The health of your cat relies on various aspects of their care, including the food they eat, whether they go outside and interact with neighborhood cats, if they get regular vaccines, and the condition of their oral health. Your cat may or may not show you any indications if their teeth are in bad condition, but you need to take the initiative to check up on it regardless. Here are some recommendations and tips to help you keep your cat's oral health in the best condition for a healthy kitty.
Watch Your Cat For Signs
As a first step in your cat's oral health, you can watch them and their habits for signs that they may have problems with their teeth or gums. If your cat has started to not eat as much food or stop eating altogether, this is a big indicator of health problems and you should have them checked by their veterinarian cat dentist. They may also begin to be irritable or aggressive to you and others when they normally have a demeanor that is the opposite.
Another big sign is bad breath and odors from your cat or wiggly teeth. If you notice a tooth that has started to protrude different from their mouth, it can indicate a tooth abscess or cavity. Their gums should be light pink in color and not red: redness in their gums can be a sign of inflammation and infection.
Check Their Mouth
Whether or not you notice that you cat appears to show any signs they have problems with their oral health, you should still be completing your own at-home checks to look at their teeth and gums. You may not be able to grab your cat's face and open up their mouth to inspect the teeth and gums inside, however you can be stealthy doing this when you need to. If you already brush your cat's teeth with a feline toothbrush and paste, this is the perfect opportunity to check the condition.
When you are holding your cat, you can lift up the flaps on the sides of their mouth to look at the teeth and gums. You can also feed them a treat to get a close up look at their teeth inside and on the front of their jaw. This process will help you get a better understanding of the condition of their teeth and to determine if there are problems that need professional care and further treatments by their cat dentist.
Share6 January 2021
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