emery@fluke.UUCP (John Emery) (06/03/85)
Hello, Last year we took our cat to the vet for some shots. While we were there, the vet said that it is about time to get our cat's teeth cleaned. The cat is about four years old. We feed him mostly dry cat food and once in a while he gets Tender Vittles. Well, the topic came up recently again between my wife and I. She feels that it is necessary to get his teeth cleaned or else his teeth might start decaying. My question is: Is this really necessary for the cat's health or is this an unnecessary expense? I thought that the dry cat food would keep his teeth in shape. Comments? John Emery
rbc@houxu.UUCP (R.CONNAGHAN) (06/04/85)
Dry food does not clean around the gum line. Yes, teeth cleaning now can save a great deal of pain and money later. The only concern is that the cat gets drugged to sleep during the cleaning. -- Robert Connaghan WE 32100 Microprocessor Group AT&T Information System - Holmdel, N.J. houxu!rbc
jhs@druri.UUCP (ShoreJ) (06/04/85)
I, too, thought that dry food for cats was adequate for keeping their choppers clean. However, during a post-battle examination at an emergency clinic, the vet found bleeding around my cat's gums and suggested I do a follow-up with my regular vet. As it turns out, it's the calculus (a hard mineral buildup or "abnormal concretion of mineral salts") around the base of the teeth that is the problem. This buildup, most commonly around the molars, can result in gum irritation, gum infection, loosening of/loss of teeth, and possible systemic infections (more or less in that order). Decay is less of a problem, but is always possible dependent on diet, etc. Cleaning by the vet (or the vet's technician) runs around $20 and often requires anesthesia (for the cat; queasy owner's tranqs are optional. :-)). However, it is a minor procedure and is normally a one-day in/out process. According to my vet, the teeth should be examined during routine annual shots/checkup. [There's no reason why you can't check from time to time, too. Look for discolored teeth, swollen and/or abnormal gums (they should be pink and firm), blood/pus around the base of the molars, loose or missing teeth; checking for bad breath is optional. A common indicator that there may be problems is when the cat has difficulty eating, especially hard, dry food. This may seem obvious, but many people tend to overlook this and attribute it to "finicky" eaters.] Then, the teeth should be cleaned only if necessary. Gradual buildup is normal but should not be allowed to increase to the point where problems set in. Oh, he did note that brushing would really help--if anyone could ever convince a cat to tolerate an indignity of that proportion. Hope this helps. -- Jeff Shore