How to Freshen a Cat's Breath

The most common cause of bad breath is tartar buildup surrounding the teeth. As in people, small particles off food remain in the mouth after eating. These particles decompose creating conditions where oral bacteria thrive. These bacterial grow to form plaque which is a combination of bacteria, mineral and decomposed food. Plaque and associated oral infections give the pet’s breath an objectionable odor. Plaque also clings to the base of teeth causing the gums to become inflamed and recede. Inflamed gums leak blood serum with combines with and increase the amount of plaque. This plaque or calculus is visible as a hard yellowish coating on the outer base of the teeth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Yearly Checkups
   
   Even if you do not give yearly booster vaccinations it is wise to take your cat to a veterinarian yearly to get a general checkup that includes a dental exam. The older your pet is the more important early exams become.
2. Diet
   
   To retard the formation of plaque feed your pet a name brand dry commercial pet food. The crunchy biscuits help massage gums and wear away tartar. Some brands, like Friskys, market dental diets engineered to minimize plaque and massage the gums. Other brands incorporate enzymes to dissolve plaque. One of the worst things you can do to your cat's teeth is to feed canned diets. The build up of plaque in pets fed soft, canned diets is very rapid.
3. Treats and foods
   
   most foods use lots of filler not much nutrition.. make sure you feed him DRY as well as canned.. and his canned food should only be about 1 teaspoon 1-2 times a day.. chicken is best..NEVER fish
   Milk is bad for them too...and will upset their tummy and give them bad breath.
4. Brushing teeth
   
   Brushing your cat's teeth is the most important thing you can to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Use a child’s toothbrush and meat or malt favored toothpaste designed for animals. Use a very small amount of toothpaste – it is the brushing that is important – and concentrate on the gum margins. . If you start when your pet is a kitten the pet will not dislike the procedure. Even older pets learn to accept the toothbrush.
5. Mouth wash and sprays
   
   Veterinary hospitals and pet supply out lets sell chlorhexidine sprays and mouthwashes that contain enzymes that dissolve plaque and help reduce bacteria. They are not nearly as effective as brushing the teeth but are better than no home care.
6. Manual tartar removal
   
   If your cat has a placid temperament it is not difficult to scrap the tartar from the teeth and clean under the margins of the gums at home. Many pet professionals perform excellent tooth cleaning at home eliminating the need to have their pet anesthetized at a veterinary clinic. Your veterinarian or a pet supply catalog is a good source for a tartar-scraping tool. The best ones are double ended, one end suitable for the right and the other for the left hand side of the mouth.
7. Ultrasonic cleaning
   Because the whine of the ultrasonic machine is distressing to most animals, this procedure is performed with general anesthetic or heavy tranquilization. Since it is often older patients, many of whom have heart disease, that need the procedure, I keep them under very light anesthetic.
8. Removal of diseased teeth
   
   Once the ligaments that fasten teeth to the bone of the jaw have been damaged by periodontal disease ultrasonic cleaning will not heal them. Mildly loose teeth can sometimes be preserved by cleaning and several weeks of doxycycline therapy either with oral tablets or oral patches. Severely loose teeth are best removed. Cats do very well with few remaining teeth. Problems are more in the minds of owners due to fear than to any difficulties experienced by the pets.
9. Tooth restorations
   
   Some veterinarians and dentists specialize in crowns for damaged pet teeth. Other than for attack dogs, this is a purely cosmetic procedure satisfying the owner, not the pet. I suggest you spend the money on your pets in other ways – such as a trips with your pet to the country or the park and contributions to your local Humane Society.
   
   Recently, an organism call Bartonella has been implicated in chronic oral infections in cats. The diagnosis of Bartonella infection is made using a laboratory test called the Wesern Blot. When cats are positive for this organism it can be sucessfully treated using azithromycin, doxycycline or rifampin.

Tips & Warnings

• Check for pink gums and healthy looking teeth. If all looks ok, go get some pet grass, chewing on this acts a little like a toothbrush and cleans the mouth. Give clean water EVERY day and try more dry food and less wet food. Some fishy breath is normal, if you are worried make a quick visit to the vet. Brush your cat's teeth with a pet toothbrush and toothpaste every day, that is what your supposed to do. That prevents bad breath.
• If you're feeding your cat canned foods and it's fish based this can be pretty stinky. Try switching to poultry-based canned foods which are actually healthier for cats than fish.