Plaque Off Question
- Thread starter Teasha
- Start date
- Status
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
I'm really not sure, but looking at this "Nutrition Facts and Analysis" site, it looks like it's 45% carbs/55% protein for brewers yeast (which is the flavoring used in the cat Plaque Off)
What a lot of us use to keep our kitties teeth as clean as possible is raw chicken gizzards, turkey necks and wings....the gizzard is a very fibrous meat that keeps the teeth clean by "scraping" the teeth while the cat is chewing as it normally would in the wild.
There's no way to get around the fact that our sugarcats teeth need to be seen and evaluated regularly and cleaned professionally when necessary, but keeping them as clean as possible will help reduce the number of dental visits.
Some people are able to get their cats to accept having their teeth brushed too
I personally don't see any magic formula in the slew of "plaque removal products" hitting the market lately. Like the latest "grain free" fad that's exploding everywhere, I think most of these new "easy fixes" for pet oral health are more hype than help
What a lot of us use to keep our kitties teeth as clean as possible is raw chicken gizzards, turkey necks and wings....the gizzard is a very fibrous meat that keeps the teeth clean by "scraping" the teeth while the cat is chewing as it normally would in the wild.
There's no way to get around the fact that our sugarcats teeth need to be seen and evaluated regularly and cleaned professionally when necessary, but keeping them as clean as possible will help reduce the number of dental visits.
Some people are able to get their cats to accept having their teeth brushed too
I personally don't see any magic formula in the slew of "plaque removal products" hitting the market lately. Like the latest "grain free" fad that's exploding everywhere, I think most of these new "easy fixes" for pet oral health are more hype than help
manxcat419
Member Since 2015
I tried plaque off for my 2 years ago - they didn't actually have dental problems at the time but because they'd had calicivirus as kittens I was trying to use it as a preventative because the virus can leave them more prone to gingivitis later in life. There's a fair amount of seaweed in it too which is meant to keep their breath fresh and stop plaque building up on their teeth. But I have to say I was never able to see (or smell) any difference at all after using it. I stopped bothering after a few weeks as it didn't seem to be doing anything at all (though in the end their teeth were fine - Regan's are still good and Rosa had her first dental last year at the age of 11). Personally, I'd save the money and put it towards a dental when one is needed.
manxcat419
Member Since 2015
If you really want to try it, then buy the Plaque Off Animal (no brewer's yeast) instead of the Plaque Off Cat. The downside to that is that not all cats will eat it which is why they added the brewer's yeast to the cat version. Please also be aware that it is high in iodine and high in phosphorus, so if there's the slightest concern about kidney problems or Hyper-T, then you can't give it at all. It has, in some studies, also been shown to contain organic arsenic.
You could also try giving him L-Lysine which will help if the gingivitis is being caused by some sort of virus. It does seem that gingivitis is difficult to treat in cats and that the only certain way of controlling it is regular dentals and possibly brushing the cat's teeth.
Like Chris, I'm not all that convinced by any of the "products" that claim to help, especially after trying Plaque Off already, but some people do say they've had decent results with it so it's possible it may help for some cats.
You could also try giving him L-Lysine which will help if the gingivitis is being caused by some sort of virus. It does seem that gingivitis is difficult to treat in cats and that the only certain way of controlling it is regular dentals and possibly brushing the cat's teeth.
Like Chris, I'm not all that convinced by any of the "products" that claim to help, especially after trying Plaque Off already, but some people do say they've had decent results with it so it's possible it may help for some cats.
manxcat419
Member Since 2015
I know exactly what you mean - I'd do anything for my cats. They're 12 now so just a little older than your boy, but I'd hate anything to happen to them.
The raw food can be tricky - I had ferrets for a while and my 2 cats would always want some of the raw meat the ferrets were getting, but would never actually eat it when I gave it to them (I think they just wanted whatever anyone else in the house got whether they liked it or not). I wonder if maybe just a very soft toothbrush used without really applying any pressure would get him used to the idea of having his teeth brushed without hurting him too much - if you can use one of the enzymatic toothpastes for cats then it should help a bit even without using any pressure. Or maybe this might work for him as you wouldn't have to rub at his mouth at all? http://www.sentrypetcare.com/products/sentry-petrodex-dental-spray-for-cats/ I've no idea if it's any good or not but it might be something to think about.
The raw food can be tricky - I had ferrets for a while and my 2 cats would always want some of the raw meat the ferrets were getting, but would never actually eat it when I gave it to them (I think they just wanted whatever anyone else in the house got whether they liked it or not). I wonder if maybe just a very soft toothbrush used without really applying any pressure would get him used to the idea of having his teeth brushed without hurting him too much - if you can use one of the enzymatic toothpastes for cats then it should help a bit even without using any pressure. Or maybe this might work for him as you wouldn't have to rub at his mouth at all? http://www.sentrypetcare.com/products/sentry-petrodex-dental-spray-for-cats/ I've no idea if it's any good or not but it might be something to think about.
manxcat419
Member Since 2015
I'm not sure about cooked gizzard - it's not something I've ever tried using for my 2. @Chris & China - do you know if it has any effect on a cat's teeth once it's been cooked?
Chris & China (GA)
Member Since 2013
I'm not sure about that either, but try cooking it at little as possible and have him still eat it....maybe if you gradually cook it less and less, he'll learn that he's a carnivore and eat it raw!
- Status