Toothpaste for cats?

[Flaxbee]

One of my sweet kitty girls who is 11 now has always had awful teeth, poor baby. Lots of tartar build-up, which I have occasionally been able to "pop off" her teeth if she lets me ... but some of it is just really stuck. There's only so much agitation she'll take from me. At her age, and with her temperament, I don't want to stress her out with vet dental cleaning. I also can't deal with a multiple-hundreds-of-dollars cat dental bill at the moment.

I'd like to know if there's a good but gentle tartar-dissolving / reducing cat toothpaste out there. My hope is that I can just gently swipe some of this across her teeth a few times a week to reduce the build up, or loosen the gunk enough so that it will also dislodge/release from her teeth with a bit of pressure. (It's happened before - really weird to have this giant piece of tartar slide off showing a clean white tooth underneath).

Any suggestions?

[MADem]

1. Livionex is people toothpaste that is safe for pets.

http://www.livionexdental.com/category_s/1840.htm

It's not cheap-twenty bucks a tube (which lasts six weeks if you brush 2x per day). However, it does work. It also does not foam because it has no detergents in it.

You can get it from the manufacturer or via Amazon.

This is a purpose-made cat/tartar toothpaste, but I've no personal experience with it. Maybe you can look round for some reviews:


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=21526

[Equinox Moon]

2. Very interesting, thanks

[NJCher]

6. there is a product

made specifically for that. I found out about it in the classified pages of a magazine I read. Check this out: do a Google search under "dissolve cat tartar." You will find numerous products that may work for you.

It's important to pay attention to this, as tartar, etc., can cause heart problems in cats.


Cher

[MADem]

7. You replied to me in error.

Tartar can cause heart problems in HUMANS, too!

[lastlib]

3. I hope you'll post a video on YouTube of trying to brush a cat's teeth.........

that's bound to go viral!

[pinboy3niner]

4. Get toothpaste with catnip in it and she'll brush her own damn teeth

[NightWatcher]

5. Bandaids. You'll need lots of bandaids too. Good luck

[hermetic]

8. Some years back

I discovered "Tartar Control" treats for cats. Look for those words in the upper left corner of the bags. So I've been giving those to my kitties and while I cannot swear they work, I've not yet had to take them in for dental care. It's probably too late for your one cat but you might want to check those out for your others. I do wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to use.

[Wolf Frankula]

9. We use the Petco Natural

It's made in USA and controls tartar.

Wolf

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. I bought cat toothpaste and a cat toothbrush years ago. Hardly ever used it

Wasnt much fun brushing a cat. Vets put them to sleep for teeth cleaning