Help! Feline dental question....?

I just noticed that my cat has really yellow teeth! I couldn't believe my eyes. So I decided to take a much closer look and noticed that there is a slight chip in the canine tooth. It doesn't look serious, but does anyone know how to care for their teeth? I heard about brushing, but my cat would never allow me to do that. Is the yellowing bad? I can't imagine that it would be good, but I would like to know how to remove all the tartar and plaque. Thank you so much for your help!!

Help! Feline dental question....?
I think it's great that you are concerned about your kitty's teeth. Dental care is really really important for dogs and cats. Although they don't often get cavities like we do, they get broken teeth which can be painful and keep them from wanting to eat.





Also, and worse, when tartar and plaque builds up on a cat's teeth (or dog's) it causes gingivitis - that is basically an infection in gums. Gingivitis shows up as reddish gums - some even bleed. Gingivitis is a bacterial infection, and this bacteria gets released when the gums bleed into the blood stream - and then can cause problems with heart and kidneys!! So having bad teeth can absolutely mean your pet has a shorter life!





For this reason, it's important to have their teeth cleaned. I am with you that it is awfully hard to brush the teeth of most pets. Doing so will keep you from having them cleaned at the vet so often, but you will still have to get them cleaned.





In a young cat, you need to be having teeth cleaned every year, and never go more than 2! Someone here said that their vet charges $10. I find that very hard to believe!! I know what it costs the vet to clean the teeth - as a vet tech I have cleaned teeth myself. It involves anesthesia (usually expensive), and wear and tear on equipment, use of space and kennel during cleaning and recovery, and time for staff. If I am getting paid $15-20/hr, there is NO WAY it will only cost the client $10. I wanted to tell you that because $10 is nonsense. But you should expect to pay, depending on where you live, between $60-120 to have them cleaned. If you have to have teeth extracted, that will cost extra, per tooth. (Another reason to keep them well taken care of!)





Your kitty will feel so much better with clean teeth, and be healthier all over too. :)
Reply:There were indeed many good answers. I am glad you took mine seriously - yellow isn't always "normal in a cat" and tartar isn't ever good. So let the vet decide, so your kitty is staying healthy! :) Report It

Reply:My vet charges $10 to clean cat's teeth. Take her to have her teeth cleaned. The vet can look at them and tell you what needs done.





I left off a 0. It is $100 for the cleaning. Sorry and thanx to Mac for calling that to my attention!
Reply:At the next vet check up, ask you vet about her teeth. Some cats have naturally yellowish teeth; just like humans.





You can get treats that are crunchy and help with teeth cleaning as well. Hard, crunchy food also helps as compared to soft food. (which is recommended, but just doesnt helps as much with teeth cleaning)





Your vet can also show you how to clean your cats teeth. Starting slow with the chicken flavoured toothpaste is easier than you think. :)
Reply:There are certain types of treats that you can feed your cat to help against plaque and tartar buildup. A trip to the vet for a checkup or even dental may be necessary as well, although if it's a minor chip that doesn't sound too bad and yellowing can be just a sign of getting older (since they don't brush like we do).





You may want to evaluate the food you feed your cat as well...hard/dry food is better at keeping the teeth clean where as canned/soft food makes them stained or build up more tartar.
Reply:yellow teeth 4 cats isnet a bad thing...itz normal...but u should go 2 a vet 2 check about da teeth chip it may b bothering da cat
Reply:Tartar and plaque can only be removed by a vet during dentistry. They will scale and polish the teeth and get rid of all the tartar and plaque.





Home brushing might deter it from coming back, but it will always eventually come back and the teeth will need to be cleaned again.





Kuddles, tell me where you live where your vet charges 10 bucks to clean teeth....I'm going to your doctor. Mine charges a hell of a lot more than that. How does he put them under anesthesia, with a hammer? LOL. I'll gladly switch vets for $10 teeth cleaning.
Reply:Mac is right, and if that tooth has a chip in it, that means the enamel is damaged. That could lead to an infected tooth. They can do fillings on a cat's teeth. You should really check with your vet.



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