How Many Teeth An Adult Cat And A Cat Have, How To Clean Them At Home, Including How To Clean Them From Tartar Formation

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Caring for the oral cavity of a cat: how the indifference of the owners can turn out

For many owners, the cat's mouth remains unknown territory, which is not accepted to encroach on. In fact, domestic cats need help caring for their teeth, since the features of their comfortable life often become the factors that provoke the appearance of plaque and related problems. One of the most important points of pet care is regular brushing of its teeth.

Content

• 1 Formation of dental apparatus in cats

  • 1.1 Milk teeth
  • 1.2 Permanent teeth
  • 1.3 Changes in old age

• 2 Pet oral care

  • 2.1 Brushing your teeth

    • 2.1.1 How to brush your pet's teeth at home
    • 2.1.2 Video: how to brush your cat's teeth
    • 2.1.3 Choosing a toothpaste and brush
    • 2.1.4 Reviews about pastes and brushes for cats

• 3 Tartar in cats and cats

  • 3.1 Causes of formation and symptoms
  • 3.2 Removal at home
  • 3.3 Removal of tartar in a veterinary clinic

  • 3.4 Prevention

    3.4.1 Photo gallery: remedies for the prevention of calculus in cats

• 4 Other dental problems in cats

Dental apparatus formation in cats

Teeth are an important tool for every feline, because it is thanks to the coordinated work of jaws and claws that the hunt for prey ends successfully. The buds of teeth in kittens are formed even in utero. Dental kit for a domestic cat consists of three items:

• Incisors are teeth located in the front. In cats, they are very small and are mainly needed only to keep the caught prey. They have one and small root, so they are unstable.

• Fangs - located in front of the jaw and intended for hunting. Cats are predators by nature, so they need these teeth to kill caught prey. The canines are long and clearly stand out from the rest of the teeth; they have an elongated root and are firmly held in the jaw by ligaments.

  

  Fangs are a bright symbol of cats belonging to the category of hunters

• Premolars are located on the sides and are necessary for chewing food. Each has 1 to 3 roots.
• Molars are the last teeth in a cat's jaw, they are quite large and are also needed for an effective chewing process. Their roots are short, but rather thick.

How many teeth a cat has and which ones depends on its age.

Baby teeth

Cats belong to the class of mammals, so their cubs are born toothless - at first they feed exclusively on mother's milk, so they simply do not need teeth. By the age of one month, milk teeth begin to appear in the oral cavity - temporary, which will later be replaced by permanent, molars. The picture will change depending on the age of the animal:

• in the period of 3-5 weeks, the milk incisors will erupt;
• milk canines appear up to 2 months;
• in the period from 6 to 10 weeks - premolars, no milk molars.

The kitten has 26 milk teeth, the formula is as follows:

• 3 incisors - 1 canine - 3 premolars in the upper jaw;
• 3 incisors - 1 canine - 2 premolars on the lower jaw.

Permanent teeth

At the age of 3-4 months, the normal process of changing teeth begins in a cat - milk teeth alternately fall out, as their root dissolves, and free up space in the jaw for root elements. Teething of permanent teeth usually occurs before the age of 7-9 months, after which the cat is left with the kit for the rest of its life. In total, an adult animal has 30 teeth, located as follows:

• on the upper jaw on one side 3 incisors - 1 canine - 3 premolars - 1 molar;
• on the lower jaw, on one side, 3 incisors - 1 canine - 2 premolars - 1 molar.

An adult cat has 30 permanent teeth, 4 of which are canines, located in pairs on the upper and lower jaw

The change of teeth takes place in turn and usually does not cause any discomfort to the animal.

Changes in old age

According to the condition of the teeth of the animal, experts can always determine the approximate age, since noticeable age-related changes occur in the oral cavity. So, in cats, by old age, teeth wear out, the process begins with the incisors, and the fangs are the last to change as one of the most important for the predator. Teeth may begin to fall out, but often this is not so much due to old age as due to improper or lack of care. The most vulnerable are incisors with small roots, but hunting canines and molars "sit" most strongly in the jaw.

Pet Oral Care

Few cat owners know that their pet's oral cavity needs to be carefully looked after. Domestic predators can also develop dental diseases that cause a lot of discomfort, so it is necessary to carry out a number of hygiene procedures:

• brushing;
• removal of tartar;
• fight against tooth decay.

Teeth cleaning

The most important step in caring for your cat's teeth is brushing them regularly. Pets are not so actively using their hunting potential, because grinding the food offered to them by the owners usually does not require as much effort as is necessary to feed the caught prey. Therefore, plaque can form on the teeth - surface deposits on the enamel, consisting of food debris. Such a film is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, which can lead to:

• bad breath;
• tartar formation;
• bleeding gums;

• inflammatory diseases of the oral cavity:

  • gingivitis - inflammation of the gums;
  • stomatitis - inflammation of the lining of the oral cavity.

Plaque often forms on the teeth of cats, which must be regularly cleaned off mechanically.

Especially in need of cleaning those cats that eat exclusively soft food and refuse to gnaw solid food or special bones, because it is precisely chewing hard food that allows you to mechanically clean your teeth from plaque.

How to brush your pet's teeth at home

It is best to start accustoming the animal to the procedure gradually and from a very early age, then an adult cat will take the cleaning calmly. But if the pet has already grown up, but does not yet know the taste of toothpaste, this does not mean that this idea should be abandoned. You can train any cat, the main thing is to do everything carefully and take into account the peculiarities of the character of the pet. The algorithm for getting acquainted with brushing your teeth is as follows:

1. The cat must be found in a good mood, well-fed and healthy, put in front of you or on your knees.
2. You need to try to open your pet's mouth or at least touch the gums.
3. The animal needs to be given the opportunity to get acquainted with objects new to him - with paste and a brush, you can give a small pea of the product to taste.
4. The procedure can be carried out for several days in a row, and when the cat already responds normally to it, it is worth complicating the task by trying to go over the teeth with a brush. Each time, the pet should be rewarded for its patience by offering it a treat.
5. When the animal allows you to brush its teeth, you can start regular brushing.

The recommended regularity of brushing teeth for cats is 1-2 times a week, but if the animal reacts too nervously, then you can make them more rare - at least 2 times a month. The cleaning itself should take place in this way:

1. The cat must be placed in the conditions in which it was taught to brush its teeth - sit on its knees or in front of itself. If the animal tolerates the procedure calmly, then you can cope on your own, and in case of a nervous reaction, you will need an assistant who will hold the animal and calm it down.
2. On the brush you need to apply a small amount of paste and with two fingers, clasping the face, raise the lips and expose the upper row of teeth.

3. First, the brush must be driven from top to bottom along the canines, moving from base to end, and then make movements from side to side, brushing all the front teeth. The same should be done on the lower jaw, pulling back the lower lip.

   

   You need to brush your cat's teeth carefully, starting with the front teeth and moving on to the molars and premolars, opening the pet's mouth

4. The next step is to clean the molars and premolars. This is usually the hardest part to do as the cat will need to open its mouth. Brush movements should be back and forth along the dentition. You don't need to scrub for too long - 4-5 seconds is enough for one side.
5. At the end of the procedure, you need to wipe the remnants of toothpaste from the muzzle, if it gets on the wool, praise and treat the cat with a treat for its patience.

Video: how to brush your cat's teeth

Choosing a toothpaste and brush

One of the most important conditions for successfully brushing your cat's teeth is choosing the right tool and paste. It is worth purchasing everything you need only in veterinary pharmacies or pet stores. Never use toothpaste intended for humans for oral care in cats. Specialty formulations usually come with attractive flavors (such as meat or cheese), and also contain ingredients for the care of the oral cavity in general.

When buying, you should pay attention to the pastes marked with the highest ratings by users of review sites:

• Hartz Toothpaste Dentist's Best Dentashield for cats and dogs with a mint-vanilla scent. A tube of 85 grams, the average cost is 450 rubles. The composition includes:

  • water;
  • sorbitol;
  • sodium hydroxide;
  • propylene glycol;
  • sodium carboxymethyl cellulose;
  • silicon;
  • sodium hexametaphosphate;
  • dye;

  • flavoring.

    

    Hartz Toothpaste Dentist's Best Dentashield is designed for cats and dogs and has a mint-vanilla aroma

• Beaphar for cats and dogs with liver flavor. A package of 100 grams will cost about 550 rubles. Consisting of:

  • water;
  • glycerol;
  • starch hydrolyzate;
  • silica;
  • pentasodium triphosphate;
  • egg powder;
  • zinc citrate;
  • potassium sorbate;
  • sodium benzoate;
  • glucose oxidase (a special component that converts glucose into acid with the production of hydrogen peroxide, which has an antibacterial effect on the oral cavity);
  • sodium monofluorophosphate (provides enamel strengthening);
  • propylene glycol;
  • sodium chloride;
  • sodium phosphate;
  • calcium chloride;
  • liver powder.

• Globalvet with chicken flavor. The product is packed in tubes of 75 grams, the average cost is 350 rubles. Consisting of:

  • water;
  • carrageenan;
  • sorbitol;
  • glycerol;
  • calcium carbonate;
  • sodium triphosphate;
  • propyl hydroxybenzoate;
  • enzymes;

  • flavoring.

    

    Globalvet paste is attractive to animals due to its chicken flavor and can be used for both cats and dogs

• Trixie with cheese, mint or beef flavor, 100 grams. Usually sold as a set along with two brushes for cleaning, the cost of which is about 300 rubles. Structure:

  • sorbitol;
  • silica;
  • cellulose gum;
  • tetrasodium pyrophosphate;
  • enzyme;
  • bone flour;

  • flavoring.

    

    Trixie Cheese Flavored Pasta is not usually sold separately, but as a set with two brushes for cleaning cat teeth

• Stop problem. The cost of a 60 ml tube is 150 rubles. Consisting of:

  • water;
  • sage, propolis, calendula extracts;
  • potassium hydroxide;
  • carbopol;
  • sorbic acid.

Brushes are also available from different manufacturers and are usually inexpensive:

• Sentry Petrodex Tooth-Hugger with a special arrangement of protrusions (inside rounded bumps to clean the surface of the tooth, bumps on the outer edges massage the gums and help to cope with plaque, and the outer ridges clean the surface of the cheeks and tongue). Such a brush will cost 300 rubles.

• Trixie Pro Care is a set of two fingertip brushes. One has rubber bumps for massaging the gums, and the other has soft bristles for cleaning dental plaque. The cost of the set is about 100 rubles.

  

  The Trixie Pro Care Finger Brush Set is used to clean teeth and massage the gums

• Hartz Dental Kit - a set in which, in addition to the paste described above, there are two more brushes. One is double-sided, with soft bristles and different head sizes for access to all teeth, and the other is silicone, which is put on the finger.

• The Beaphar Toothbrush is a double-sided curved-handle toothbrush with different head sizes. The price of such a brush is 250 rubles.

  

  The Beaphar Toothbrush has two heads of different sizes, and is also equipped with a rubberized handle for convenience

You can also find a lot of brushes without a brand, the so-called "know name". They are usually quite inexpensive, but when deciding to buy a similar model, be sure to inspect the instrument for safety - the bristles should be soft and not prickly, and the handle itself should be comfortable and strong.

Reviews of pastes and brushes for cats

Tartar in cats and cats

After eating a cat, food particles remain in the mouth that are stuck on the teeth. Saliva is not able to ensure their complete disintegration, and such residues become a place for active reproduction of bacteria. As a result, a primary plaque is formed. If it is not cleaned off in time, then over time it layers and hardens, forming layers of tartar. It is important to understand that tartar is not just an aesthetic problem, it is a real disease, the progression of which leads to inflammation in the oral cavity and tooth loss.

Causes of education and symptoms

The main reason for the formation of tartar is a violation of hygiene rules and ignoring the formation of plaque on a pet's teeth. However, there are a number of factors that increase the risk of stratification:

• metabolic disorders in a cat, due to which the saliva contains an increased content of trace elements, which are a building material for stones on the teeth;
• features of the enamel, including its roughness - because of this, food debris is retained in greater quantities in the oral cavity;
• unnatural feeding - we are talking about excessive custody of the pet, when the cat is fed extremely soft and cut into small pieces food, thereby the owners do not give the animal care, but deprive him of the opportunity to clean off the plaque from the teeth by chewing;
• genetic predisposition.

The formation of hard tartar in cats is usually visible with the naked eye - the growths are located near the gums and are colored in shades of yellow and brown

The main symptom of calculus is the visual recognition of the crust at the roots, which can be light yellow to dark brown. The molars and premolars are the first to suffer, after the disease spreads to the canines, and lastly to the small anterior incisors. You can suspect a problem without first looking into your pet's mouth by the following ambiguous symptoms:

• trembling when chewing, refusal to eat while being interested in it - these can be signs of pain that occurs when chewing due to inflammation provoked by stones;
• a sharp unpleasant smell of a putrid nature - stones are a place of concentration of bacteria, and if there are a lot of them, then the smell is appropriate;
• redness and bleeding of the gums - stones gradually move the tissues around the tooth, causing an inflammatory process.

Removal at home

Complete removal of tartar at home, especially in advanced cases, is impossible. This is a procedure that requires special equipment and veterinary practice, otherwise the attempts will at least cause stress and pain to the animal.

Cat owners can try chemical cleaning of their teeth using special gels. They soften hard deposits, after which they are gradually removed during hygienic cleaning with a toothbrush. The most famous version of such a tool is TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel (USA). It is recommended to apply it to the teeth every evening, 2 drops after the last feeding. After half an hour, the owner of the animal needs to brush his teeth. The course of procedures is one month, after which, subject to a positive result, the agent is used once a week for prevention. As part of the preparation:

• water;
• alcohol;
• mint;
• glycerol;
• a natural cleanser that the manufacturer keeps secret;
• carbopol;
• chlorophyllin;
• extract of green tea.

The cost of a 60 ml bottle is about 800 rubles.

TropiClean Clean Teeth Gel is a tartar softener that allows you to get rid of it at home

Removal of tartar in a veterinary clinic

If tartar is found, it is advisable to immediately contact a veterinary clinic, where the animal will be examined and given recommendations - is it possible to try to get rid of the calculus on your own or is it better to perform professional cleaning. The procedure takes place under general anesthesia, as removing a stone is a rather painful and lengthy exercise. There are two methods for removing formations:

• Mechanical. It involves scraping off the growths with dental instruments. This gives a result, but not very high quality - the growths are usually not completely removed, which leads to a rapid build-up of new ones, and the tooth enamel is injured.
• Ultrasonic. Cleaning with ultrasound using a special device allows you to destroy solid deposits and peel them off from the tooth tissue. This method allows you to cleanse even small parts between the teeth and in the pockets between the gum and enamel. The procedure delivers minimal discomfort, so anesthesia in such a situation is only needed to immobilize the cat.

Ultrasonic cleaning of dental calculus is performed using a special installation by a veterinarian

After the stones are removed, the teeth are polished - this allows you to level the surface and get rid of roughness, which will significantly reduce the percentage of plaque formation. This procedure is carried out with special brushes and pasty compounds. If necessary or at the request of the owner, the teeth can be additionally coated with a gel containing sodium fluoride. Such an event is intended to reduce sensitivity and strengthen the enamel.

The cost of removing tartar depends not only on the neglect of the situation, but also on the city and the specific clinic. The average price of mechanical cleaning is 300–500 rubles, while the ultrasonic procedure will cost from 900 to 2500 rubles.

Prevention

It is possible to prevent or at least reduce the risk of calculus formation in a domestic cat by following a number of recommendations:

• Regularly, solid food should appear in the cat's bowl - dry food or special treats that she could chew on. Do not limit the predator in the ability to chew something for a long time.
• Offer food in portions, do not treat pieces of "human" food from the table - this way the animal will not refuse its food.
• Brush your teeth regularly with a special brush and paste.

In addition, there are a large number of tools designed to help cope with the formation of plaque on a cat's teeth and prevent the formation of stones:

• Gels. Gel formulations are used as a means of hygienic treatment of the oral cavity, they are applied directly to the teeth, which allows you to remove an unpleasant odor and plaque, thereby preventing the growth of stones. Examples of funds:

  • Api-San dental gel "Zubastik" with oak bark and propolis extract;
  • Trixie Dental Hygiene Gel with beef flavor.

• Sprays - contain components that destroy plaque, and with regular use, reduce its accumulation, additionally removing an unpleasant odor from the mouth. For cats you can use:

  • Sentry Petrodex Dental spray with chlorhexidine, zinc and alcohol free;
  • dental spray "Zubastik" from Api-San with herbal extracts and propolis.

• Water supplements are products that are added in small amounts to a pet's bowl of clean water. Their main task is to destroy microorganisms that cause the formation of plaque, as well as eliminate an unpleasant odor from the mouth. Popular names:

  • SynergyLabs "Fresh Teeth" hygienic liquid (add a teaspoon to 250 ml of water);
  • Tropiclean Fresh Breath with Digestive Prebiotic (500 ml tablespoon).

• Special food. Some companies offer specialty dry food with additives to help reduce plaque build-up and maintain overall oral health in your cat. The most famous in this category are:

  • Hill's Oral Care with antioxidants;
  • Royal Canin Oral Care with a special form of croquettes and calcium chelators to prevent plaque mineralization.

• Chewing toys - various delicacies with an attractive smell and taste, the chewing of which allows you to clean the formed plaque from the teeth. For cats, they often buy:

  • Gimpet Nutri Pockets Dental (crispy chicken-filled pads)
  • Beaphar Cat-a-Dent-Bits (crispy cereal balls with poultry meat);
  • Brit Care Dental (poultry snacks with basil, thyme, rosemary);
  • Sanal Dentas (unusual shaped crunches with the addition of a vitamin complex);

• Napkins. There are wet wipes that can be used on a daily basis to clean the surface of a cat's teeth, making brushing less frequent, and this is especially true if the animal does not like this procedure. At a pet store, you can ask for the following items:

  • napkins "Taurus" with milk flavor;
  • DDS Dental Wipes;
  • Ora-Clens Dental Wipes.

Photo gallery: remedies for the prevention of dental calculus in cats

Dental gel "Zubastik" for cats is used to clean teeth in order to disinfect the oral cavity and prevent the formation of tartar

Tropiclean Fresh Breath is added to your cat's drinking water to help maintain your pet's oral hygiene at all times

Gimpet's Crispy Pads are a chicken-flavored treat that can be chewed to remove plaque build-up on your teeth

Specialty foods are available to help prevent tartar formation, such as Hill's Oral Care

Other dental problems in cats

Lack of quality and regular dental care can result in a number of dental problems:

• Caries or destruction of hard tooth tissues. They can form both due to malnutrition and in the form of a complication of tartar. Affected teeth, like in humans, require treatment or removal, which only a veterinarian can help.
• Odontogenic osteomyelitis - an inflammatory disease that develops as a result of caries and pulpitis (inflammation of the dental pulp). The main symptom is the formation of a cavity with pus on the gums. Such a problem requires an urgent appeal to a veterinary clinic, where the abscess will be opened and properly treated.
• Periodontitis - developing inflammation against the background of the formation of dental calculus and volumetric plaque. As part of the treatment, the mouth cavity must be sanitized by a doctor, and all plaque and stones must be removed.
• Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums, accompanied by bleeding, redness, cracking and ulceration. The problem can be eliminated only by neutralizing its cause, and most often it is plaque and calculus.

Dental diseases concern not only people, but also their pets, which once again emphasizes the need for regular hygiene of the cat's mouth.

Regular and correct brushing of the teeth of a domestic cat is the procedure that can save you from a huge number of dental problems and diseases. Cleaning plaque, removing stone if necessary, using special gels, water additives and treats for oral health - there are many options to prevent diseases, the main thing is to use them on time.