How to feed a senior cat with missing teeth?

[KikiDeAnime]

I recently took our almost 14 year old male cat Moses to the vet to get a check up since he hasn't seen a vet since he got neutered at 1yr. The vet checked his mouth and discovered that he lost a few of his teeth. He currently doesn't have any issues eating but I don't want him to starve if he loses teeth more over time.
He already had wet food added into his diet but it was only 1 can each week. Now I feel he needs more wet food added in but I don't want to overdo it.
.
My family provide free feeding with the dry food. I don't get a say in that unfortunately.
.
I just want to know how I can safely add more wet food into his diet to help keep him fed.

 

[NatJ]

I recently took our almost 14 year old male cat Moses to the vet to get a check up since he hasn't seen a vet since he got neutered at 1yr. The vet checked his mouth and discovered that he lost a few of his teeth. He currently doesn't have any issues eating but I don't want him to starve if he loses teeth more over time.

He already had wet food added into his diet but it was only 1 can each week. Now I feel he needs more wet food added in but I don't want to overdo it.
.
My family provide free feeding with the dry food. I don't get a say in that unfortunately.
.
I just want to know how I can safely add more wet food into his diet to help keep him fed.

If his weight is fine at the present time, there is no need to change anything now.

I would suggest you just keep an eye on his weight (pet him and see if he feels more bony, maybe weigh him at intervals and write it down so you have a reference in case it does start changing drastically.)

As long as he maintains his weight and doesn't get too fat, the free-choice dry food is not a problem. And if he starts losing weight, the free-choice dry food is still not a problem, it just isn't enough at that point. That would be the time to add more wet food.

If he likes the wet food, and eats it even when dry food is available, you shouldn't have a trouble getting him to eat it whenever you do need to add more.

(I don't know much about cats in particular, so what I said is based on what I know of a variety of animals and even people, coupled with what you said. The closest example I know personally is a dog that will eat any and all treats, but self-regulates his dry food intake. The more treats he gets, the less dry food he eats: very similar to what your cat is probably doing with the limited wet food and free-choice dry food.)

 

[SmiYa0126]

If you notice he's not eating as much you could also try to moisten his dry food with a little chicken broth or the fish juice from a tuna can or can of salmon. He'll probably go crazy for that.

 

[theoldchick]

Older cats with missing teeth appreciate softer food. Offer your cat a good quality canned cat food once a day. Stay away from the cheap stuff as cats have very specific protein needs. Your vet can suggest a brand. The extra moisture in the food is good for the kidneys. If your cat can still eat dry food, let him continue but make sure it is a good quality dry cat food that will meet his needs. Two of the main concerns of an older cat (besides dental health) are kidney function and thyroid function. Your vet can help you learn more about these conditions.

 

[CloneFly]

I recently took our almost 14 year old male cat Moses to the vet to get a check up since he hasn't seen a vet since he got neutered at 1yr. The vet checked his mouth and discovered that he lost a few of his teeth. He currently doesn't have any issues eating but I don't want him to starve if he loses teeth more over time.
He already had wet food added into his diet but it was only 1 can each week. Now I feel he needs more wet food added in but I don't want to overdo it.
.
My family provide free feeding with the dry food. I don't get a say in that unfortunately.
.
I just want to know how I can safely add more wet food into his diet to help keep him fed.

We have cats that eat solely wet food due to various health issues- no teeth, stomamtitis, inflamed gums, etc. A 50/50 mix would likely be a good idea. If Moses is 14 and has never had a dental, he may also have plaque buildup which can lead to gingivitis, stomatitis or possibly heartfailure (not trying to scare 'ya- this is only if the bacteria gets into his stomach.)

A 50/50 mix would cut down on the amount of aggressive chewing he has to do and would likely also help with any weight issues he might have from teeth that don't feel as great as they used to in his hayday. We feed our cats the Hillsdale brand of wetfood- usually CN or AD, but those may be a bit too high in fat for your cat. I would call your vet office and ask them what brand/type of food they would recommend after looking at his records.


If in a year or so he begins to have more difficulty eating, syringe feeding may have to be considered... but I can promise you this, a cat is easier to syringe than a chicken. Anyday.

Best of luck!

 

[cassie]

I feed my Ragdoll both wet and dry food. He has dry food available all the time. I also offer him a serving of a good quality canned food once a day.

 

[cassie]

Both Wellness and Royal Canin have good quality cat food.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Both Wellness and Royal Canin have good quality cat food.

I only feed the Mouser brand since my cats do well on it. Other brands that I've fed have made them sick. Royal Canin was one of them

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Older cats with missing teeth appreciate softer food. Offer your cat a good quality canned cat food once a day. Stay away from the cheap stuff as cats have very specific protein needs. Your vet can suggest a brand. The extra moisture in the food is good for the kidneys. If your cat can still eat dry food, let him continue but make sure it is a good quality dry cat food that will meet his needs. Two of the main concerns of an older cat (besides dental health) are kidney function and thyroid function. Your vet can help you learn more about these conditions.

I only feed the Mouser brand since my cats do well on it. Other brands made them sick

 

[KikiDeAnime]

We have cats that eat solely wet food due to various health issues- no teeth, stomamtitis, inflamed gums, etc. A 50/50 mix would likely be a good idea. If Moses is 14 and has never had a dental, he may also have plaque buildup which can lead to gingivitis, stomatitis or possibly heartfailure (not trying to scare 'ya- this is only if the bacteria gets into his stomach.)

A 50/50 mix would cut down on the amount of aggressive chewing he has to do and would likely also help with any weight issues he might have from teeth that don't feel as great as they used to in his hayday. We feed our cats the Hillsdale brand of wetfood- usually CN or AD, but those may be a bit too high in fat for your cat. I would call your vet office and ask them what brand/type of food they would recommend after looking at his records.


If in a year or so he begins to have more difficulty eating, syringe feeding may have to be considered... but I can promise you this, a cat is easier to syringe than a chicken. Anyday.

Best of luck!

The vet told me he has a little gingivitis. I just can't schedule a dental at the moment until a check I'm waiting on arrives.
I also only feed the Mouser brand since my cats do well on it. Other brands made them sick