Tartar build-up

[RoxyGirl]

I have a question about my cat Freklz and Tartar Build-up.

I'm a new member here, so i will give you all a little bit of info regarding Freklz's background.

Back in mid-October, Freklz came very close to dying. I could see in his face that he was not feeling well, and I noticed him having trouble in the litter box, going very often, not being able to urinate, and the awful screams he let out while he was in there. I made an appointment at the vet the next day, my appointment was for 4 pm, but i called back and demanded an earlier appointment, because i could see he was getting worse, much worse. They told me to come in at 10:30 am.

When I told the vet what was going on, she said it sounded like he had crystals in his bladder. After examining him, she turned to me and said that they needed to run some tests, but was positive it was crystals, she said his bladder was so full, that it was ready to burst anytime, and that if that happened, he would die a very painful death, within 24 hours. His urethra was completely blocked. She also said that if I would have waited until 4 pm to bring him in, it might have been too late.

The vet tech then came out with an estimate for his treatments. Over 650$. I was devastated, i had 100$ in my pocket, and payday wasn't until the week after, and even my entire pay wouldn't cover the costs.

I of course started crying, and so did my mom who was with me, because we knew that without treatment, he would die.

I was able to work with the vet, to get some of the costs reduced. I also called my Grand-ma and she offered to give me 100$ to help save Freklz.

I was not able to afford the full recommended treatment, but i did get him the best treatments i could afford at the time, which thankfully was enough to save him.

Now Freklz is doing great, and he is on a special diet, he also needs to lose a bit of weight, which he is doing on the new diet.


OK, now on with my question...


At that time the vet recommended that i mix water with all of his food, to make sure he had enough fluids, and kept urinating properly.

So now his diets consists of 1/2 can of wet food mixed with 1/4 cup of water in the morning, and 1/4 cup of kibble mixed with 1/4 cup of water in the evening.

I noticed a few days ago that Freklz has bit of tartar build-up on his back teeth, now i didn't notice if it was there before the new diet or not.

I was wondering, could the tartar build-up be caused by the fact that he doesn't eat dry kibble anymore? I thought dry food helped clean their teeth.

Should i give Freklz a bit of extra kibble without water everyday to help clean his teeth? Would it even make a difference, or is it not relevant?

I am planning to take Freklz to the vet sometime next month for a check-up and to see about his teeth, but i was just wondering, for in the meantime.

Sorry for such the long post.

Thanks in advance!

[sugarcatmom]

First, welcome to you and Freklz.

Originally Posted by RoxyGirl

Now Freklz is doing great, and he is on a special diet, he also needs to lose a bit of weight, which he is doing on the new diet.

Can you tell me what the special diet is, and what he was eating before?

Originally Posted by RoxyGirl

So now his diets consists of 1/2 can of wet food mixed with 1/4 cup of water in the morning, and 1/4 cup of kibble mixed with 1/4 cup of water in the evening.

If you can, I would stop feeding the kibble and stick with just canned. Cats don't need any dry food, and by mixing it with water, you risk the growth of bacteria and mold toxins making your kitty sick.

Originally Posted by RoxyGirl

I was wondering, could the tartar build-up be caused by the fact that he doesn't eat dry kibble anymore? I thought dry food helped clean their teeth.

It's an old myth that kibble cleans teeth. If you think about it, do pretzels help clean our teeth? In fact, dry food can actually increase dental disease in cats because their teeth are designed for tearing into flesh, not grinding up nuggets of cereal. When (if) they bite into a piece of kibble, it shatters and little high carbohydrate (ie sugar) chunks get stuck in between their teeth and under their gums, where it creates an ideal environment for bacteria. Here are some links for you to read about dental health and the feline diet:
http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.ph...dcleantheteeth
http://home.ivillage.com/pets/cats/0,,p8ds,00.html

Originally Posted by RoxyGirl

Should i give Freklz a bit of extra kibble without water everyday to help clean his teeth?

Nope. Ditch the kibble. There are a couple things you can do at home to help clean Freklz's teeth. One would be, if you can get him chewing on big chunks of raw meat, or even better, gnawing on some raw chicken necks. It might take a while to work up to that because cats are suspicious of new foods with new textures and smells, but it can be done with patience and perseverance. The other option is to learn to brush Freklz's teeth yourself. There are special little toothbrushes and toothpastes you can get from the vet, and here is a video explaining the step-by-step process: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/pe...brushing_teeth

If neither of those options are viable, just make sure Freklz gets regular dental check-ups and cleanings at the vet.

Lastly, here is some excellent info on feline nutrition in general, and why cats shouldn't eat dry food: http://www.catinfo.org/ I would also go so far as to say Freklz does not need to be on this very expensive prescription diet for his urinary crystals. Ingredients are poor (too many grains) and there are potential health side-effects from eating it over a long period of time. Any quality meat-based, low carb canned food from the pet food store would be better (like Wellness, Innova Evo, Nature's Variety, Precise, Merrick, Natural Balance, By Nature, Eagle Pack.....). The key is to feed WET food. That would also help with weight loss. The catinfo link above is really worth reading when you get a chance.

[mummummum]

Excellent post Sugarcatmom !