Purina Cat Chow: Cat Care Center: Physical: Dental Health

Physical. Emotional. Complete.® - That's the Purina® Cat Chow® Way of Life®

Subjects in this section include: the different stages of cat growth, feline dental care, spaying and neutering, vet visits, physical changes in aging cats, and more.

Click the links below to read articles or Cat Chow mentor responses to actual questions. Or use the library search tool to search by keyword.



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Vet, naturalist, and passionate advocate for pet adoption Specialty: Physical

Topic: Dental Health

New Study Supports Importance of Diet in Dental Care for Cats

A Cat's Teeth: Timetable and Functions

My 4-year-old female had to have her teeth cleaned (under anesthesia). All she did the first day was hide and since she has been home she seems really disoriented and scared. How long do the side effects last?

How do I brush my cat's teeth?

Herman is a 6-month old male kitten. About 3-4 weeks ago I started to notice a funny look about his mouth. It turns out that his lower right canine (which is about half the size of his lower left canine) seems to be growing up and forward instead of straight up (like his lower left). This is causing his upper right part of his lip to push up. My question is: Is this normal? Will the tooth straighten out when it becomes full-grown? If this is not normal and is going to present a problem later on, is there something I can do about it?

Is it normal for kittens to grind their teeth? Both of my 7 month old kittens grind their teeth. The male will grind his after eating and the female will brush the side of her mouth against my hand and begin to grind her teeth. I know in small animals (i.e. ferrets), grinding teeth is a sign of stomach irritation. There is no change in my kittens' eating/drinking behavior.

The veterinarian told me my cat had some plaque buildup on her teeth and has provided me with the necessary tools. I've followed all the advice on brushing a cat's teeth and three months later...I'm nowhere. She won't let anything near her mouth. What do I do next?

My 5-year-old cat constantly rubs the sides of her jaw on everything. She does it so hard she knocks things over. Could this be related to tooth or gum disease?

My 6-year-old cat has severe gingivitis and I am deeply concerned about her weight fluctuation due to this. I was wondering, since this is obviously a genetic disorder with lifetime complications, would having all her teeth removed be a good option? And would THAT have any repercussions later?

My 9-year old cat just died after having his teeth cleaned. He only lived one day after I picked him up. I personally know two other people who had cats die immediately after teeth cleaning. Was it my vet's fault? Or is this something that happens to cats? I just adopted a little kitten and want to keep her for longer than 9 years. What if my vet tells me her teeth need cleaning? I don't know if I could go through this again.

My 5-year-old cat has periodontal disease. He's only ever had crunchy food and none of his yearly visits showed an excess of plaque or tartar. Is this uncommon in an indoor cat at this age?

During the first seven months a young cats life the deciduous and permanent teeth grow through, but when exactly do the individual teeth of the cat come through e.g. for a dog the temporary incisors come out at 4-6 weeks, and the permanent incisors come out at 3-5 months, etc.

How do cats get lymphoplasmacytic gingivitis and can it be passed from one cat to another in a multiple cat home or can queens pass it to her kittens?

My cat's teeth are very bad. He was a stray. What caused this and what can be done to help him?

My cat is 1- 1/2 years old. He seems healthy, but I have noticed something peculiar. He seems to drool quite often. He will be sitting with me and I see what looks like a line of clear stuff hanging out of the corner of his mouth. At first I thought he had a runny nose or something, but it definitely comes from his mouth. What should I do?

What kind of regimen do we follow for the care of our cat's gingivitis? ie..food and care?

We just adopted a one-year-old female. My cat will act like she is chewing food even though she has none in her mouth. She even will smack her lips. Is she trying to tell me she is hungry?

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	Mentor Steffen Runquist shares her years of experience in this video series

Cats have very special dietary needs. They require the addition of the amino acid taurine in their diet, while dogs do not. A taurine deficiency can result in blindness and contribute to heart disease (cardiomyopathy). Fortunately most commercially available cat foods are formulated with taurine.

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