Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Teeth cleaning in cats.

Species: Cat
Breed: Normal cat
Age: 11-15 years
How important is it to clean your cats teeth and how would I go about it?

My cat is 12 and has never had his teeth cleaned. I recently noticed, for the first time, that his back teeth look extremely unhygienic. They appear to be covered in a thick brown layer.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Almost every cat needs to have a thorough dental cleaning. While these cleanings need to be done with an anesthetic, the anesthetic is very healthy as long as your cat has no significant health problems.

Your vet will do blood work first to determine if there are any health issues.

They'll do a good thorough cleaning and if necessary remove any teeth that are severely diseased.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?

Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

When to do shots? just wanted to know my dog got her parvovirus on 5/01/11 and her leptospirosis on... (7769 views)

Itchy dog. Hi Dr Marie, Recall my email a couple of weeks ago about Max and his... (7974 views)

Does Dawn Dishsoap kill fleas? Hi, I recently bought cat shampoo, and through research found that it was... (21862 views)

Gradual change of food? Hello, I reside in South Korea and I am the father of 3 cocker spaniels. Recently... (8413 views)

Possible silent heat. She went into heat last year in August for the first time. She has not gone into... (12935 views)

Cancer or pyometra? My lab who was quite healthy up and until August started to show a dulling coat and... (11739 views)

Eye medicine for my cat. We adopted A domestic short haired cat from our local animal shelter. He had an eye... (8829 views)

Wobbly lab. Hello - About 4 weeks ago, Koda started acting very stiff around his neck so we... (14265 views)

Roundworms. Cat has roundworms. bought otc piperzine for her. how long should it take to work?... (17349 views)

Cushing's and panting. I saw where you advised a person on dog breathing problems, that is could be... (39819 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.