Dental chews and dental rinses for cats

[CJ2008]

I've been thinking of getting the C.E.T. dental chews and the rinse so that the kitties don't have such bad breath and their teeth remain as healthy as possible. I've been trying to brush their teeth but that doesn't always go as planned so I'm thinking anything I can supplement that with would be good.

Was wondering if any you use them...and if you think they're good/worth it...

 

[Scorpioanne]

As someone who had to give my cat a pill daily until I bought the medication in a gel form that went in her ear I cannot imagine how on earth you would get your cat to swish their mouth! I just buy the temptations denta bites.

 

[y2kitty]

Try a lysine supplement. It changed my cats breath from smelling like something was decomposing in his mouth to just regular cat breath.

 

[CJ2008]

haha Scorpioanne - no, they don't swish, you rub the solution with a gauze pad. And yes, it's not easy to get them to do anything! My trick for pills: I buy the soft treats and I squeeze the pill in between two of them. Usually he doesn't even notice it and eats it. I get the dental cat treats too - problem is, they swallow them whole! They're so desperate to eat them, they don't chew them! The C.E.T. chews are larger so I think they would chew those.

herekittykitty - I had not heard of lysine supplements for making their breath better. Did you find that out from the vet (wondering why she didn't recommend since I brought him in because of his breath). But I am more concerned with keeping their teeth healthy, and supposedly the rinse and the chews helps with that (and a side effect is better breath too).

 

[y2kitty]

No, we have lysine treats we bought off amazon b/c one of them needs them due to having herpes as a kitten and I can't just feed them to her. So they all get them and they ended up helping Mr. Bad Breath. http://www.amazon.com/Enisyl-F-Lysi...GPL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302371948&sr=8-1

 

[chemgirl]

I use Greenies dental treats. They are oddly shaped so the cats are forced to chew them. The vet has no complaints about their teeth so I guess its working.

They never had particularly bad breath.

Here Kitty: good call on the Lysine. One of my cats is herpes central (eye, ear, and throat) so maybe they'll help her and we won't have to give her drops all of the time.

 

[violet3]

I don't have cats, but I do have a dog who is about to be 6 years old - he just went for a dental cleaning (almost a week ago) and the vet had to pull four of his teeth his breed has problems with teeth, but i never expected them to have to pull four of them out. We had given him the CET chews, but not all the time -- we just bought two packs and we give him one a day now. In addition, we have to give him a flouride type treatment (rubbed on his gums) once a week and brushing.

My dog had severely bad breath, and now after his dental, his breath is 90% better. The vet highly recommended the CET chews and said they really will help with the tartar and gingivitus. I would do whatever your vet recommends to keep your pets teeth clean and healthy -- our vet bill was over $500, but more than that, I want to prevent him from being in pain and losing more of his teeth as he gets older.

 

[y2kitty]

I agree age can be a factor. Years of build up on teeth will do that. Mr. Bad Breath did not have plaque though, he was only 5 months old.

 

[CJ2008]

chemgirl - Greenies is what I give them too - they swallow them whole.

violet3 - yes, supposedly the chews contain enzymes that help break down plaque. And I agree with you - it's preventative in terms of money - but more important is to help them keep their teeth healthy.

herekittykitty - I know it was a different issue with your kitty. But just for discussion's sake, from what I understand, there can be pretty plaque/teeth problems when they're young, too. 5 months is young, but then again, that's 5 months of eating every day and not brushing his teeth.

 

[asscherisme]

Please forgive the dumb question. I got 2 kittens last summer and itsthe first time I have had cats. Do I need to get their teeth cleaned?

I do give them quality dry food because they refuse wet. Does the regular vet do this? I never even thought about dental chews for cats but think I will check ou tthe greenies. I would hate for them to lose their teeth.

 

[y2kitty]

I would try and clean their teeth. If not they could rot as they age. They make toothpaste and little brush thing you put over your finger. The earlier you start with them, the more tolerant they will be of it.