The teeth of the cat
Many owners pay little attention to their cat’s teeth, which can prove to be a serious mistake.
Dental problems are not uncommon in cats. Sadly they are often only noticed when the cat refuses to eat due to pain in the teeth.
How many teeth do cats have?
Just like humans, cats have milk teeth at first, which are then replaced by permanent teeth. The milk teeth are complete at about two months of age and consist of 26 teeth.
The permanent dentition consists of 30 teeth in total. The upper jaw of cats has six incisors, two canines, six front and two rear molars. The lower jaw only differs in that there are only four front molars.
In the deciduous dentition the rear molars are still missing. For this reason cats have only 26 instead of 30 teeth before the change of teeth.
Many cats have problems with their teeth
Dental problems are unfortunately widespread in cats. Many animals suffer from caries or periodontitis, for example. Gum inflammation is also a common problem in cats.
Although domestic cats have long since stopped using their teeth to the same extent as their wild relatives, dental diseases are a serious matter.
They are often extremely painful, which sooner or later often leads cats refusing to eat and weight loss. Untreated dental problems can in the long run even lead to dangerous organ damage.
Recognizing dental problems in cats
Neither wet or dry food poses a significant challenge to the teeth of cats. For this reason, dental diseases often remain undetected for a long time and are only noticed when they are already well advanced.
For a successful and uncomplicated treatment, however, it is important to detect emerging problems early on. A regular look at the teeth of your own cat is therefore advisable.
Among the first signs that indicate the emergence of problems are plaque and tartar. You should also check to see if your cat has bad breath or if there is any redness or swelling on the gums.
In addition, dental problems often cause cats to drool and salivate. Without treatment, pain is only a matter of time for your pet.
Cats with dental problems are a case for the veterinarian
In case you notice problems with your cat's teeth, we recommend a visit to the vet as soon as possible. The sooner the vet can counteract the symptoms, the sooner possible subsequent problems can be avoided.
To get an overview of the condition of the teeth, the vet will thoroughly examine your cat's mouth and teeth. The treatment that he or she will then take will depend on the nature and severity of the dental problems.
For example, if your cat has tartar, the vet will perform a professional dental cleaning under general anaesthetic. In case of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), antibiotics or cortisone may be necessary.
In the case of inflamed tooth roots or caries, the affected teeth of the cat may even have to be extracted in order to get the discomfort under control and prevent it from spreading to the rest of the teeth.
Avoiding problems with the teeth
For permanently healthy cat teeth, you should first of all avoid cat food with added sugar. Instead, choose a high-quality cat food without grains.
It’s also advisable to feed your cat both wet and dry food. This is because the hard croquettes of dry food can help to remove coatings and food residues.
This is normally not enough to keep your cat's teeth healthy in the long term though.
Healthy teeth with our dental powder for cats
Many cats are very reluctant to have their teeth brushed. For this reason we have developed a special food supplement for daily dental care in the form of our Dental Powder.
Thanks to its special composition, I Love My Cat Dental Powder is ideal for removing tartar from your cat's teeth and reliably preventing possible problems with the teeth.
In addition, the powder convinces with its excellent digestibility and uncomplicated application, which makes its use in dental care an easy task even for busy cat owners.
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