25 Nov Veterinary Approved Cat Dental Treats
Dental treats are a valuable part of your fluffy companion’s daily oral home care routine. That’s because plaque accumulation occurs rapidly after a professional cleaning. If oral hygiene is not kept up on a regular basis, periodontal disease will likely recur. As a veterinary dental practice in Loveland, CO, we highly recommend that your feline’s oral home care routine includes daily tooth brushing with adjunctive oral rinses and vet recommended cat dental treats.
How Do Dental Treats Work?
The mechanical chewing action of food items with a firm texture provides partial removal of daily plaque accumulation. Cats start with a total of 30 adult teeth. Their teeth are pointed and lack the flat occlusal surface that our teeth have.
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they survive on a mostly protein diet. In the wild, they may not chew much. Their sharp, pointed teeth are primarily for killing and helping propel the prey to the back of the mouth along with the tongue’s assistance. In the wild, the natural toothbrush for a cat is feathers and fur from ingested prey.
However, a household companion cat’s diet is comprised mostly of small kibble, which can be easily swallowed whole. Dental treats tend to be larger than kibble providing more surface area for abrasive cleaning action on the tooth surface. It is important to understand that dental diets and treats will not be beneficial for the incisor (front teeth) or canine teeth. Incisor teeth are for prehension and canine teeth are for capturing prey. The cheek teeth, or premolar and molars, are utilized more for the ‘chewing’ or ‘grinding’ actions.
Vet Recommended Cat Dental Treats
When one walks into a pet store, it can be daunting to know what is the right treat to ‘chewz’ (pun intended) for your sweet kitty. Luckily, the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) also provides a list of recommended cat dental products. The VOHC seal helps to guide astute pet owners in choosing the best products to promote optimal oral health.
The top vet recommended cat dental treats listed from the above link include:
- Greenies Cat Dental Treats
- Whiskas Dentabites in Chicken and Salmon flavors
- Purina Dentalife Daily Oral Care Cat Treats
Though not on the VOHC list, CET Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews are highly recommended by the veterinary dentistry community as well as our board-certified veterinary dentists at Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery. Whenever you have questions about your fluffy friend’s dietary or dental health, you can always call your local vet dentist. If you live in Loveland, CO, give us a call today!