Food stuck in teeth/bad breath

[l.i.t]

Hey there!

Ever since Lotto got his Big Boy teeth, he seems to keep getting food stuck in them. It stays there a while, and then his breath gets rancid.

I've tried opening his mouth, and using a blunted toothpick to dislodge the food.... But now he's caught on and won't let me near his mouth, much less open it! If I can get him to play with a toy and chew on it, that sometimes works. But he is more of a 'nipper' and doesn't always sink his teeth into things (for which we are thankful for other reasons!!)

Has anyone found something that their cat just can't resist, but that helps clean the teeth? He's such a picky eater, turning down ANYTHING but his regular food, coconut shreds, and freeze dried chicken.

I know I'm asking for a small miracle here, but I'm still hoping there is a way to solve this nasy little issue

Thanks, L

 

[WitchyWoman]

How about those hard chew toys with the little nubs on them? There are soft ones too, some are mint flavored.

 

[Patti]

I'm afraid I've not had this problem before - have you tried to actually brush his teeth? You might want to have the vet check him out to make sure he doesn't have premature periodontal disease.

 

[Medesha]

How old is he?

I've noticed something similar with my Riyl. She's got her adult teeth coming in, (it's so weird seeing two canines fighting for the spot on her upper left) and I'm pretty sure she's reenacting those years I had braces and this thing in my mouth called an expander- food kept getting stuck and I was forever worried about it.

 

[xumi's mom]

Hey there!

Ever since Lotto got his Big Boy teeth, he seems to keep getting food stuck in them. It stays there a while, and then his breath gets rancid.

I've tried opening his mouth, and using a blunted toothpick to dislodge the food.... But now he's caught on and won't let me near his mouth, much less open it! If I can get him to play with a toy and chew on it, that sometimes works. But he is more of a 'nipper' and doesn't always sink his teeth into things (for which we are thankful for other reasons!!)

Has anyone found something that their cat just can't resist, but that helps clean the teeth? He's such a picky eater, turning down ANYTHING but his regular food, coconut shreds, and freeze dried chicken.

I know I'm asking for a small miracle here, but I'm still hoping there is a way to solve this nasy little issue

Thanks, L

Dear Lotto,

This is your big sister Xumi. You must brush and floss regularly. This is all part of growing up. I would suggest a waterpik, but after my experience with it, I can't understand why Mom used to use it all the time. I chewed and chewed and chewed on the hose, but I couldn't tell that it made any difference. I can say once you separate it into multiple parts, it makes an excellent toy! Mom even joined in on the fun, running after the parts as I batted them around. Take care, little brother!

Xumi