As an adult, I know the best way to avoid the dentist is to avoid any dental problems. That means maintenance – for me and my pets. We do this through regular brushing and (more easily) through treats and chews (low-calorie, of course!).
In the wild, cats naturally cleanse their teeth and prevent tooth decay by ripping and slicing helps to naturally keep teeth clean. But in this day and age, it’s rare that a cat hunts more than catnip toys.
[note style=”5″ icon=”yes”]Note: This post is sponsored by PetSmart, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Pet Dental Health Month, but at PetsWeekly.com only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.[/note]
Periodontal disease begins when plaque and calculus are allowed to build up on a pet’s teeth. Symptoms of this disease include bad breath, loose teeth, bleeding and inflammation of the gums. Not only does plaque affect your cat’s teeth, plaque and tartar can throw off the natural balance of healthy bacteria in a cat’s mouth. Other signs of a serious dental problem can include pawing at the mouth, swollen and reddened gums, ulcers on gums or tongue, pus, excessive drooling, bad breath or loose teeth. This is why it’s so important to give your pets healthy treats and chews.
While you can never forget the power of brushing, dental treats are a great way of keeping up with your pets dental hygiene. Often, we forget that our cats need extra help in this department as well. Luckily, we teamed up with PetSmart to raise awareness of how you can use simple chews and treats to help out your cat.
We had the opportunity to go to PetSmart and select some Authority® Dental Treats for your cats. These treats are grain-free, and only 2 calories per treat. With a large variety of flavors to satisfy any feline’s finicky palate, you’ll have many choices. Best of all, they are very inexpensive (especially on sale, which they are throughout the month of February), so you can pick one up in every flavor and see which your cat likes best!
In the Authority brand lineup, you’ll find that the treats are available in many flavors, including Dried Bonita Flakes, Dried Calamari, and Dried White Fish (for their “Chewy” line). Chicken, Salmon and Duck make up their crunchy line of treats.
Cassie and Cog are our big treat cat hounds and they immediately voted treats like this a paws-up method of keeping their teeth clean. The crunchy morsels promote chewing action that helps reduce plaque and tartar buildup, leaving your cat’s mouth fresh and clean.