Is cat toothpaste necessary for removing plaque from my cat's teeth?

Yes this would work just be careful not to get bitten! There are other alternatives too that you can try to help with oral hygiene if tooth brushing is proving to be a problem. You can get a seaweed extract to add to the food daily called plaque off. There is also aquadent which is a bit like a mouth wash that you add to their water for them to drink. My favourite option is hills TD food as this has both a mechanical and chemical action to break down the calculi and improve oral hygiene and hopefully prevent dental work.

Personally I haven’t had luck brushing cats teeth. Yes giving hard food and dental treats can help prevent plaque and tartar buildup. Most cats will still need a dental cleaning at some point in their life. Just like people some cats don’t build tartar and others are more prone to dental disease. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bananas,

Hi and thanks for posting on PetCoach! There are a wide variety of products out there that help decrease plaque on teeth to some degree. Some products are better than others. However, the best product out there is actually a toothbrush! Brushing your dog's teeth daily (or as frequently as you can) will help decrease plaque build up on the teeth and help prevent dental disease. Be sure to use a dog friendly toothpaste you can get from your local pet shop. I have linked one I recommend below. Sometimes, however, the plaque hardens and becomes calcified on the tooth. When this happens, it is very hard to get rid of with brushing or commercial products like dental sprays or water additives, etc. A dental scaling done by Hiccup's veterinarian is the only way to get the dental calculus off the tooth. The sprays and commercial products along with daily or frequent brushing will help substantially at reducing plaque build up in the future.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! You are my hero for trying to brush Nala's teeth. If you haven't tried to start with the left side first, do that. Yes, at least getting the enzyme tooth paste on the teeth will do something. The brushing does help the most. Try to brush at least 3 times per week. They also make a tooth brush that fits on your finger tip, that may work better for her. Also check out the link for the Veterinary Oral Health Council's recommended products. Otherwise just keep trying! Practice makes perfect and also hopefully Nala will acclimate. She may still be sensitive on the one side from the cleaning. I hope this helps and I wish you and Nala the best! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3497 http://www.vohc.org/accepted_products_cats.html

Hello! She has a very small amount of tartar accumulation right on her gum lines, which is perfectly amount of plaque to develop by her age. I think with some increase in dental home care, you can probably get all that plaque dissolved and back to pearly whites! Excellent job with the teeth brushing! I would recommend trying to increase that to daily brushing and make sure that you are using a toothpaste with an enzymatic cleaner. The enzymatic part means that it still works after you stop brushing to break down the plaque and tartar. A small amount of this tooth paste put on chew toys can be a way for her to brush her own teeth as well. :) There are also diets formulated for dogs that accumulate dental plaque quickly. Hills T/D is one that I know of off the top of my head, but there are likely other brands as well. The kibbles are made in larger pieces that crunch in a way that cleans that teeth while they eat. Dental chews, like greenies, can be given daily as well for their dental benefits. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Greenies can help remove some fresh plaque. However if your dog already has a moderate to high amount of plaque on his teeth, then he will need a dental cleaning under sedation. Once the teeth are cleaned you can keep plaque from attaching to the teeth by brushing regularly. This is more effective than any dental chews.

Once your kitty had his dental cleaning , brushing his teeth with enzymatic tooth paste will prevent the build up of tartar and gingivitis. Brushing his teeth while he still has the excessive tartar will not remove it and also hurt the gums, as the gingivitis is painful. You can use water additives, but in my opinion they do not do much for the breath and his teeth. The bad breath is caused by bacteria in the tartar and below the gums. It will go away as soon as the teeth are cleaned.