Purchased A Cat? Tips To Keep Their Teeth Healthy
If you just purchased a new cat, you should know that cats can live for many years. This is only, however, if you take proper care of your new pet. Part of keeping your new cat healthy is keeping its teeth healthy. This can help prevent problems, such as gum disease and other issues. Gum disease can be dangerous as this can lead to heart problems if not taken care of. Below are two tips to take care of your cat's teeth.
Brush Teeth
If your cat has never had its teeth brushed before, this will be difficult in the beginning. It is best to start doing this in the beginning while cats are still kittens, if possible. To help you, place the cat on your lap or other favorite sitting spot. Purchase a toothbrush that is made for cats, and purchase toothpaste that is made for animals. Lift your cat's front lip, and gently brush the teeth as you would your own teeth, but go very slowly. Make sure you also brush the gums. Continue doing this until all upper teeth have been brushed, and then move to the bottom teeth. You should try to brush your cat's teeth once a day, if possible.
If your cat does not like the toothbrush, you can use a moistened soft cloth along with a small amount of toothpaste and wipe over their teeth. Even if you only brush a few teeth in the beginning, over time, your cat may allow you to brush more and more.
Visit a Cat Dentist
Take your cat to a cat dentist to have their teeth professionally cleaned periodically. Most veterinarians are able to brush an animal's teeth, but a cat dentist is specially trained in working with cats. The dentist you choose for your cat can tell you how often you need to have cat's teeth cleaned, but it will likely be around once a year.
During the cleaning, the cat dentist can also look over your cat's teeth and gums to determine if there are any problems. This way, treatment can be started as soon as possible for something like gum disease. The dentist may use a sedative for your cat if they are having problems sitting still for the dentist.
The cat dentist you choose can give you many tips to help you take care of your cat's teeth at home to help make things easier for you.
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