Dental Disease And Your Cat's Health
Posted on: 12 July 2016
Your cat hides their illnesses well, and that goes for any dental problems they may have. You have to be the diligent cat owner and watch for signs of any dental issues. If left untreated, your cat can develop some serious and painful health problems. Here are some of the signs that your cat is in distress and what can be done to help them.
Looking for Signs of Dental Problems
Watch your cat closely when they eat. If you notice any of these behaviors, your cat may have a tooth or gum issue.
- Your cat eats on one side of their mouth and avoids chewing on the other side.
- They drool more than usual when they eat.
- Your cat paws at their mouth while they eat or after they have finished.
- They frequently cry or howl while sitting in front of their food bowl and before they start eating.
If your cat has a severe dental problem, you may observe these other signs:
- They avoid their food dish or eat much less than normal.
- They no longer take or beg for treats from you.
- Their breath has a foul odor (from the tooth decay and gum disease).
- They begin to lose weight.
Visiting the Pet Dentist
When you see any of the signs of a dental problem in your cat, take them to your veterinarian, like http://www.loop494vet.com, for a check up. If your cat has painful teeth and gums, your vet may need to sedate your cat to do the exam and get films of their teeth in their pet radiology area. Once your vet can get a good look into your cat's mouth, they will be checking for:
- plaque buildup on the teeth
- tartar buildup under the gum line of the teeth
- red, swollen or bleeding gums due to the irritation of the tartar
- gaps between the teeth and gums where the gums have moved away from the teeth
- pus in the space created by the gums receding from the teeth
- inflamed soft tissues in the cheeks and on the lips indicating an overall mouth infection
Treating Your Cat's Dental problems
The options for treating your cat's tooth and gum problems are limited. Depending on how severe the issues are, your vet will recommend one or more of these treatment options:
- deep cleaning of the teeth to remove tartar from under the gum line
- antibiotics to counter any gum and soft tissue infection
- extraction of teeth to treat a severe infection
- diet suggestions to allow your cat to get the nutrition they need while recovering from any dental issues
Because your cat is so good at hiding their illnesses, they may develop severe dental problems before you are aware of them. At the first sign of distress, take your cat into your vet to prevent them from suffering through any painful tooth and gum problems.
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