Dental: cat dental homecare — Rangiora Vet Centre

Caring for your cat’s teeth at home.

HOW TO SPOT PERIODONTAL DISEASE IN YOUR CAT

HEALTHY MOUTHS

Healthy mouths will almost always exhibit the following characteristics:
Healthy mouths will almost always exhibit the following characteristics:
• White teeth and breath that has an acceptable odour
• Properly coloured gum tissue (coral pink)
• Firm gum tissue which evenly and tightly circles the teeth.
Helping your cat maintain optimum oral health aids in tooth retention, ensures the ability to continue good nutrition throughout life, and contributes greatly to overall systemic health and well-being.
There is a direct association between inflammatory periodontal disease and cardiovascular, respiratory, liver, kidney and joint disease. So when you take care of your cat’s mouth, you are taking care of the vital organs - simply put, a healthy mouth equals a healthy body.

MODERATE GINGIVITIS & EARLY PERIODONTITIS

Inflammation of the gums or gingivitis (the first stage in periodontal disease) begins when a sufficient amount of plaque and calculus are allowed to develop. A mouth at this stage of disease will usually show the following symptoms:
• Yellowing of the teeth.
• Bad breath.
• Reddening of the coral pink gum tissue.
• Slight softening and loosening of the gum tissue encircling the tooth.
If the gingivitus goes untreated over a period of time, your cat may begin to suffer from a painful inflammation of the gums that leads to a profound and irreversible separation of the gum tissue from the tooth. This separation is a visual indication of the shrinking bone mass and loss of ligament support for the tooth.

ADVANCED PERIODONTAL DISEASE IS THE FOREMOST CAUSE OF PREMATURE TOOTH LOSS IN PETS

This stage of periodontal disease usually involves a combination of the following symptoms:
• Soreness of gums (often evidenced in your cat’s inability to eat).
• Yellow or brown teeth (sometimes loose teeth in advanced stages).
• Extremely bad breath.
• Red, swollen gum tissue with areas of ulceration.
• Softening of gum tissue and separation from the neck of the tooth, loss of bone support and probable loss of teeth.
Fortunately, proper treatment may arrest gingivitis before your cat experiences advanced periodontitis or separation of gum tissue from the tooth.

MAXI/GUARD® Oral Care Products

Very concentrated, recommended for post extraction or oral surgery, for treating severe conditions such as advanced periodontal disease. Can also be used to maintain oral health.

Regular check-ups and removal of plaque and tartar by your vet are the best guarantee of your cat’s oral health. However you can supplement these visits by:

Checking your cat’s mouth for bad breath and inflamed gums.
Avoiding soft or sticky foods.
Daily use of Maxi/Guard® oral care products.

APPLICATION IS EASY

Apply a pea sized drop of MAXI/ GUARD® to your index finger and rub onto your cat’s gums above the upper back teeth on both sides. This will naturally be distributed to the whole oral cavity. Use daily for best results.

PREPARATION & STORAGE MAXI/GUARD®

Oral Cleansing Gel requires activation by mixing the Vitamin C (vial on the side) with the gel in the bottle. The mixed product lasts for 1 year, stored in the fridge, away from direct UV light & heat. (Before mixing, shelf life is 3 years from manufacture date). If the mixed product turns yellow/brown, throw it out and replace it. OraZn does not require mixing or special storage and does not change colour. Shelf life is 3 years from manufacture date.

- ASK YOUR VET WHICH ONE IS BEST SUITED TO YOU AND YOUR CAT -