Feline Gingivitis -- Kate's story

Kate had her gingivitis re-check last week and she is very much improved. I still saw a faint red line on one side of her mouth, so it is not completely gone. But she doesn't have to be on antibiotics anymore which is great.

Our vet said we need to keep an eye on it and she may need to get her teeth cleaned more often than most cats...perhaps every year. But because I don't want to subject her to that much anesthesia, I am doing a lot of research into preventative measures. She is definitely going to have to get used to having her teeth brushed, but I think that she will.

When she first came to us, she wasn't used to being touched or brushed, but now she is a real snuggle bear who LOVES to have her fur brushed. So I am hopeful she will get used to a toothbrush.

In any case, we will go back to the vet and get her gums looked at in about 6 months.

Fortunately, Kate is such an easy going gal that she doesn't seem too concerned.

Cats and clean teeth

Chloe and Kate's annual vet exams are usually done in the spring, but I am going to bring them in next week. They both seem to have bad breath and I want to get it checked out.

Since both of them are young, (5 and 3), they have never needed dental work, but it may be time for Chloe to get her teeth cleaned. She's not going to like it!

I know that dental disease is extremely serious and if left untreated the bacteria can cause life-threatening problems, such as kidney, liver, and heart disease which will only get worse as the animal ages.

I regret that I didn't make more of an effort to clean their teeth when I first adopted them. Chloe especially gets very upset when I try to look in her mouth, or try to get to her back teeth.

My sister brushes Lily's teeth almost everyday and Lily doesn't seem to mind much at all.

Hopefully, it isn't too late to get the cats accustomed to some teeth cleaning at home, but I will have to make sure their nails are trimmed first--another big challenge with Chloe.