Teeth Cleaning

[Douglas_my ginger cat]

Following a check up with the vet, Douglas has a lot of tartar and plaque on his teeth which, in turn, has left him with mild gingivitis (the vet was not impressed when I joked that it must be because he's ginger ....*tumbleweed). This inflammation could be having an affect on the insulin however they cannot clean his teeth as he needs to go under anaesthetic which is risky for a unregulated cat.

He has given me the options of:
1. Brushing Douglas' teeth.
I have come leaps and bounds in the last 6 months with Douglas and I bonding, however me sticking my finger in his mouth or trying to stick a toothbrush just seems like a very big risk. Does anyone brush their cats teeth?
2. Use Aquadent in his water.
This will not clean his teeth but just prevent any further plaque building up. But does anyone know of this, is it worth it?

Alternative options:
Raw chicken wings, I have heard that raw chicken wings can work. Is this true?
Catnip Sticks, https://www.amazon.co.uk/YIHAO-Orga...ning/dp/B085TN7QP1/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20 - is something like this ok for diabetic cats, although I am not sure Douglas would be interested in it as he is not very bothered with catnip.


Or if there are any tricks or advise on how I can help Douglas with his dental problem.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

I use to wrap a piece of moistened gauze around my finger and get in there a rub gently...That was Waldo. Zoe? Uhhh NO THANKS I still need my digits.

 

[Douglas_my ginger cat]

I use to wrap a piece of moistened gauze around my finger and get in there a rub gently...That was Waldo. Zoe? Uhhh NO THANKS I still need my digits.

This is exactly how I feel. I have had Douglas clamp down on my hand when I first got him 2 years ago, it hurts. And I quite like my digits, helps with testing his blood and administering the insulin!

 

[jt and trouble (GA)]

This is exactly how I feel. I have had Douglas clamp down on my hand when I first got him 2 years ago, it hurts. And I quite like my digits, helps with testing his blood and administering the insulin!

Exactly Nether Waldo OR Zoe were / are diabetic. I think Trouble would have allowed it to a point. He was a pretty laid back kitteth.
I did see the raw chicken wings work well. I couldnt get Zoe past a few licks

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I noticed you are using Caninsulin. Have you considered switching into a longer acting insulin that may control his glucose levels better? I have had a couple diabetic cats that had dentals with no issues, but they were on Lantus.

 

[Sam & Esse]

Hello

My kitten Mia was diagnosed with feline juvenile gingivitis and or periodontitis when she was 5 months. It was scarily bad To get the inflammation down quickly she was put on a course of Clavamox, and I was given Dentahex to rinse her mouth with (Chlorhexidine .12%). I was also told to brush her teeth, and given one of those little tooth brush kits to start out with. The Dentahex, it's effective but... I use a little medication syringe pulled back to .4ml, and squirt .2 along each side of her mouth. Then I use the handy towel to wipe it off myself after she shakes her head like mad This stuff is horrifically minty -- and why they make it mint flavored instead of something an animal might actually like is beyond me.

The tooth brush was a no-go -- it was simply too large for her mouth. So I bought a specialty teeny-tiny one -- and the first time I tried using it her poor gums just bled and bled. It did not get used again. Instead I switched to petsmile toothpaste, and use a long-handled foam applicator to get it on her teeth. The ones I bought are meant for cleaning delicate electronics, but they work just fine for brushing teeth Of course, they look a lot like the swabs that are being used to test for COVID, so I'm not sure how available they currently are The first flavor of petsmile I tried wasn't well liked (London Broil, and it separated badly) but the current Savory Duck is a hit.

I also give Mia 1-TDC (a supplement) once a day. It's very strong smelling, and Mia is the only cat that likes it... But she *loves* it, and I suppose that's what counts. 1-TDC is pricey, and if Douglas didn't like it, it would be a bit of wasted money

All of these steps have kept the inflammation under tight control. She gets her teeth brushed in the evenings, and any time I notice a bit of redness creeping back I start another week of rinses with the Dentahex. I was told that if the gingivitis/periodontitis flares up again, to consider a full mouth extraction So I make sure -- despite Mia's strong protests -- to get those pearly brights rubbed every day. She's now a year and a half, and I consider it quite the win that she still has all her teeth and no visible sign of build-up.. Fingers crossed!

Now, on the other hand, my diabetic kitty Sam needed a dental at the time he was diagnosed, but I was also told it couldn't be done until he was regulated. 7 months in, and Sam's numbers were worse than ever, and I *told* my vet there was no chance Sam would ever be regulated when he had a mouth full of bad teeth and enraged gums. Sam ended up with a FME -- and whether it was getting all those bad teeth removed or the change of insulin, or both -- Sam quickly regulated afterwards. He did very well for the procedure. When I showed up to get him, the vet tech said they wanted to keep him overnight. I said no, he was diabetic, I hadn't brought his insulin, and he was coming home with me. The vet tech asked if I was sure, because Sam was "quite bloody" and I assured her I had plenty of towels.

Sam was messy, but the towels did their jobs I kept up with pain management for... 4 days? And now Sam happily bites me, purring, "See mom? It doesn't hurt me at all!"

I included pics of all of Mia's dental supplies -- except for the beginning antibiotic. The long handle on the swab keeps my fingers away from both her mouth, and her claws Wishing you the best of luck with Douglas!

 

[Douglas_my ginger cat]

I noticed you are using Caninsulin. Have you considered switching into a longer acting insulin that may control his glucose levels better? I have had a couple diabetic cats that had dentals with no issues, but they were on Lantus.

Hi @Lisa and Witn (GA), vet still wants to keep trying Cainsulin as we have had some good responses on it so I think he wants to fully ensure its not working before moving to Prozinc.

 

[Douglas_my ginger cat]

Hello

My kitten Mia was diagnosed with feline juvenile gingivitis and or periodontitis when she was 5 months. It was scarily bad To get the inflammation down quickly she was put on a course of Clavamox, and I was given Dentahex to rinse her mouth with (Chlorhexidine .12%). I was also told to brush her teeth, and given one of those little tooth brush kits to start out with. The Dentahex, it's effective but... I use a little medication syringe pulled back to .4ml, and squirt .2 along each side of her mouth. Then I use the handy towel to wipe it off myself after she shakes her head like mad This stuff is horrifically minty -- and why they make it mint flavored instead of something an animal might actually like is beyond me.

The tooth brush was a no-go -- it was simply too large for her mouth. So I bought a specialty teeny-tiny one -- and the first time I tried using it her poor gums just bled and bled. It did not get used again. Instead I switched to petsmile toothpaste, and use a long-handled foam applicator to get it on her teeth. The ones I bought are meant for cleaning delicate electronics, but they work just fine for brushing teeth Of course, they look a lot like the swabs that are being used to test for COVID, so I'm not sure how available they currently are The first flavor of petsmile I tried wasn't well liked (London Broil, and it separated badly) but the current Savory Duck is a hit.

I also give Mia 1-TDC (a supplement) once a day. It's very strong smelling, and Mia is the only cat that likes it... But she *loves* it, and I suppose that's what counts. 1-TDC is pricey, and if Douglas didn't like it, it would be a bit of wasted money

All of these steps have kept the inflammation under tight control. She gets her teeth brushed in the evenings, and any time I notice a bit of redness creeping back I start another week of rinses with the Dentahex. I was told that if the gingivitis/periodontitis flares up again, to consider a full mouth extraction So I make sure -- despite Mia's strong protests -- to get those pearly brights rubbed every day. She's now a year and a half, and I consider it quite the win that she still has all her teeth and no visible sign of build-up.. Fingers crossed!

Now, on the other hand, my diabetic kitty Sam needed a dental at the time he was diagnosed, but I was also told it couldn't be done until he was regulated. 7 months in, and Sam's numbers were worse than ever, and I *told* my vet there was no chance Sam would ever be regulated when he had a mouth full of bad teeth and enraged gums. Sam ended up with a FME -- and whether it was getting all those bad teeth removed or the change of insulin, or both -- Sam quickly regulated afterwards. He did very well for the procedure. When I showed up to get him, the vet tech said they wanted to keep him overnight. I said no, he was diabetic, I hadn't brought his insulin, and he was coming home with me. The vet tech asked if I was sure, because Sam was "quite bloody" and I assured her I had plenty of towels.

Sam was messy, but the towels did their jobs I kept up with pain management for... 4 days? And now Sam happily bites me, purring, "See mom? It doesn't hurt me at all!"

I included pics of all of Mia's dental supplies -- except for the beginning antibiotic. The long handle on the swab keeps my fingers away from both her mouth, and her claws Wishing you the best of luck with Douglas!

View attachment 57935 View attachment 57936

Wow, thank you Esse! Thats very informative as I had no idea about much of that. I will need to re-read a couple of times to let ut all sink in and the photos really do help too.

FME, full mouth extraction? All new territory for me but does that mean they remove all their teeth?!

 

[Sam & Esse]

Wow, thank you Esse! Thats very informative as I had no idea about much of that. I will need to re-read a couple of times to let ut all sink in and the photos really do help too.

FME, full mouth extraction? All new territory for me but does that mean they remove all their teeth?!

Yep. At the time of his dental, Sam had -- only 11 teeth left? I believe it was 11. Anyway, all but one was in various states of resorption, so I gave the okay to remove the single healthy tooth as well While it would be easy to say Sam doesn't notice them gone -- he noticed right away, because his mouth felt so much better! Truly, he decided to take up biting me about 3 weeks after getting them removed -- and he enjoys it so much I don't have the heart to correct him.