Dental disease affects a significant portion of cats during their life . It is reported that 50 - 90 percent of cats who are over 4 days of age have developed dental publication and unhealthy quat teeth [ 1 ] .
Early stages of dental disease , such asgingivitis , are two-sided with appropriate aesculapian care anda professional dental cleansing . However , tardy - level tooth disintegration often requires tooth origin for full resolution of pain and inflammation .
inadequate dental health can negatively bear on a qat ’s overall well - being and put them at risk for other medical conditions . Fortunately , quotidian veterinary maintenance and vigilance by favourite parent can help subdue the likelihood of insalubrious cat teeth and facilitate keep the mouths of our furry felines clean and pain - free .
What Do Unhealthy Cat Teeth Look Like?
It is much easy for pet parents to spot signs of unhealthy tooth if they are aware of what sizable cat tooth should expect like . sound tooth are white and innocent of brass and tartar . hefty gums are light pinkish with no sign of inflaming . Breath should be free of odour .
In cats with dental disease , their mouths are quite the opposite . Unhealthy cat teeth are typically yellow to grey in appearance and covered partly or fully by thick tartar . unhealthful gum are brilliant red and look stir up . They may bleed frequently as well . cat with unhealthy teeth typically have bad breath .
Signs of Unhealthy Cat Teeth
There are a multifariousness of signs pet parents should watch for that may indicate an rudimentary dental experimental condition in their cats . These polarity include the following :
Bad breath . Because there is active firing and bacteria present with dental disease , cats with unhealthy teeth often have very bad breath .
Food falling out of the mouth while eating . true cat with unhealthy tooth often get infliction when attempt to eat . They may be ineffective to manducate hard pieces of intellectual nourishment or quash exit the affect part of the sassing fully to invalidate discomfort . This leads to food falling out on the side that is affected by dental disease .
Not eating due to pain . Cats may choose to forgo their meal because their mouth are irritating . They may hop-skip meals , only wipe out a small dowery of their repast , or begin to prefersoft or pissed cat foodonly . This may lead tonoticeable weight lossas well .
paw at the case or rubbing the mouthpiece . cat experiencing irritation in their mouths will often paw at their face orrub the affected side against the ground or other objectsto try out to get some succour from the pain .
slobber overly . Cats with unhealthy teeth often slabber excessively . Saliva may pool in the mouth and around the rim , or puddles may be take in on the ground where the cat rest . Saliva may also be blood tinged .
wanton or missing tooth . cat with periodontic disease often have tooth that are loose or absent . Sometimes pet parents find a helpless tooth around the household , which can stand for a dental problem .
Sometimes , it is not obvious to pet parents that there are subject present in their CAT ’ mouths . This is where quotidian veterinary care is good to find these health issues early .
What Causes Unhealthy Cat Teeth?
There are a potpourri of reasons that cat may develop unhealthy tooth and gums . deficiency of workaday veterinary aid can predispose cats to developing dental disease since tooth issues are not detected early , and they incline to advance rapidly without appropriate intervention . Some kat are simply predisposed due to their genetics .
Certain disease may contribute to greater accrual of memorial tablet on the teeth and subsequent gingivitis . computer virus , such asfeline cancer of the blood virus , calicivirus , andfeline immunodeficiency virusmay play an significant role in the development of dental egress in Arabian tea . In addition , kidney diseaseanddiabetesmay also kick in [ 1 ] .
Age may be a contributing factor in tooth decline . This is because dental calculus extend to establish up over a cat ’s lifetime if routine dental cleansing and at - home dental care are not done regularly .
The Dangers of Unhealthy Cat Teeth
Unhealthy teeth can have a diverseness of issues for your true cat . Dental issues can chip in to a poor quality of liveliness for cats since problematic tooth are fantastically painful . Cats may suffer a significant amount of exercising weight because it is too uncomfortable to rust when their sassing are so inflamed . It is important for decaying cat teeth to be absent to forbid this pain and suffering in cat .
As refer , unhealthy teeth can lead to gingiva infection due to the significant number of bacterium take in in the mouth . These bacteria can spread from the sassing to the heart valves through the bloodstream , which can direct to substance disease . The liver and kidneys can also be negatively impacted by wretched oral wellness .
What to Do If Your Cat Has Unhealthy Teeth
If you suspect your cat has unhealthy teeth , institute him to the veterinarian as soon as you’re able to . Your veterinarian will perform a exhaustive test to detect any knotty area in your qat ’s lip . If there are any occupy areas , a professional dental cleansing and dental X - rays may be advocate for better measure the extent of disease .
If necessary , some tooth may be extract during the dental cleanup . This process is done under general anesthesia , and it regard using particular instruments to remove calculus from tooth that are healthy enough to stay and hit the crown and root of tooth that are too diseased to keep . Appropriate medications to keep down infection and inflammation may be dictate following the procedure .
guy who have had a large number of teeth extracted may be ineffective to jaw a dry dieting and may demand to exchange to a wet solid food .
How to Prevent Tooth Decay in Cats
Pet parents can sweep their cats ’ tooth day by day and provide dental goody to prevent as much memorial tablet buildup as potential . Tooth brushing should only be done witha hombre - specific toothbrushand toothpaste .
If your cat is currently eating besotted food only , switching to a dry dieting can facilitate scrape the teeth clean while he eats . There are diet specifically formulated for dental health that your veterinarian can advocate or prescribe as well .
If tooth military issue are arising from underlying health conditions , such as FeLV or FIV , it is important to manage those diseases first . Your vet can ply the best treatment design to address any underlying condition as well as any concerns wall unwritten health .
yearly to semi - one-year veterinary check ups can avail identify any tooth issues early and foreclose the forward motion to throw out periodontic disease . Yearly professional dental cleanings are the best mode to prevent dental disease . steady veterinary care couple on with diligent home aid is all-important in keeping a cat ’s teeth as healthy as they can be .
