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I've tried all treats, from Greenies to the Enzymes, & she likes none. Haven't tried brushing but don't think she'll like it. I feed dry & wet food daily, so some cleaning via dry food? I had her teeth cleaned about 3 mos. ago (she was a stray & is about 2 + yrs old now) & she was fine, w/ a broken canine only. But I can smell her food after she eats on her breath, so I wanted to know how best -- when these other things failed -- to keep her teeth clean? Thanks.
Drop the dry food, it makes it worse, not better, despite what the food manufacturers and the vets they have bought might claim. With wet food, the cat's tongue is pretty efficient at cleaning the teeth surfaces. Raw food is apparently even better - but it takes specialized knowledge to do it right.
If she already has bad breath and just had a cleaning 3 months ago, I'd take her back to the vet to make sure there isn't something else going on, or a bad tooth was missed.
I feed my cats canned food as well as a prescription food from my vet (it's a Hill's brand) which is called t/d. The kibbel is larger than other dry foods and as long as the cat will chew it (not swallow it whole like my fat cat does), it should work. I too had to have my fat cats teeth cleaned about a year ago. He was 8 years old at the time. Once in a while I will brush his teeth (the vet sells a chicken flavored enzyme toothpaste). While he isn't crazy about getting his teeth brushed, he is generally a scaredy cat, he does let me brush his teeth and LOVES the taste of the toothpaste. I have 2 other kitties who love the taste of the toothpaste but won't let me brush their teeth. As I said, my cat Otis, who lets me brush his teeth has always been a little on edge with fear and I believe this is why he lets me brush his teeth by cornering him on the bathroom floor. LOL.
Now we have a dog and she loves the toothpaste too. If you are going to try to brush your cats teeth, I highly recommend a chicken flavored enzyme toothpaste (preferably from your vet). Good luck and I hear what are saying about smelling the food after your kitty eats. Otis has the worst smelling breath. I need to try to keep up with his teeth but since we got the dog in the past month, he has been hiding a lot. HOpefully he will come out soon so I can get a weight on him and brush his teeth. I was referred by my vet's office to buy the T/D. None of my other kitties have oral issues except for Otis. Good luck with whatever you decide.
But don't take our word for it -- the proof is right in front of y'all.
*They can't even rotate their jaws. Watch your cat the next feeding time, can't chew like other mammals.
*Look at the teeth -- designed to shear and tear. Check out the shape. They can't grind!
I suggest to the poster who's vet is selling them food and endorsing dry cereal for an obligate carnivore: may want to do some research on this, and consider finding another Vet. A quick Google will yield tons of facts.
Even easier: Consider reading the ingredients in that stuff, when you realize how much it costs.
'Please don't put yourselves through the nightmares we went through because we moved away from our longtime Vet and trusted salespeople instead.
Please do some searches-research. It's all out there at our fingertips.
Harvard Law Paper \: http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/dat...Patrick06.html
Dr MW Fox: http://www.twobitdog.com/drfox/specialreport_Article.aspx?ID=f78aec92-0b02-47f3-9575-cb1778647ad5 (broken link) Feeding Your Cat** Know the Basi
The kibbel is larger than other dry foods and as long as the cat will chew it (not swallow it whole like my fat cat does), it should work.
Cats can't chew. They are obligate carnivores. Their teeth are specialized for predation and they do not possess the flat grinding surfaces that omnivores have. So in reality, cats don't chew their kibble. A few may crunch it between their front teeth, but most cats do exactly what your's does - they swallow it whole. (And often, puke it back up once it expands in their stomachs. ) The bits of kibble that remain in the mouth are very starchy - a starchy formula is a necessity for making kibble that sticks together, even the grain-free types. Cats lack the enzymes which humans have in our mouths to break down starches. So what's left to break them down? Plaque.
Really think about it for a moment. Kibble is basically meat-flavored cold cereal. Have you ever eaten a handful of dry Cheerios out of the box? Do you think your teeth felt cleaner after that?
I'd like to add one more thing that Tilli has mentioned re: starch. Starch turns into SUGAR with digestive enzymes. Hmmm....doesn't sound too nutritious to me.
But don't take our word for it -- the proof is right in front of y'all.
*They can't even rotate their jaws. Watch your cat the next feeding time, can't chew like other mammals.
*Look at the teeth -- designed to shear and tear. Check out the shape. They can't grind!
I suggest to the poster who's vet is selling them food and endorsing dry cereal for an obligate carnivore: may want to do some research on this, and consider finding another Vet. A quick Google will yield tons of facts.
Even easier: Consider reading the ingredients in that stuff, when you realize how much it costs.
Dr MW Fox: Conflicts Of Interest In The Veterinary Profession And The Origin Of (http://www.twobitdog.com/drfox/specialreport_Article.aspx?ID=f78aec92-0b02-47f3-9575-cb1778647ad5 - broken link) Feeding Your Cat** Know the Basi
You can also try a "natural" method of teeth cleaning by giving your cat raw chicken feet or sliced turkey gizzard to gnaw on.
Agreed! 2 reps!
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) The bits of kibble that remain in the mouth are very starchy - a starchy formula is a necessity for making kibble that sticks together, even the grain-free types. Cats lack the enzymes which humans have in our mouths to break down starches. So what's left to break them down? Plaque.
Hmmm....doesn't sound too nutritious to me. 
