Does eating raw cause them to have issues w/ gums & teeth?

[ArlosMom]

Hello my fellow raw feeders. I posted a similar question in the health forum, but wanted to come here and also ask if any raw feeders have issues with teeth/gums. My boy Arlo just turned one on Christmas Day. His teeth have always been a concern as they've never been pearly white and always looked a bit discolored to me even since he was a kitten. At first he had the black marks on his teeth from wax buildup, from nursing, etc. and after about six months and after losing all his baby teeth, his teeth were still very dingy looking never really turning a bright white. I don't brush them, but I do take the washcloth and wipe them down whenever I bathe him, which is once a week. I feed him raw, but I don't do bones (I add in supplements) because I am too nervous about him choking on bones. I gave him ground raw with bones ground up in it and he kept gagging, so that was the end of that. So he doesn't have anything that would really remove the tartar buildup from his teeth other than my wiping them once a week. Now I am noticing his gums are very, very red. It looks like he has the beginning stages of gingivitis (or whatever it is that cats get!). Several questions; does anyone think this could be from his raw diet and lack of anything "Crunchy" to scrape away plaque from his teeth? Is it common in raw fed kitties? .. My other question is, is there anything I can do to prevent him from getting gum disease other than giving him bones? I am worried about infected gums and how it can cause other issues. Thank you advance for any advice/suggestion you can offer. I am very worried about his gums, esp. since he's only a year old and I plan for him to be around for a very long time!!

 

[Hairless Blessing]

I would have a Vet to check him. Let him advice you what to
do. Since the gums are red and you think there might be issues.
It's better to nip it in the bud now, than later.
Then, he might end up looking his teeth. He's to young for that.
Let us know about him.
Also, if he needs a cleaning, DON'T let them use Ketamine, to sedate him.

 

[admin]

I answered your post here also - Teeth and Gums--worried about infection

 

[SphynxMomma16]

I am not sure about the raw part, but with any cat they need crunchy hard food in their diet to stimulate their gums as they chew and yes it scrapes on any plaque and promotes a healthy mouth. The larger the kibble the better the dental benefits. Since he is young it is great you caught it early on because red inflammed gums are one of the first signs of gingavitis or gum disease, and if untreated the bacteria travels into the blood stream and eventually to the heart.

For prevention there are different things you can try:

-CET chews for cats. They are a veterinary exclusive product that are long cylindrical treats that have chlorahexadine and other great ingredients to promote good oral health

-brushing their teeth is great ( if they will let you lol) There is flavoured toothpast from the vetand either finger toothbrushes work great or baby toothbrushes are small enough to manouever.

-there are additives you can purchase through your vet to add to the water or oral gels to rub on their gums available.

-and my favourite is Hills dental T/D diet. It is canadian, sold exclusive in veterinary hospitals. It is a large kibble that doesn't break down as easily and forces cats to actually chew their food ( which is good if you have those who like to inhale their food). The large kibble wraps around the tooth as they bite into it and works like mini toothbrushes to scrape all the plaque off the teeth. Each kibble takes longer to chew so they are getting maximum benefits with every bowl. Cats seem to love it! Also, I've seen cats that already have build up on their molars have it reversed just by eating the food. I've also seen cats start on the food in young adulthood and eat it for years with perfect teeth and gums and no further brushing or dental cleanings required.

There is a different brand by Medi-cal called "dental" which is also a vet diet. It is still a large kibble but slightly smaller than the T/D, and other dental hills science diet brands available in pet stores but the kibble is slightly smaller and T/D is my favourite.

Ultimately it is best to have your vet assess his teeth and see what stage he is at, and moving forward there are many things you can do for maintenance such as those listed above.

In order of effectiveness of dental health:

1. A dental cleaning is best to get 100% of the plaque build up off..but try to avoid unnecessary anesthesia unless absolutely needed.

2.t/d dental diets as maintenance/preventative

3. Then brushing , treats, and additives.

Hope that helps!

 

[Xandria]

The answer is YES, a raw diet often (but not always) contributes to a more rapid decline in mouth hygiene.

It's not just the lack of crunchies, but it's the diet itself. I talked to my vet about this when I was shocked that at one year of age Max needed professional teeth cleaning as he had the start of gingivitis (not bad). I had only been brushing his teeth every few days at that point, and started too late. My vet confirmed that while a raw diet is very good for overall health, it does affect the teeth and gums adversely. I suspect in the wild that all the bone crunching serves as a natural tooth brushing.

I now follow this regimen which seems to do the trick:

I use the following type of brush after every meal:
Virbac USA | C.E.T.® Cat Toothbrush with Toothpaste Packet

With the following toothpaste (the beef is great, but vet ran out so currently using poultry):
Virbac USA | C.E.T.® Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs and Cats

I make it seem like a treat, so Max actually enjoys getting his teeth cleaned. I really need to have Hubby take video some time. LOL

Every night Max also gets one of this dental treats:
Virbac USA | C.E.T.® Oral Hygiene Chews for Cats

These were recommended to me and I feel are good for jaw strengthening. Max loves them but loses them under furniture far too often:
Kangaroo Tendons - Nature`s Own Dog Chews

You can also use dehydrated chicken necks in lieu of the kanga tendons. I can't use chicken necks as Max has chicken allergies.

There are also water additives, but these aren't in place of brushing.

 

[assibassi]

our Vet told us ( since we feed Raw ) , giving the Cat once a week a nice chunk of Turkey neck for a treat . Raw of course . He chomps it down with bone and all, normal he swallowes his food but the bone he does nicely chew and chomp on.

then there is also a product called plaque off or something like it, we get it at a specialty pet store , its a momma poppa store in my area and they carry only good stuff and food. Its a natural powder that takes plaque off the teeth. I can make a picture when i find the bottle ... it is somewhere in the cupboard in the kitchen, where Hairy goes in and just cleans it out once a day at least and i have to throw it literally all back in ! haha

 

[ArlosMom]

@Xandria ; did you end up doing a dental @vet? I am so nervous to do this , but I guess it's prob best to get the initial plaque off. I did order this (Pet King Brands Products) oratene antiseptic gel, which I read a few people have used with great success. I am hoping this does the trick. I did get a sample of the CET enzymatic toothpaste from vet, but I really need to get him used to having his teeth brushed. I also ordered the treats you mentioned but he won't touch them. I think I've tried every treat imaginable..he just wont eat anything other than his raw food.. lol! Thanks for the info & advice!

The answer is YES, a raw diet often (but not always) contributes to a more rapid decline in mouth hygiene.

It's not just the lack of crunchies, but it's the diet itself. I talked to my vet about this when I was shocked that at one year of age Max needed professional teeth cleaning as he had the start of gingivitis (not bad). I had only been brushing his teeth every few days at that point, and started too late. My vet confirmed that while a raw diet is very good for overall health, it does affect the teeth and gums adversely. I suspect in the wild that all the bone crunching serves as a natural tooth brushing.

I now follow this regimen which seems to do the trick:

I use the following type of brush after every meal:
Virbac USA | C.E.T.® Cat Toothbrush with Toothpaste Packet

With the following toothpaste (the beef is great, but vet ran out so currently using poultry):
Virbac USA | C.E.T.® Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs and Cats

I make it seem like a treat, so Max actually enjoys getting his teeth cleaned. I really need to have Hubby take video some time. LOL

Every night Max also gets one of this dental treats:
Virbac USA | C.E.T.® Oral Hygiene Chews for Cats

These were recommended to me and I feel are good for jaw strengthening. Max loves them but loses them under furniture far too often:
Kangaroo Tendons - Nature`s Own Dog Chews

You can also use dehydrated chicken necks in lieu of the kanga tendons. I can't use chicken necks as Max has chicken allergies.

There are also water additives, but these aren't in place of brushing.

 

[ArlosMom]

Thanks, @assibassi, @Hairless Blessing & @SphynxMomma16 !!

 

[Xandria]

@Xandria ; did you end up doing a dental @vet? I am so nervous to do this , but I guess it's prob best to get the initial plaque off. I did order this (Pet King Brands Products) oratene antiseptic gel, which I read a few people have used with great success. I am hoping this does the trick. I did get a sample of the CET enzymatic toothpaste from vet, but I really need to get him used to having his teeth brushed. I also ordered the treats you mentioned but he won't touch them. I think I've tried every treat imaginable..he just wont eat anything other than his raw food.. lol! Thanks for the info & advice!

Yes, we did a complete dental clean at the vet. No problems whatsoever. But since then I have used quite the maintenance regimen, and I really want to minimize any future trips. With my other cats it seemed to be an annual "thing". But the less Max has to go under sedation, the happier I will be. I'm just very lucky that he doesn't mind having his teeth brushed, and he loves those dental treats.

I found the type of toothbrush really made a difference. I tried other pet toothbrushes, but they were really awkward. Then someone recommended the one that I posted and it's been so easy since then. Because it's almost all bristles all the way around (except that one tiny end), it's easy to wield, and so much more comfortable. Those plastic finger covers are very uncomfortable for their gums, I understand from various vets.

There are actually 2 different flavours of those treats (Fish and some other 1). Perhaps try the other one? I'm sorry that they're not going down very well.

With toothbrushing, it just takes time. 1st I let Max lick some of the toothpaste off the toothbrush. After a few days of this, I then put a little more toothpaste on the toothbrush, and performed a cursory brush. And then every day after that I just kept spending a little more time brushing. Now Max sees it as a treat and "assumes the position" (backside towards my kneeling legs, mouth up) before I have even finished putting the toothpaste on the toothbrush.

Have patience. But dental cleans are fairly routine. Hugs.

 

[Sphynx Asylum Dad]

Our vets have all told us that dry food doesn't do much to 'clean' teeth. The only natural way is to let them eat unaltered raw game... Not a real appealing option, next to that is the necks, tendons, etc. Greenies are a great option too, then the various brushes and pastes used at home. The biggest thing to remember is consistency- don't skip, skimp, or half-a$$ it (lol) gotta do a good job for our babies!!!

@KansasSphynxMom

 

[lapril]

Ezio and Clementine lost all of the tiny top teeth in the front @ 3 years old When I give them the greenies they swallow them whole, and it's so difficult to clean the back teeth. I've conceded to doing annual teeth cleanings.