This is one of those moot topics. It is very difficult if not impossible sometimes to even look at the interior of a domestic cat’s mouth never mind clean the teeth and massage the gums. The vets and experts dish out a lot of advice which is more theoretical than practical. This is why poor oral health is in the top ten most common feline health problems for veterinarians.
Click this link to see it in full and from where it can be shared and downloaded (click to enlarge and right click to download).
THERE ARE SOME MORE ARTICLES ON FELINE TEETH CLEANING BELOW.
Cat owners try to clean their cat’s teeth and give up because they are scared of being scratched or bitten by their disgruntled cat. However, good news because the teeth and gum care methods in the infographic are all easy except for the conventional teeth brushing which I sense is normally only possible if a person adopts a kitten and cleans their teeth from day one and every day thereafter to the point where the adult cat totally accepts it despite finding it uncomfortable.
Personally, I think Hills Oral Care is pretty good. It is a large pellet dry food which ensures the cat chews the stuff. Often, they swallow the smaller pellets whole. Although it is not an alternative for the methods listed. And dry food would not be recommended by almost all cat experts as the sole food. It should be part of the diet and ancillary to the core diet which is high quality wet together with some chicken on the bone (if you accept the advice of Dr Fogle).
The picture in the infographic shows raw chicken. If used it must be handled properly to avoid bacterial contamination. That’s vital. The risk from bones sticking in the mouth is far outweighed, according to Dr Fogle DVM, a person I trust, by the teeth cleaning benefits. See an article and infographic on this by clicking the link below.
It is a way of trying to replicate the eating habits of the wild cat ancestor to the domestic cat. Wild cats do not have the unacceptable poor oral health of middle-aged and elderly domestic cats because they eat raw prey animals and lots of bones, cartilage and feathers or fur.
Below are some more pages on cleaning teeth.
