? Brushing your cat's teeth at home.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm just curious how people on this forum board may be brushing their cat's teeth - are you using a toothbrush, the little finger brushes, toothpaste? Any little tips and tricks to get the kitties use to it easier? I currently clean our dog's teeth and there is no issue, but if it's the same as pretty much everything else... cats are quite different! lol

I would appreciate other's thoughts and experiences. Thanks in advance.

 

Hi I see some members here are using pet smile I'm going to try it, no brushing required although after my cat gets used to it I am going to try and brush. Go to their website and read all about it. It was recommend by someone's vet I'm going to buy this tooth brush , I will post it below, it got very good reviews
Home / Collections / All Petsmile Products
All Petsmile Products
Veterinarian and VOHC Recommended.

Petsmile is the first and only Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted toothpaste with Calprox.
Calprox, is clinically proven to stop plaque and tartar buildup by gently dissolving the protein pellicle. Removing the pellicle leaves your pet’s teeth cleaner and whiter, while improving gum health, and giving kissable fresh breath.

Petsmile Professional Pet Toothpaste - Natural London Broil Flavor - Large
$25.00


Petsmile Professional Pet Toothpaste - Savory Duck Flavor - Large
$25.00


Petsmile Professional Pet Toothpaste - Rotisserie Chicken Flavor - Large
$25.00

Petsmile Professional Pet Toothpaste - Natural London Broil Flavor - Small
$15.00


Petsmile Professional Pet Toothbrush - Patented 45° Dual-Ended Brush Head
$14.00


Petsmile Toothpaste Applicator Swabs
$12.00

 

Found this one on Amazon


Kittyteeth Made in The USA - Pet Toothbrush Advanced Oral Hygiene Dental Care Low Bristle Profile & Small Brush Head

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Kittyteeth Made in The USA - Pet Toothbrush Advanced Oral Hygiene Dental Care Low Bristle Profile & Small Brush Head
by Kittyteeth
122 ratings

| 3 answered questions




Price: $7.00 Amazon Prime & FREE Returns

• Kittyteeth.com is proud to bring you a toothbrush specifically designed for your cat, dog and small pet. Many health issues can be traced back to poor dental hygiene. It is extremely important for your pet's health to brush their teeth and gums regularly.
• Made in the USA - Small brush head and shortened bristle height
• Designed specifically for your small pets mouth and sensitive gums
• Includes 1 pet toothbrush with instructions for brushing. BPA Free. For more information visit www.kittyteeth.com
• Ultra soft and polished bristles aid in removing plaque without damaging gums. Promotes clean teeth and healthy gums.

 

I clean Harry’s teeth every night last thing before bed. I use a baby toothbrush and toothpaste. He is now 3 1/2.
I have Harry on his back on my knees as I sit in a chair with my feet on the rung of another chair so my knees are horizontal, so I can see what I doing. I brush one side with one hand and swap hands and do the other side. Harry is totally cooperative which helps. I have been doing it since I got him at 6 months. He has lovely white teeth and no breath smell at all.

I started off very slowly with just letting him smell and taste the toothpaste, then putting a bit on my finger and rubbing his teeth for a few seconds. I tried a finger stall but it was too bulky. I gradually built up so that I can clean his teeth with no problems. Ii is all done in about a minute or two. Harry likes to swollow and lick his mouth during the procedure so I let him do that. He is quite relaxed about it now.

Clover on the other hand, same age as Harry, has no back teeth at all because when she was a kitten aged 8 months her second teeth at the back all budded and she grew double the number of teeth and it caused infection and inflammation and the only thing was to remove the lot. She eats a raw diet fine though. However I would love to clean her remaining teeth but she would scratch me to bits if I tried.

It makes a massive difference cleaning them so I would encourage anyone to try it. It takes patience and time to let the cat adapt to having something stuck in its mouth but well worth the effort.

 

Thanks for the tip Bron, I'm going to give it a try.

 

I meant to mention you must only use pet toothpaste as human toothpaste is poisonous to cats.
Expect to fail sometimes especially at first but don’t be discouraged.

 

I was going to try the pet smile I posted pics above, a member here told me about it

 

That looks good. I initially used a pet toothpaste and brush combination so I knew what I needed. Now I get baby a toothbrush from the supermarket... it is slightly higher ( fatter) than a cat toothbrush but works fine.

 

You can also forgo the toothbrush/toothpaste and do it the "natural" way. Cats in the wild keep their teeth clean by gnawing and scraping against bone, cartilage and fibrous meats.

Some raw chicken wings (cut into two pieces), chicken or turkey necks, even larger hunks of meat will help keep the teeth clean.

Also, very fibrous tissue like gizzards, liver and hearts will help keep those pearly whites in good shape!

 

It was my cats' dental specialist (who is wonderful!) who recommended the PetSmile. If your cat won't let you brush, if you can just get it on their teeth, it will still benefit them.

He also strongly recommends 1-TDC.

 

@FurBabiesMama hi, yes I remember you telling me about it
Thanks again

 

All great advice and suggestions. Any problem with kitty toothpaste and having too much sugar/starches?

Thanks Chris! Any worries about cats chewing and breaking off bits of bone?

 

@Judy and Freckles
I feed Harry chicken wings or chicken carcass several times a week as part of his diet. He eats the whole bone. As long as it’s raw it is fine. Never give cooked bones to cats or dogs. You could start off with chicken wing tips if you can get them. They are the small bit at the end of the wings.
Chicken necks, wings and carcass are suitable, also small quail ( they can eat the lot) and always supervise them when eating bone.

 

Thanks Bron! Good to know!

 

Thanks Diane. Freckles is getting her teeth cleaned in January and I would like to continue keeping her teeth in good shape. I'm just concerned about the cat toothpaste, that it might have something in it that's not good for our sugar cats.

 

I talked to another member and she uses it and there is no rise in their BG it has glycerin in it but I found this about glycerin
Also found this about glycerin
Glycerin belongs to a special category of carbohydrates calledpolyols, which also includes sugar alcohols like sorbitol and erythritol. Like sugar alcohols, which I've talked about before, glycerin tastes sweet but it is not metabolized as sugar in the body and doesn't cause a rise in blood sugar

 

I wanted to get the Petsmile toothpaste for Scout that others have mentioned-but I am hesitant to use as he is on a limited ingredient diet, and I am not 100% sure that the Chicken/Duck or Sirloin flavors have actual animal protein in them or not????
If anyone knows the answer to this, I’d sure appreciate some advice.

 

If you can’t use toothpaste because of some reason, just brushing them with water, gets rid of most of the slimy build up.

 

Good to know! Thanks for researching it Diane!