6 Essential Tips That Enhance Cat Dental Wellness
Did you know that 50- 90% of cats older than 4 years of age suffer from some form of dental disease? Due to the high prevalence of feline oral disease, more needs to be done to improve the dental wellness of cats, especially since the most common feline oral diseases are generally preventable or treatable.
In light of the upcoming World Oral Health Day on 20 March, we decided to dedicate an article to promote cat oral health. This article will focus on the following concrete steps cat owners like you can take to enhance your cat’s dental wellness:
-Stick to your cat’s daily dental care routine
-Ensure that your cat has continuous access to fresh water
-Take action if your cat has consistent bad breath
-Take your cat for annual dental check ups
-Purchase dental treats that help reduce tartar
-Buy toys that promote dental wellness
1) Stick to your cat’s daily dental care routine
Just like you, your furkid needs to have its teeth brushed. Regular teeth brushing is extremely critical to feline dental care because it is the most effective way to reduce plaque/tartar and get rid of bad breath.
In the best-case scenario, you'd brush your cat's teeth every day as well as let your vet conduct a professional cleaning annually. But if the aforementioned practice is not possible, we recommend brushing your cat's teeth at least 2-3 times a week.
To facilitate this dental care habit, you need to get dental products that are specially designed for cats (because it is inadvisable to use human dental products on cats).
Recommended products:
Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Beef Toothpaste 70g
2) Ensure that your cat has continuous access to water
While brushing your cat’s teeth frequently is the crucial foundation, there are still other complementary actions that you can take to safeguard its oral health. One simple step would be to make sure that your pet always has access to fresh water because drinking water aids in the washing away of food debris left in a cat’s mouth after a meal.
To learn more about how to choose a suitable bowl for your cat, click here. Besides diligently filling your cat’s water bowl at least once a day, you can also hydrate your cat the easy way by purchasing a water fountain.
Recommended products:
Plouffe Smart Thermal Bowl Large
Tom Cat Pakeway Pet Drinking Fountain 2.5L
Zolux Iguazu Silent Water Fountain 3L
3) Take action if your cat has consistent bad breath
Feline bad breath could be a result of a number of illnesses such as kidney, liver disease, diabetes and periodontal disease (periodontal disease is a form of gum disease). If your cat has chronic bad breath, you should get it checked by a vet since that could be a sign of an underlying medical condition that requires treatment.
Still, one of the most common sources of feline bad breath is periodontal disease. Mouthwashes that are specially formulated for cats will help to get rid of bad breath temporarily, but brushing your cat’s teeth daily is the long term solution to periodontal disease and the accompanying symptom of bad breath.
Recommended product:
Francodex Fresh Dent 2in1 (Anti-Plaque Action) 500ml
4) Take your cat for annual dental checkups
You should also schedule annual dental check-ups and cleanings for your pet. This is because vets can remove tartar and plaque that may be difficult to reach during daily brushings.
More frequent vet visits will be necessary if your cat has other dental red flags (e.g. grinding its teeth when eating which is typically a side effect of tooth resorption, gum disease, ulcers, etc)
5) Purchase dental treats that help reduce tartar
Whenever your adult cat chews crunchy dental treats, this will help to get rid of plaque and tartar. Thankfully, there are plenty of dental treats available in the market, so purchasing them will be an easy task.
As the term ‘treat’ denotes, dental treats are snacks so they should only be served to your cat in between meals as a reward for good behaviour.
Recommended product:
Brit Care Cat Snack Dental 50g
6) Buy toys that promote dental wellness
Dental toys not only keep your feline entertained but also help to maintain your cat's oral hygiene. They work by gently removing soft plaque whenever your cat chews on the toy. These chew toys truly offer the best of both worlds which is why you should add them into your shopping basket.
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Cat parents, that's all. We hope you learnt something new from this article. If you have more questions, our knowledgeable retail staff can offer solid tailored advice on how you can take care of your kitty’s dental health, as well as recommend the best feline dental products in Singapore. Tap/click here to learn more about other brilliant dental products that we sell!
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