Brushing and a supportive, natural diet play huge roles in keeping your cat’s teeth and gums healthy. “I advise frozen, raw meat diets,” says Paula Terifaj, DVM, of Founders Veterinary Clinic in Brea, Calif., a holistic practitioner for 10 years. Typically, without daily brushing, bacteria begin to grow on the teeth, usually near the gums. This turns into plaque, which begins to harden into brownish tartar (or calculus). According to Terifaj, carbohydrates offer the bacteria that normally live in the mouth a ready food supply, causing them to increase more quickly.
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