Dental Care in the CatCats very frequently suffer from dental problems. However, the good news is that we can do much to help and prevent these conditions in our pets. Oral or dental problems can cause pain and difficulty in eating which is detrimental to the cat's quality of life. If your cat seems reluctant to eat, is pawing at its mouth, growling at or backing away from its food or showing other signs of oral discomfort it is worth asking your vet to check its mouth.
Cats' teeth are very similar to our own in many ways. Just like us, cats have two sets of teeth in their lifetime. The first set of teeth come through shortly after birth and can be extremely sharp. When the kitten is between four and six months of age it will begin to lose these deciduous teeth and a set of permanent adult teeth will replace them. Most owners do not notice this happening but occasionally a tooth will be seen to fall out of the mouth and this should not be cause for alarm.
A cat's permanent teeth must last for its entire lifetime and it is worth considering helping your cat to look after them. Just like humans, cats teeth will last longest if they are regularly cared for and this includes brushing them (if possible) and regular dental check ups.
Some of the problems cats get with their teeth are due to an inappropriate diet; this is very similar to the situation in humans. Cats which are fed exclusively on soft tinned or sachet foods will not have the opportunity to crunch and chew food properly in the way wild cats would do when they chew and crunch through their prey. This chewing and crunching helps to remove plaque from the teeth before it has time to calcify and become too hard. Therefore it is a good idea to include some crunchy biscuits in your cat's diet as well as wet tinned food.
It is possible to care for our cat's teeth in several different ways. If you have a young kitten you could try to start brushing its teeth on a regular basis (either daily or every other day). Start by handling your kitten and gently putting your fingers in its mouth and touching the gums all around the mouth. When the kitten accepts this reasonably well you could purchase a finger brush and some special toothpaste formulated for animals. Do not use human toothpaste because cats do not like the flavour or the tingling sensation of these. You could use the C.E.T. toothpastes which are quite well tolerated by cats. There is also a gel (Logic) which helps to prevent the build up of plaque on the teeth; it may be easier to use this than try to brush your kitten's teeth if they do not like the brushing action since you can just apply a little of it around their gums after they have eaten.
If you have an older cat who is not used to having its teeth brushed it may be impossible to start now. So you could try alternative ways to help prevent dental problems. You can buy chews which help to reduce plaque and calculus build up (for example C.E.T. chews). You can also get special diets which may help (these are available from most vets). As a rule it may help your cat's teeth if some part of the diet is given in the form of hard crunchy biscuits.
When dental problems do arise it generally begins as a build up of plaque and calculus on the teeth. This leads to bad breath, gingivitis, gum recession, caries, erosive neck lesions and stomatitis; eventually teeth will start to fall out. Many of these conditions are painful and cats may start to paw at their mouth, back away from their food, not want to eat and perhaps salivate more than usual. If your cat starts to show any of these signs it would be wise to get your vet to check its teeth.
If your cat already seems to have problems with its teeth then it is possible to have this treated at your vet's. They will be able to examine your cat's teeth under general anaesthetic, clean them (using an ultrasonic de-scaler), polish them and remove any teeth which are affected by caries, fractures, neck lesions or where gingivitis is very severe around the tooth.
In general the more you can do to prevent dental disease in cats the better. Whether you have a young kitten or an elderly cat there is almost certainly something you could do to help keep their teeth in a good condition. © Samantha Coe. All rights reserved. Further information, news and pet-related healthcare articles are available at vetbase.co.uk
Questions Answered
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Behaviour & Hygiene (cat) (08-Feb-07 09:35PM)
David asks:
Moggy has recently started to approach his water bowl and, before drinking, he paws the floor, as though he was in the litter tray. What does this mean?
Forgot to mention, ... view
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Rapid weight loss (cat) (05-Feb-07 07:54PM)
Naomi asks:
My 15 month old cat has suddenly lost weight to the point of the hips showing. She also has developed very bad breath. She isn't drinking excessively and her urine is ... view
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dental (rabbit) (25-Feb-07 04:23PM)
Antoinette asks:
Coco's teeth grow so fast that we have to trim them about every 2-3 weeks. Is there something missing from his diet that would cause this? ... view
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Excessive Drooling (dog) (31-Jan-07 09:27PM)
Helen asks:
Jake is excessively drooling from the right hand side of his mouth, wetting his bedding and furniture. I took him to the vets where they said it was nothing to worry ... view
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She's walking backwards (cat) (26-Mar-07 03:47PM)
kittiei asks:
My 4 year old cat woke up from napping yesterday and she would only walk backwards. It was almost like she couldn't go forwards when she tried. This is the second ... view
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Cat Worry (cat) (27-Jan-07 07:58PM)
Pamela asks:
Hi, I have a cat, Voodoo, who is around 15 years old. Recently I've noticed he's been dribbling more than usual and biting his tongue. He always has fresh water ... view
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Kidneys (cat) (25-Jan-07 11:27AM)
Julie asks:
I have been told that Moses kidneys are getting smaller, why would this be and he keeps being sick? ... view
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Cat Dribbling (A Lot) (cat) (22-Sep-07 12:29PM)
Steve asks:
I have noticed today that everywhere my cat has been sitting is a damp patch. He is dribbling all the time at the moment and hasn't eaten properly this morning. This ... view
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My cat has a lump in his mouth (cat) (03-Mar-07 06:53PM)
Kirsty asks:
My cat has a black lump in his mouth, it is on the right hand side just underneath where his top tooth sits. He is not off his food and it ... view
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not eating (dog) (06-Mar-07 10:20AM)
Mark asks:
Sasha is 12 years old, she has gone very quiet, not getting up to greet me when I come home, has gone off food, drooling a little. Checked mouth; cannot see ... view
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Mess and mucus at back-end (cat) (26-Feb-07 12:55PM)
Julie asks:
My cat is around 5-6 years old. He is a big well made cat. He is not a greedy cat and eats both dry and wet food. He never over eats ... view
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My hamster keeps vomiting (hamster) (20-Jan-07 10:42PM)
Jo asks:
My hamster keeps vomiting? Please help ... view
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lower lip swollen (hamster) (10-Mar-07 08:12AM)
Nicola asks:
Vet clipped his teeth 2 days ago. His lower lip is still very swollen and his lower gums are purple. His lower jaw seems to be protruding. Is ... view
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Breathing problems. (na) (31-Jan-07 11:17AM)
Michele asks:
My dog appears to be having 'breathing attacks'. He starts breathing very quickly through his nose as if he is having trouble - it lasts for a minute or 2 and ... view
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Cat with a cough (cat) (12-Feb-07 05:23PM)
John Adams asks:
I have a female cat. She is a smallish black cat and is aged between 10 and 12 years. She originally came to us as a stray in 2001, so we ... view
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noticeable limp... (cat) (03-May-07 01:38AM)
 Treasa asks:
Hello, I have a question about my 5 year. old cat Maddie. I've recently noticed that she's favoring her front right paw, after resting. It seems to last for a little ... view
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Loss of weight, patchy fur (cat) (11-Feb-07 10:29AM)
Fraser asks:
My cat has lost weight and has patches on his back where the fur seems to have gone exposing its skin. There is a small bump, perhaps a bite, on one ... view
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Toilet training (dog) (21-Sep-07 12:14PM)
Violetta asks:
My 9 month old dog is still not toilet trained. We live in flats and I take him out as much as possible, he will generally urinate outside but ... view
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Toilet habits (cat) (05-Feb-07 06:42PM)
Pamela asks:
My cat is 13 years old, she has always done her business outside as she will not use a litter tray. In the last 3 months she does her business anywhere ... view
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Dragging back legs (hamster) (24-Mar-07 12:34PM)
Christine asks:
My hamster is 15 months old and was hardly able to walk for last day or two, dragging back legs, didn't appear injured. Was breathing rapidly, didn't eat, slept anywhere slumped ... view
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Your Questions Answered
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Injured Wild Owl 30-Nov-07
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swollen hind leg 20-Nov-07
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Alfie 06-Nov-07
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Hi Sam
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 Elaine asks:
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White Gums and Dark Stool 02-Nov-07
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My 8 week old American Bulldog has really white gums, around the eyes is also white. She has dark ... view
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Dog's Health 01-Nov-07
William asks:
My dog is around 11 years old, possibly older (we received her as she was taken from a bad ... view
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behaviour 31-Oct-07
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Hi Max is very lively of course but he seems to get very excited and bites the children, not ... view
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Blood in dog's stools 31-Oct-07
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Hi. We recently got a 3 year old Labrador from a friend. From what we can see she has ... view
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Blood in Poo 28-Oct-07
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neutering 27-Oct-07
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Ordering Insulin Online 26-Oct-07
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Fleas and skin problem 26-Oct-07
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My cat has a hole in its stomach! 23-Oct-07
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My cat has a hole the size of a dime in its stomach. He doesn't seem to be ... view
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labrador vomiting bile and nearly passing out 22-Oct-07
Paul asks:
Hi there - our five year old male labrador is generally in very good health - excellent appetite, plenty ... view
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Guinea pig fits 22-Oct-07
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My guinea pig is acting strange. I've only had him around a week and he's running as if spooked ... view
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feeding 22-Oct-07
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Is it safe to feed my GSD raw chicken wings, he is 16 months old and is 37 kg? ... view
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