Tucker's toothbrushing routine

In early May, Tucker and Benny had check ups at the vet. I was dismayed to see how much tartar was on Tucker's teeth and that his gums were inflamed. Since that appointment, I've been brushing his teeth every day, and I thought I'd share what products we're using.

These are the toothbrushes we have. My favorite is still the C.E.T. cat one. The head is a perfect size. My only gripe with C.E.T. products is I can't seem to buy them locally.

The Nylabone cat brush is nice in that the handle is long, but the brush head itself is too big and bulky. And a big thumbs down on the finger toothbrush. It's even bulkier and doesn't fit into a cat's small mouth. Tucker gives it a thumbs down too.

The Petrodex toothpaste (poultry flavor) is the preferred toothpaste here. All of the cats will lick it off my finger. The Biotene gel was suggested by our friend Roberta. It looks like an aloe gel that you rub daily on their gums. Tucker doesn't mind it too much. It's supposed to feel soothing.

Tucker has had a number of illnesses during his years, and he's gotten very freaked out about being pilled. He'll go into a panic mode and jerk away. I watched this video from Cornell about brushing your cat's teeth, and it suggested immediately following the brushing with something they like. So, after brushing his teeth, I give him one of these:

Tucker and Sadie love these, and I figure they might help their teeth a little. 

I've been able to incrementally increase the time I brush his teeth, since he now knows he's getting one of these goodies. He's getting more tolerant and doesn't freak out as much. His breath smells a bit better too. Slowly, we'll get there.

If you have any tips or dental products to share, please let me know in the comments!