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Periodontal disease (or dental disease) is extremely common in cats. It causes inflammation to the gums (gingivitis), pain and swelling. Did you know that over 50% of cats above 4 years old have some level of periodontal disease? Leaving this unmanaged could mean that when they are finally booked in for a clean, many teeth have already suffered irreparable damage and may have to be extracted. 

Many owners are not aware of their cat’s dental disease because symptoms are often not seen until it is too late. If you are managing your cat’s teeth consistently with dental products at home, this will reduce the risk of periodontal disease and extractions in the future. It is important to note however, that even with the best oral hygiene routines at home, dental scale and polishing may still be required regularly. 

The goal of dental home care products is to reduce the amount of plaque that regularly accumulates and then hardens into tartar (otherwise known as “calculus”) on the teeth. Without regular dental management at home, plaque and tartar quickly stick to the teeth and begin to calcify. When tartar develops on the teeth, this cannot be removed with home management. It usually requires removal using an ultrasonic scaler which we use during our dental scale and polish procedures. This is why it is important to perform dental home care regularly- to remove the daily build-up of plaque before it calcifies. Whether teeth need to be extracted is also directly correlated to your level of commitment and ability to manage your cat’s teeth at home. 

Below, we will discuss some great dental home care products. Dental home care is individually tailored to each cat depending on their level of dental disease and tolerance. Most of these products are also available for purchase at our hospital, so please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to purchase any items as they tend to fly off our shelves! 

First, let’s talk about tooth brushing. It is a form of mechanical plaque control and is accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) as the gold standard for plaque removal and tartar management. It is proven to be the most effective method of controlling plaque if performed daily. There are currently no other methods of plaque reduction reported that have been as successful. For cats that do not take to tooth brushing well, the use of a gauze swab to gently rub the teeth and gums may be more effective. There are also a variety of toothpastes available. Some are flavoured to make the experience more enjoyable for your cat, and some help to “chelate” or bind calcium produced in the saliva to reduce tartar formation (e.g. Pentosan toothpaste). Brushing your cat’s teeth is affordable and a great way of preventing bacterial build-up.

Another popular product is Maxigard (also called OraZn) and this comes in the form of a gel or a wipe. It is an antibacterial solution that contains Vitamin C, zinc and taurine. Vitamin C reduces plaque formation and stimulates the production of collagen in the gums for healing. The zinc acts as an oral antiseptic and manages bacterial growth, plaque and gingivitis. Taurine helps to bind sulphur in the mouth which in turn helps with smelly breath. The gel can be applied with a q-tip, and the wipe is wrapped around your finger and these are gently rubbed over the outsides of the teeth and gums. By using the wipes, you have the added benefit of the mechanical action, actively rubbing the plaque off your cat’s teeth bit by bit. 

The above mentioned mechanical methods of removing plaque are quite effective, however, “active” home care can be challenging with some cats. For cats that do not tolerate daily tooth brushing or wiping, we have some other options below. It is important to remember that “passive” home care products can help with the management of plaque, but are not to be used as substitutes for “active” home care management. Wherever possible, active home care is ideal.

There are three dental diets designed by Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Diet that are available on the market currently. All three diets are biscuits and are VOHC accepted for plaque and tartar. Royal Canin Veterinary Dental biscuits for cats provide both mechanical and chemical action for the teeth. The biscuit is larger than the average kibble and this means that cats have to chew through them in order to swallow. When they chew through the biscuit, it scrubs the teeth, providing mechanical removal of plaque. It also chemically binds calcium ions in the saliva to prevent tartar formation. In addition, it also promotes urine dilution, hairball control and digestive health and therefore makes a great all-rounded diet to feed your adult cat. 

Hill’s Science Diet offers two dental biscuits; Oral Care biscuits (commercial diet) and t/d (prescription diet). Hill’s Oral Care biscuits is designed for pets without established periodontal disease, while Hill’s t/d biscuits is designed for pets with disease. Both biscuits are designed such that when they are bitten into, the kibble does not crumble. Instead, it maintains its form until the tooth penetrates the kibble entirely and this allows it to scrape the entire tooth surface, mechanically scrubbing it. The difference between the two is that the Hill’s t/d biscuit is slightly larger and has a lower density which makes it slower to break than Hill’s Oral Care. This increases the time that it stays in contact with the tooth surface which improves its ability to clean the teeth and further reduce plaque and tartar build-up. 

All three diets mentioned above have a higher fat content and tend to be quite popular with our furry friends. Therefore, they may not be suitable for some cats (for example: if you are trying to bring their weight down). They are also not recommended as a sole diet for cats under 12 months of age as kittens have very specific dietary requirements for growth and development that may not be met by feeding dental diets alone. Both Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Diet also recommend cats to be fed on 100% dental biscuits to guarantee quicker results. However, you can still feed these dental biscuits in combination with their regular diet. These dental diets however are a quick and easy way to add to your cat’s daily dental hygiene routine and are quite palatable to most cats! 

If you are unable to change your cat’s diet, consider using a food additive such as Troy Plaque Off Dental Powder for cats (NOTE: there is a different version for dogs). Plaque Off is a natural product made from seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) and has been accepted by the VOHC for management of plaque and tartar. It has been shown to significantly reduce plaque, tartar and bad breath when used correctly. A total of one scoop is added into the food daily (scoop provided inside bottle); it can be mixed into wet food or sprinkled atop/stirred into dry food as well. It slows biofilm and tartar accumulation and interferes with bacterial growth. It is recommended to be used in conjunction with tooth brushing, however can be used with any dental home care products that mechanically remove plaque (e.g. Maxigard wipes, dental biscuits, dental treats, etc.). Because this product is derived from seaweed, it is rich in natural iodine. For most cats, this is not a problem. In fact, absorbing a certain amount of iodine from the diet is necessary for normal thyroid function. However, it can cause problems in cats with pre-existing thyroid dysfunction. Therefore, please speak to your vet if your cat has thyroid disease as Plaque Off may not be recommended. 

There are also a variety of water additives available over the counter. Oxyfresh is one that we recommend and have available at Perth Cat Hospital. This product contains Oxygene and zinc. Volatile sulphur compounds live in the mouth and are one of the main sources of bad breath. Oxygene targets and oxidises these compounds which helps to control halitosis. Oxyfresh is tasteless and easy to use; add one capful of the solution to one litre (1L) of water in a jug, and pour this diluted mixture into your cat’s water bowls. Do not pour the concentrated solution directly into their bowls as this product is meant to be diluted appropriately. If your cat is a good drinker, consider adding this to their daily dental hygiene routine! 

Finally, we have our Sanos Dental Sealant. This is a sealant that we offer to all patients that come in for a dental scale and polish procedure. It is VOHC accepted and slows plaque and tartar build up for up to 6 months after the initial application if allowed time to harden. The effects of this product may be affected by diet and tooth brushing, which is why we recommend waiting 7 days after the application before re-introducing dry biscuits/treats and any home care management. After this sealant has been applied, daily dental hygiene management is still recommended as without this, plaque and tartar accumulation is inevitable. 

Now that we have covered active and passive management of plaque and tartar build-up at home, it is worth mentioning the use of raw bones as it is a question we get commonly. There is no solid evidence in literature proving that raw bones have any benefit on oral health. They have been known to cause tooth fractures, bacterial infections (and subsequent tummy upset) and in some cases gastrointestinal obstructions from ingestion of large fragments. It is because of the lack of supportive evidence and the many potential complications that bones are not generally recommended for the management of periodontal disease in cats. 

Hopefully this blog post has helped you decide on the best home care options for your pet. If you would like to book your cat in for a dental assessment, feel free to book an appointment on our website, or give us a call and speak to one of our friendly staff.

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