toothpaste for cats?

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PeterDevonMocha

PeterDevonMocha

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Last friday mocha had a dental done. She had 8 teeth pulled out due to FORL's and the vet recommended we do home brushing to help save her other remaining teeth. She gave us some toothpaste called Virbac animal health, C.E.T. home dental care enzymatic toothpaste. It is poultry flavored.

The ingredients are, sorbitol, purified water, dicalcium phosphate anyhydrous, hydrated silica, glycerin, poultry digest, dextrose, xanthan gum, titanium dioxide, sodium benzoate, potassium thiocyanate, glucose oxidase (aspergillus niger) and lactoperoxidase

This vet is well aware that mocha is a diabetic, and I asked her at least three times if this was a safe toothpaste for diabetic cats, which she assured me it is. But now I come to you guys to verify that statement. Is this safe to use on mocha? We are supposed to brush her teeth several times a week, but I don't want to use it, if it is not safe for her. Are there other brands out there that are better?

Who here brushes their cat's teeth? The vet showed us how (kinda) and we just basically have to brush the outside of her teeth, and the vet said most likely on her back teeth, mocha will do a "gnawing" motion on the toothbrush which will do most of the cleaning for us. She said we can use a baby toothbrush or even the cotton end of a Q tip (mocha LOVES q tips!)

We are supposed to start brushing next week, after her mouth heals.
 
I have to ask what the obvious reasons are for not using malt? I have used it for years on my non diabetic kitty & have not had issues.
 
CET toothpaste in general:

The primary ingredient is sorbitol.. which is a type of sugar that doesn't use insulin to metabolize.. at least in people.. I have no idea in cats :).

Our vet hospital offers the same toothpaste.. and I used to use it with Nova.. the volume that you are supposed to use is probably small enough that it doesn't really matter.. Nova loves the stuff, which makes it really hard for her SUCKER MOMMY to limit her to just a tiny bit when brushing.. so I stopped using it, since some of the ingredients are considered sugars/carbs.. but like I said, if you only use a little bit, I can't imagine it matters :).

Instead I use this clear liquid that I got from the vet (unmarked sample bottle, so I don't know the name of it sorry, someone else here may know).. that she hates the taste of, and thus, I don't over indulge :).
 
O ok.. just not ok for sugar kitties.. the kitty I brush teeth on is not diabetic & it goes good ... thank you for the quick reply!!
 
Nicole & Baby said:
O ok.. just not ok for sugar kitties.. the kitty I brush teeth on is not diabetic & it goes good ... thank you for the quick reply!!
Click to expand...

Oops my reply was to the toothpaste in general.. not malt specific.. I don't know the obvious reasons malt is bad either! :).
 
ok, so now I'm confused. One says it is a good toothpaste to use, another one says the main ingredient is not good for sugar kitties? The vet says we just need a tiny amount. It seems like the only flavors she had was poultry and fish. We chose the poultry. I watched the video. The vet did not make it sound like this would take weeks to start doing, but in reality that is probably how long it will take us. Mocha is a pretty easy going cat, especially around peter. He pretty much gets his way with her so hopefully we can start trying to brush next week.

So, any more advice on the toothpaste to use?
 
PeterDevonMocha said:
ok, so now I'm confused. One says it is a good toothpaste to use, another one says the main ingredient is not good for sugar kitties? The vet says we just need a tiny amount. It seems like the only flavors she had was poultry and fish. We chose the poultry. I watched the video. The vet did not make it sound like this would take weeks to start doing, but in reality that is probably how long it will take us. Mocha is a pretty easy going cat, especially around peter. He pretty much gets his way with her so hopefully we can start trying to brush next week.
Click to expand...

I said the opposite about the main ingredient.. but maybe I wasn't clear.. sorbitol is used by people, as a diabetic "safe" sweetener.. it doesn't need insulin to metabolize like most sugars do.. which means that sorbitol doesn't have anything to do with using up any insulin (which is good for diabetics).. some of the ingredients further down the list may.. but they are in smaller amounts, and if you have self control that I lack (or your cat doesn't go INSANE for the stuff like it's crack and is willing to kill anyone in their way to get it, like Nova does :) )..it shouldn't be a problem :).
 
ok dawn, thanks for clarifying. I'm sure it was not you explaining it, it was me not understanding it (surprise, surprise!) Thanks again for explaining it again!
 
Devon, I don't know how long it will take Mocha to get used to it..or as used to it as cat's get. I did watch the video you posted - when I began brushing Sadi's teeth - I just let her have a few licks of the toothpaste the first few days - then I began brusing the "fang" teeth & then the back.. it is never easy... she sticks her tongue out which gets in the way LOL but we have been doing it for years.. I just wanted you to know.. I stared on the 3rd day..
 
Can't answer the question about toothpaste, but I do brush both my cats teeth about 1x per week. I use a baby toothbrush (child's) I don't use any paste just wet the brush with water. I scruff the cat and push his head down onto the carpet kinda sideways so I have acess to the corner of his mouth. I stick the brush in and move it around a little and he makes the chewing action which works like brushing. They don't like it, but they don't fight it too much. Typically there is a small amount of blood on the bristles but no real "bleeding" episodes. When I'm done they get a peice of chewy raw meat to help clean the teeth and make them happy.

I would think it would be possible to use just a small amount of baking soda perhaps mixed into a paste with some tuna juice or something. I have heard of people using baking soda and water to brush thier teeth, there is nothing harmful in it and it is the main inghredient in most commercial toothpaste because of it's abrasive quality.
 
thanks you guys ... I don't know how well mocha will go along with getting her teeth brushed .. we have never done that before with any of our cats so this will be a learning experience. But the vet told us it's the best thing for us to do for mochas teeth. She did explain that mocha will "chew" up and down on the brush, so we don't really have to scrub them, cause she will basically be doing that on her own. She doesn't have her big canines in the front anymore (up top) and she is missing now a lot of teeth along the sides along the top. Mainly her back teeth will need to be cleaned.
 
I too just started brushing the cats teeth. Vet said to use different toothbrushes for each cat and change them every 3 - 6 months (same as people). Vet also said to brush 5 times a week!

I was concerned about the sugars in the paste, so I'm using an oral rinse (I'll look it up later) instead that doesn't have sugars.

So, since I'm determined, everyone will get their teeth brushed whether they like or not. I am being careful with Maui - as she still has stitches from the 2 removals and it's sensitive in that area.
 
Devon, there is so little chance of any toothpaste ingredient causing a problem it isn't an issue. Think of how much toothpaste you swallow, and you're using less with Mocha. My vet suggests "brushing" with a gauze square. Easier to manage than a brush and just as effective.
 
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