This post contains affiliate links*
Dental disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem in cats. Seventy to ninety percent of cats have some level of dental disease. If left untreated, it can lead to health problems for your cat, ranging from bad breath, dental pain and loose teeth to systemic illnesses that can be life-threatening.
The most effective way to prevent dental disease is to brush your cat’s teeth. Ideally, you get your cat used to this when she’s still a kitten, but even older cats can learn to accept having their teeth brushed. You can read my account of how I trained Allegra and Ruby to accept having their teeth brushed here.
There are a lot of products on the market that claim to clean your cat’s teeth without brushing. I’ve found that few live up to their claims. I recently came across MAXI/GUARD Oral Cleansing Gel, and I’ll admit to being skeptical at first, assuming it was yet another product that over-promised results. When I asked my vet about it, she told me that she considers it a good product. Her only caveats were “will the cat tolerate it and will the guardian comply?”
Compliance wasn’t going to be a problem for me. I already brush Allegra and Ruby’s teeth once a day. The only question about adding this product (or substituting it for the C.E.T. toothpaste we’re currently using) was going to be whether they would accept it.
What is MAXI/GUARD Oral Cleansing Gel
The gel contains zinc ascorbate/taurine in an easy to administer, taste-free gel that adheres to the gums. It helps reduce the accumulation of plaque and tartar and bad breath. Zinc ascorbate also stimulates collagen production. Collagen aids in repairing tissue.
How to use MAXI/GUARD Oral Cleansing Gel
This gel couldn’t be easier to use. After mixing the vial of granular ascorbic acid (vitamin C) with the gel, simple place a pea-sized drop on your index finger. Rub the gel briefly over the gum area above the outside back molars. Repeat on the opposite side. That’s it! The gel will stimulate the salivary glands, and provide a gentle bathing action throughout the oral cavity. There is no need to rub additional gel on multiple oral areas.
Neither Allegra nor Ruby showed any reaction to the gel that would indicate they don’t like the taste. Since they’re already used to me fussing with their mouths when we brush, they were totally fine with me rubbing the gel on their gums, but I would suspect even cats who don’t allow you to brush their teeth won’t have an issue with you rubbing a little gel on their gums. The whole application doesn’t take more than a couple of seconds.
I’ll be using MAXI/GUARD gel on a daily basis, and may even substitute it for the toothpaste we have been using.
Not a substitute for veterinary dental care
While this product is a great addition to your home dental care tool kit, it is not a substitute for regular veterinary dental exams and cleanings.
MAXI/GUARD Oral Cleansing Gel is available from Amazon with free shipping.
You can find more information about MAXI/GUARD at www.AddisonLabs.com.
Photo via AddisonLabs website
*FTC Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate links. This means that if you decide to purchase through any of our links, we get a small commission. We only spread the word about products and services we’ve either used or would use ourselves.
