Does anyone get their cat's teeth cleaned?

I used to do that with my old cats, but after they passed and my parents “adopted” these new “Super Basement Cats” (see icanhascheeseburger.com) I tired to brush their teeth, and well, let’s just say, I used to also have ten fingers.
As far as the health “risks” they are mainly to you, as in, if kitty no likky teeth brushing, kitty gonna bite.
I have seen in PetsMart some toothpaste for cats that cost about as much as human paste, so I would just get some of that and some chainmaile gloves, or and full plate legging, seeing as those cats, when they drive those claws in, they don’t care what organs they hit!
But ya, I have never had a problem, or even heard it was a problem.

Wow, that sounds scary. I had a vet tell me I should, but that it was going to cost me like $450!! Yikes! I just don’t know about that. Cha-ching!!

/faints
/recovers
Oh, okay, I’m back, yikes. I guess for a full pro cleaning where like I guess the cat gets fillings and “bling” attached, (yes I have seen that,) it would make sense, but go check out your local large pet store, like PetsMart or PetCo, they should have stuff to do it yourself, but it is not necessary if you cat is eating well, or not complaining of painful teeth (as in they are not eating right, or chewing slowly, or in only one corner of their mouth, ect…)
I know I have seen a dozen “clean teeth” cat food out there, (a lot of it was, in my option, over priced,) but you could buy a bag or two and give it to your cat in spurts, to save money and keep the cat happy.

I have had many cats in my lifetime, and have never cleaned their teeth, or had them cleaned. Look at it this way…lions don’t get their teeth cleaned.

@jtvoar16— Thanks! What kind of cat “bling” are we talking about here?! Seriously?!

Cat bling? WTF?

We used to buy the teeth-cleaning cat food. Not sure if it really worked.

Unless your cat has some dental or oral health problems, I’d avoid it. Then again, About.com has some information that could be worrying for cat owners.

I saw a cat once, I admit it was a Stripped Longhair Siberian, that had gold plated fangs, and silver teeth in-between. Some one actually spent money to do that to their cat… I have also seen, at least five times, cats with ear piercing.
My friend in high school used to work at the local PetsMart and I would hang out there all the time, to the point most people thought I worked there, so I have seen a lot of strange things people do with, for, and because of, their pets.

@jtvoar- That is hilarious AND obnoxious! I’d love to see that! Poor kitty!

@shadling21— Thanks for the link. It does stress that cats DO need their teeth cleaned because, according to about.com, 85% if pets have periodontal disease. Yikes! They did list the steps to take when trying to brush your cat’s teeth yourself, but what if your cat won’t sit still or have any of it? I REALLY don’t want to get chomped on, and I REALLY don’t want to drop $450 to do it either.

as I said… chainmaile gloves. hehehe, just kidding. I find feeding the cat it’s favorite food or giving it cat nip and waiting for it to “crash” are the best times to do it. If the cat is plump and full, it won’t have the energy to fight back, and if you give it cat nip and it crashes, it will most likely be asleep, the perfect time to try!

@jtvoar16— My cat will rub his face all over the floor and salivate everywhere with cat nip. Great idea! I’ll try it. Thanks!

Pet-store toothpaste won’t cure peridontal disease. But it will help you and your cat to bond.
So that when you take him to the vet to have his teeth really cleaned, he’ll forgive you.

I bet you can find a professional cleaning for less then a small fortune. I mean 450$ seems like the doc is just gouging you for money. But I could be mistaken, I mean, I have no idea what they do, or what kinds’ of chemicals they use, they could be costly, but very beneficial to your cat.

There is no controversy about dental prophylaxis in cats. Cats with gingivitis and other dental disease live with pain and discomfort, may stop eating, and can seed bacteria to the heart, kidneys, and other organs. Bad teeth will seriously decrease the quality of life and the length of the life span. (Lions do not get their teeth cleaned because they eat whole carcasses – bones- and they don’t live long enough to have this problem.)

Ask for a breakdown of the estimate that you received. For that quote, I would expect the vet to be doing pre-anesthetic bloodwork (to check for problems before anesthisia), placing an IV catheter for venous access in case of complications, sending the cat home with antibiotics and pain meds if necessary. You haven’t mentioned how bad your cat’s mouth is – if she requires extractions, that will significantly add to the cost of the procedure.

Remember, this is a procedure that requires full anesthesia, intubation, and specialized equipment. If you (a person) went to an office and were anesthitized, intubated, monitored by an anesthetist, had a dental cleaning and possibly extractions and oral surgery, I can guarantee that the cost would be more than $450.00.

@syz, true that! I adopted a beautiful 7 year old himalayan that had been abandoned (declawed, even!). I took her to the vet, who informed me that she needed several teeth extracted. When I got a quote, I was floored, especially after already putting in 300 for testing and vaccinations. It’s only 15 or so per tooth, on top of the couple hundred for anesthesia, cleaning, and intubation.

I don’t think that I will be able to afford the IV catheter, and this makes me feel really guilty. If I can’t afford that extra $100, does this mean that I shouldn’t have adopted the cat in the first place? It really has been distressing.

@tonedef It sounds to me as if you’ve made every effort to be a responsible owner. Financial restrictions are a fact of life – you just have to prioritize and make those hard decisions about what you can afford and what you can’t afford. As long as you have the best interests of the pet in mind, then no one can judge you.

Teeth? Gaw; I am still working on the nails. When Milo is face-to-face and belly-to-belly with me, his breath smells minty fresh, even in the morning.

it’s all the wildlife he’s eating, gail

Syz: He’s outside sulking now because my cleaning person is running a vacuum.

@Gail: “Gaw”—> lurve.

susan: check yr email for good head lamp info.

Y’all’s posting gave me “new activity,” and I figured I should put an update on my cat’s dental action.

Well, I found out that my cat is actually a boy, and the vet thinks he’s much older than the 7 years old the other vet said he was. He had to get 8 teeth extracted, and a deep clean. He was really pissed off before, but since he got those out, he’s been super affectionate and his fur is cleaner. He doesn’t have acne anymore, and he doesn’t have weird buildup in the corners of his mouth! Wow!

…and all it cost was 600 dollars.

I just lost a cat yesterday morning. Complications of having his teeth cleaned. What really kills me is that this is the third animal (2 cats and 1 dog) that I’ve lost due to complications of dental work. All three animals were treated at different vets, and my last kitty cost more than $1,000. He was given a checkup before the work was done and was deemed healthy for the procedure. Needless to say, I wish I hadn’t had the work done. If your animal is having problems, check to see whether long-term antibiotics are a possibility. I wish this had been offered as an option.

@dca, I’m so, so sorry. I can’t believe that this has happened to you three times! When my cat went under, I was on the edge of my seat until I got a call from the vet tech telling me that he was recovering from anesthesia.

Again, I’m so sorry that you lost your little guy. He and you will be in my thoughts.