5 Reasons Cats Should Have Their Teeth Cleaned
Do you have a cat, or are you planning to get one soon? Have you considered your cat’s dental needs both now and in the future? Why is it important for your cat to have their teeth cleaned regularly?
In the past, pet parents rarely worried about having teeth cleanings for their cats. However, in more recent years, it’s become apparent that teeth cleanings can have many positive impacts in the life of a cat. In the article below, we’ll guide you through some of the most important reasons to keep up with your cat’s teeth cleaning needs.
1. Help Treat Known Dental Health Problems
If your cat has already been diagnosed with a dental health condition, your veterinarian will likely recommend a teeth cleaning as one of the first steps toward treating it. Many dental diseases and other similar problems can be either treated or well-managed by keeping up with teeth cleaning. Gum disease, tooth decay, and abscesses and infections of the mouth can all be managed well with the help of regular dental cleanings.
At the same time, your cat’s mouth will be healthier when you keep up with the teeth cleanings. If your pet does have a dental disease, they will be less likely to suffer worsening of that disease and pain associated with the condition, too.
2. Allow Vets to Catch Problems Before They Worsen
When you go to your own dentist for an annual or bi-annual cleaning, the dentist also monitors known conditions and checks for signs of new ones. The same is true of cat teeth cleanings in Boston, MA. Your vet will be able to thoroughly examine your cat’s mouth for signs of oncoming health problems while the cleaning is underway.
This monitoring then allows the veterinarian to recommend the right type of treatment before the condition gets out of hand. The sooner you can respond properly to your cat’s dental health needs, the less likely they will be to suffer long-term disease or damage because of these problems. This is why regular monitoring is so important for your pet.
3. Help Your Cat’s Breath Stay Fresh
If your cat tends to have bad breath, there’s a good chance a dental cleaning can help. Cats who have bad breath due to plaque buildup or infections of the gums and teeth can significantly reduce this symptom by keeping up with teeth cleanings. And if your cat’s bad breath just comes from the food they eat, a dental cleaning can help there, too!
Of course, it’s also important to rule out any other potential causes of bad breath in your cat. Bad breath can be caused by diabetes, liver disease, or kidney disease, and it may also be caused by acute bowel obstructions. Your vet will examine your cat fully before determining whether their bad breath requires a dental cleaning to help manage the problem and its cause.
4. Reduce the Risk of Gum Disease and Tooth Decay
Cat teeth cleanings can help treat gum disease and tooth decay in your cat, but they can also reduce the risk of these problems ever happening in the first place. By keeping up with your cat’s dental cleanings from an early age and sticking to a routine with them, you can help your pet fight dental disease throughout their life.
You may also help your cat reduce the risk of some types of oral cancer by having their teeth cleaned regularly, too. However, there are other factors that affect whether a cat will have oral cancer, so this isn’t a definite prevention.
5. Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
Finally, but perhaps most importantly, teeth cleanings can cut down on your cat’s risk of heart disease significantly. Although cats may still suffer from heart disease if they keep up with regular dental cleanings, they are much less likely to do so.
Just like humans, cats are at a greater risk of heart disease when they have plaque buildup on their teeth for a long time. This plaque can eventually capture bacteria, which spread into the bloodstream and then to the heart. Regular cleanings reduce this risk considerably and help your cat live a longer, healthier life.
In Conclusion
Only your vet can tell you for sure whether your cat needs to have a teeth cleaning. However, if your pet never has had a dental cleaning before, there’s a good chance your vet will recommend this procedure.
By working with a trusted, quality vet, you can ensure your cat will get the dental cleaning they need in a timely fashion. Your vet can also help you manage and monitor any dental health issues in your pet moving forward, which will help extend your cat’s life as well.
Book an appointment online to talk with your Boston Veterinary Clinic vet about your cat’s teeth!