Our new kitty came with a rotten tooth that needed to be pulled. I have one dog that I can brush his teeth and I probably do about once a week. The other dog won't let me. She will bite down and hold whatever you are using, no matter what. She's only had to have her teeth cleaned once though, just recently and she's 8. So I figure if we get 8 more years before the next cleaning she's pretty well set and I use that for justification not to play tug of war with a toothbrush or worse finger brush.
Anyway, the Vets office always gives sample toothbrushes and toothpaste for this purpose but I have to admit I haven't tried with the new kitty yet. Our other Cat, while social, generally would rather not being touched. She's always around and loves people, she's just not touchy feely. Is there anyone out there who REALLY brushes their cats teeth? If so, how did you get them to let you do this? I'm going to give this some effort and work on getting all 4 pets to let us do this. Just don't know how realistic it is with a few of them but figure it's worth a try.
I tried bathing cats once.
After that horribly traumatic experience (for cats and human) I decided that my cats would have to be responsible for their own hygiene.
I truly cannot imagine brushing a cat's teeth. Dogs, yes - and I have.
Please let me know how it goes.
Good Luck !!!!!
Would love to see the video of that!
I was laughing just at the title of your post. The thought of me brushing my cat's teeth makes me shudder in terror and laugh hysterically at the same time. The vet once showed me how to wrap her up in a towel and basically prohibit her from moving, all the while using one hand to brush her teeth with my FINGER. My cat would NEVER allow this, not in a million years. She gets mad and swipes me when, god forbid, my use of my own laptop interferes with the window she might be gazing out of at the time. I just buy her oral care hard food and hope it helps her teeth stay clean, and of course let the vet do it! That's why I pay the vet, the way I see it! She is not even 3, so I have many more years of her defiance.
Oh man. I always get a good laugh out of it when our vet suggests that I brush my cats' teeth! Has this guy ever tried brushing a cat's teeth?! I mean, to trim their claws I have to take them to the groomer and pay $10 per cat, because they turn into ninja kitties when they see the nail clippers coming at them. (And the groomers have to put those cone collars on them, otherwise THEY won't even do it! And that's just their FEET! I can't imagine trying to brush their teeth.
So I give them those teeth-cleaning treats instead. They like them, and I don't feel like I'm in mortal danger! LOL Every couple of years, I have them sedated by the vet and he cleans their teeth. It's worth the money, IMO.
The dog I have now lets me. A cat....... you have got to be kidding!
HAHAHA I would not subject my worst enemy to brushing my cats' teeth.
Feed them crunchy teeth cleaning treats. Do not torture yourself, or the kitty. Is it really that worth it?
Yes, it does happen. I could brush my cats teeth, although, it isn't necessary and depending on their temperment, they could definetly hurt your fingers! My cat would let me do anything to her, and was always on my lap. You have to be very gentle in opening their mouth, and see if they like the toothpaste at first. Once they open, try to do some teeth at a time. They will either let you, or run away. However, I would have the vet show you how to do it properly if you really want to brush their teeth.
I can say that if you brush to rough, you could do more harm then good. Infections, cuts, sore gums, etc.
Depends on the cat. My sweet , stay still, loving cat loved the toothpaste taste and we got the brush with the finger thing and it worked great. The two we have now..........not a chance.
Gently wrap your furry baby in a towel and take care of the teeth. I trim the nails the same way! Only takes a minute or two.
We have three cats and a dog. I try and brush everyone's teeth two to three times a week. The dog and two cats are easy and I can use a finger brush or toothbrush on all of them. I use a kids soft brush on two of the cats. The third can is a little trickier. For her I usually just put some on my finger and smear it as best I can on her teeth/gums or just outside and she licks it off. I figure at least that way it does a little.
To get them used to it, make sure you have a flavor of pet toothpaste that they like- beef, seafood, fish, and poultry are all options and I'm sure there are more. Start with a little dab for them to taste on your finer or just smear a little around their mouths for them to taste or lick. Gradually over a few days if needed left the mouth a little and brush or use a finger and swipe the teeth. For the cats the finger brush is really too big. With a regular toothbrush I can just lift the skin a little and brush or can open their mouth by pushing in gently at the jaw where their mouth hinges open and I can brush. The two that like it lick it off usually as I am brushing and then I usually let them clean the toothbrush a little more when I am done.
There are also CET treats that are great and mouth rinses that are sometimes easier. I believe CET says it is good to chew, better to rinse and best to brush. I give our cats a CET treat usually after I brush and the one that doesn't like her teeth brushed sometimes just gets the treat if I can't get her to cooperate. I can force her and get it done, but usually it is not worth it since she will bite and scratch for blood if it is not her idea. Wrapping in a towel works to keep the claws at bay if necessary. Her problem is more just a general restraint then the teeth brushing, so we brush where we can and treats regardless.
Some pets have to be knocked out and serviced at the vet's office. It's expensive, but gets the job done. Anesthesia...that's what it's for ;) ...sometimes.
You probably won't get 8 more years before your dog needs it again. Once they start needing professional cleanings, it generally needs to be done every 12-18 months, sometimes more frequently.
Our vet has also suggested brushing the cat's teeth -- she will have nothing to do with it. The vet has also suggested a $1000 teeth cleaning (includes blood test, anesthesia, x rays, possible extractions, cleaning). The cat has had previous dental issues (a cat disease where their teeth reabsorb, like their milk teeth do), and I wish we could afford the cleaning, but not right now.... Oddly, she will tolerate claw trimming with little fuss.
Yes, I used to brush my cat's teeth and he didn't mind it at all. I did it whenever I gave him a bath, which he loved baths too! If the kitty will let you, then try it, if not, then don't worry about it. If you take kitty to the vet for regular check ups, the vet will examine kitty's mouth and make sure everything is okay. I mean, what happened to pets before the idea that their teeth had to be brushed, right? I'm sure kitty will be fine if you can't do it.
My cats will have nothing to do with it.
The vet recommended trying a q-tip rather than one of the brushes because it's smaller.
I would love to do it. It would really help our kitties. But what do the kitties care about that? Maybe if the toothpaste were tuna-flavored... or salmon... they're not into chicken, I think.
You could try putting a little of the toothpaste on the end of your finger and see if she gets interested enough to lick it off. If she does, maybe you could try it with a brush some time. The nice thing with animals is that if you get only a couple of teeth this week, you can try to get other ones next week.
