I had this up on facebook for about 2 minutes before I took it down because it requires a backstory, lest you think I am the mad woman in the attic.
The veterinarians here in NYC are really into dental care. I've taken my cats to more than one vet, so I can't say "It's just my vet" and then go to another because I think it's kinda weird...? They all seemed to be really into good teeth.
Their theory is that if you keep the gums healthy, less bacteria will get into the blood stream and the animal will have better health overall. The idea is that diligence in preventative care will keep the pet owner from having to shell out thousands for, say, kidney trouble later on. I love this idea in theory, but it's mostly lip service on their end and high maintenance on mine.
First of all, you are expected to show up for a yearly check-up. And lemme just say this about that: I never took my animals to the vet AT ALL for check ups when I was a kid! I only took them when they were already sick. Perhaps times have changed?
Then, they weigh your animal and if he/she's overweight, you get assigned a special diet (yup, I have special kibble for Peanut, who has also been diagnosed with "allergies" and eats organic high protein wet food as well. Eye roll.)
Then, they ask about frequency of ear-cleaning and teeth-brushing (should be 3 times a week) and if your skills aren't up to par, they schedule your animal for a professional cleaning...to the tune of roughly $300. This is because it's basically gum-scaling - i.e. surgery - and they have to bring in an anesthesiologist.
No. I'm not kidding.
Of course, if you balk at the cost and trouble (as I have in the past), you get the "If You Can't Take Good Care of Your Pets, You Shouldn't Have Them" speech.
It's easier to just humor the vet. Just brush the teeth and clean the ears like they taught you at the check up. It takes less than 5 minutes.
My cats are age 6 and age 5 and I've only had to do the professional cleaning once for each cat. I had Sonnie's teeth cleaned when I first adopted him. He was such a colossal mess of health care issues at that time. I just had everything major done in one fell swoop with that one. Now he's super healthy. He has a great mouth and probably won't need a professional cleaning ever again.
Unfortunately, Peanut has bad genes. He gets stinky breath if we don't stay on top of the teeth brushing. I lasped for a few months last year and he wound up having a rotten tooth pulled when Fred finally took him in for his check up. I'll probably have to get Peanut a professional cleaning every 2 years or so for the rest of his life. He's a British shorthair. Insert your bad teeth jokes here:
Groovy, baby.
You can walk into any pet supply store in the city and find a myriad of toothbrushes, dental rinses and tooth paste flavors. I'm obviously not the only New Yorker sitting at home and brushing my cat's teeth.
I showed this video to my sister, who lives in Texas, and she was all:
"My cat will be 17 years old in May. I have never brushed his teeth. He is still alive."
What's it like for you, fellow pet owners - to brush, or not to brush?
