Dental disease is a common problem among indoor cats. Outdoor or wild cats eat rodents and other small animals. The bones and fur of the animals they eat helps a lot in cleaning and maintaining their teeth naturally. On the other hand, indoor cats don’t have this natural dental care. Since indoor cats usually have cat food as their diet and don’t really eat small animals that regularly, they are missing out a lot on their dental care needs.
As a cat owner, it is your responsibility to take care of your cat and provide its needs to keep it healthy. Consistent dental care is an essential part of caring for a cat. Here are some ways that would help you prevent dental disease in your cat.
Proper Nutrition and Diet
Having good diet is essential in maintaining your cat’s dental care. Giving your cat a balanced healthy diet keeps it healthy and strong to fight illnesses and speed up healing. Since most cats don’t chew their food that much, giving hard kibble doesn’t really do much abrasive action to clean the teeth unlike when your cat eats mice or small animals.
Regular Dental Checkup
It is recommended that you take your cat at least twice a year for a dental checkup. One of the best ways to keep your cat’s teeth healthy is to keep on top of their oral health. Regular checkups help detect early signs of dental disease in cats as well as provide proper care to strengthen and prevent dental problems. A vet can also do a thorough dental cleaning to keep your cat’s teeth healthy and clean.
Dental Care Routine at Home
Aside from regular visits to the vet, it is also important that you follow a consistent dental care routine at home. Most cats don’t like their owners messing with their mouth so it may take some time and practice for your cat to get used to a dental care routine.
Tooth brushing should be done at least thrice a week and greatly helps a lot in preventative oral care. Be sure to use the right tools – a cat toothbrush, cat toothpaste and a finger brush. Introduce your cat slowly into the routine until it gets used to it. It would be a lot easier to clean your cat’s teeth then later on.
You can also supplement your cat’s dental care routine by incorporating other dental care products regularly, especially if your cat doesn’t welcome tooth brushing that much. Cat dental chew sticks are made from ingredients that help reduce tartar and clean the teeth’s surfaces. A cat oral rinse is sprayed or rubbed on the gums and inner cheeks of your cat to kill bacteria and freshen breath.
Dental disease in cats can be a really serious problem if not taken care of immediately. However, with these simple dental care tips, you can be sure that your cat will have minimal problems when it comes to its dental and oral health.
