful purpose in cleaning teeth at all.

Any suggestion that it might it purely a ploy by manufacturers to sell bits of welded corn/maize mixed with animal fat and sprayed with attractant and passed off as food.

A small bit of raw meat would be better.