Sara's teeth

**wolfsoul** · 01-12-2003, 02:22 PM

i recently counted my cat's teeth, and i can see around only 13 teeth. i can tell she cant chew very well, and she has hard food. i would hate to give her soft food but do u think i should? it is more expensive and she doesnt like the taste as much. when i tried it in the past, she usually just ate some of the meat at the top and left the rest to get yucky....i know she would get used to it if it was all she was fed, but i dont know if i should.
i gave her some chicken bones to chew on (cats dont choke on bones like dogs do) because i read on some sites that it improves their teeth, but i guess shes to old to learn what to do with them (she will be 12 in april). i have to admit that if u look in her mouth, her teeth look pretty dorky. lol. on the top, between her canines, she has only one tooth. *sigh* any opinions?

**Cataholic** · 01-12-2003, 03:12 PM

I think I would take Sara to the vet really really soon, and get his/her comment on her dental health.

Good luck.

**All Creatures Great And Small** · 01-12-2003, 04:14 PM

Actually, I believe cats CAN choke on chicken bones, especially the smaller ones which can easily break into pieces. I'd recommend giving the kitty the meat and not the bones.

**catlady1945** · 01-12-2003, 04:57 PM

I understand chicken bones are a no no for animals to chew on. They are very brittle and could break off and lodge in the throat.

**sasvermont** · 01-12-2003, 05:21 PM

Raw chicken bones are fine, but NOT cooked!

I would take kitty kat to the VET and have the vet determine if her lack of teeth is an issue. The Vet may want to do a good dental cleaning to prevent more tooth loss and/or gum disease.

Keep us posted.

**wolfsoul** · 01-12-2003, 08:41 PM

im not allowed to take her to the vet, but after much begging my mother finally said she will think about it....grrr.....and about the chicken bone thing, i know that dogs can choke on it, but i read that cats dont, cuz they dont swallow them or something? i cant remember ahk....but until i do take her to the vet (if ill ever be allowed for crying out loud) should i put her on soft food?

**Cataholic** · 01-12-2003, 09:31 PM

Honestly? I hestitate to give any advice at all, as I think this situation could be more serious than either you or you mom think. I would certainly stop with the chicken bones..and I would make sure she is getting enough food. Maybe you could ask your mom for a loan, take her yourself, and pay your mom back. I really don't understand a parent's (or any other person) lack of responsibility when it comes to those under their control...

**BastetsMum** · 01-12-2003, 09:37 PM

Raw chicken bones are fine. Cooked ones can choke cats. Cats choke or get things stuck in their throats as much as dogs do. There are a couple of things you should never feed your cat:

1. Cooked bones - Any kind
2. Too much fish - the oil in some fish called sterate can affect a cat's liver - tinned, raw or cooked
3. Human milk - most cat's cannot tolerate the lactose in milk so always give them lactose free cat's milk
4. A vegetarian diet - cats cannot produce a chemical called taurine (unlike dogs) they need meat to get that essential ingredient unless they are getting it through specially formulated cat's milk.
5. Chocolate and onions - this can cause kidney problems in cats as there are certain chemicals in both that cannot be broken down by a cat (there are others these are the worst offenders)

I would take your cat to the vet and get her teeth checked out - it is not uncommon for cats to have tooth related problems such as decay. Hope this helps and best of luck.

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 01-13-2003, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by wolfsoul
im not allowed to take her to the vet,

Huh??!!? Maybe you should show your mom these posts and she will agree to a vet visit. How can someone "forbid" taking a cat to the vet for crying out loud. If that doesn't work, try what Cataholic suggested about taking out a loan. Or maybe there is some chore around the house that you can do to "work off" the vet bill.

And most cats don't chew their food much anyway so if she is eating her hard food, that indicates to me that she's not in any pain while eating, so I would continue with the hard food - forget the chicken bone thing - until you can get her to the vet.

Good luck and let us know how this all turns out.

**wolfsoul** · 01-13-2003, 06:48 PM

thanx for all ur help...and i only tried the chicken bone thing twice, but that was a while ago...i think i have finally convinced my mom to let me take her to the vet....its just hard now that shes quitting her job and stuff.....and im all outta money since my last vet visit....$50 dollars to find out i was taking good care of my rat....gosh, i could have told him that lol.....but i think my mom can scrounge up some money somewhere....or i could bribe her...(thats the sneaky trick i used to get my other rat mwahahaha) her teeth arent all that bad, really, most are just not there....kinda strange...they are a pure white and the ones that are left look fine...just sorta worried...hey, do any of u know why she has a brown streak on one of her teeth? the others are all white, but one has a brown stripe on it...when i brush her teeth it doesnt come off....
thanx for being understanding....the last forum i went to would have bombarded me for my mothers extremities....

**jenluckenbach** · 01-13-2003, 08:27 PM

I believe the brown stripe is cause simply from age. That is one of the ways a vet can approximate an animals age that you have no history on. I agree that if she is eating the hard food (without losing weight) then it is not bothering her to eat it. If she doesn't like canned food, no use giving it to her. I sympathize with the lack of money for vet care, but try to do your best to have her looked at, even if that means calling around for the best price or getting help from a rescue organization that deal with a vet that works for less. Best fo luck and remember, seh depends on YOU for ALL her needs.