Meet Yoda, my cat who is a small feline with a large attitude. He has actually very few teeth as he was involved in a road traffic accident and fractured his jaw in six places! The only reminder of his horrendous accident, is that his tongue hangs out, as he has no front teeth to keep it in!
Do not let your feline friend lose their teeth through decay when this can be prevented!
Dental disease in cats is a major problem, and many cats lose their teeth, through plaque, tartar and gum disease. There are many factors that contribute to dental decay, and plaque and tartar build up can be very gradual, or quite rapid. We feed our cats on soft food, at best biscuits, which do not really help to keep the teeth clean, as their natural diet in the wild would do.
Another common problem for cats is their tendency to renal, (kidney) disease, which can contributes to the problem, as their kidneys suffer reduced function, allowing toxins to circulate in the bloodstream, and cause further decay. This can increases the risk of anaesthesia when they get older.
These cats have a significant build up of plaque and tartar, which will ultimately lead to the loss of their teeth. Just by lifting your cats lip gently you can see if the teeth are white and clean, or brown and stained with clumps of tartar distorting their shape.
If your cats breath is foul smelling, he is hypersalivating (excessively dribbling), or is becoming picky with food, this may also indicate a problem.
If any doubt at all, give us a call and make an appointment so we can check for you.
Make an appointment for the vet to thoroughly check your cat, and assess his general health and dental profile. It is likely you will be offered a blood screen, so we can ensure there are no underlying problems, particularly with his liver or kidneys. The vet will book you an appointment to have the bloods taken, usually in the morning on an empty stomach. Once the results are evaluated, we can then book him in for dental treatment. The vet will give you a full run down of what to expect, and what costs will be incurred.
For cats, having a dental, is a process much like we would experience, except of course cats do not willingly sit in a chair and open their mouths for us.
They require a general anaesthetic, so their teeth can be scaled and polished. If there is a heavy build up of tartar, it is not always possible to tell what condition the teeth are in. Therefore, sometimes once anesthetised, more extractions are required than expected. Extractions can be difficult as their teeth can break, leaving the roots in the gum, which can lead to nasty infections and abscesses. Some teeth have two or three roots, and even diseased teeth can be tough to remove!
Today this is not the problem it once was, as we can use an electric dental drill to safely remove the teeth root by root.
Once the teeth have been scaled and all the tartar removed, any extractions done, they are polished in the same way ours would be.
Of course if your pet is young with no evidence of plaque or tartar, the most important advice, would be to use preventative measures to delay and reduce the need for a full dental procedure. There are many products on the market which can help. The ones Westhorne Vets prefers are pictured below, for their efficacy and ease of use. It should be noted that these products will only help towards dental health, to slow the onset of plaque and tartar, and will not escape the need for dental intervention completely. These should be used regularly, and regular check ups are advised to deal with problems early on.
Some Available Products
This gel is very simple, as you do not need to brush the
teeth, it is simply applied to the teeth and gums, or for cats to the front
paws, where they will obligingly lick it off.
This is a
mouthwash, very easy to use and very effective, it contains a powerful
antibacterial agent to keep the gums and teeth healthy.
Last but not least, this can be added to drinking water and helps to prevent
plaque formation, the first stage of dental disease.
At Westhorne we undertake to offer a full range of dental services from:
l Regular check ups.
l Pre-operative assessments and diagnostics.
l Full dental facilities, modern ultrasonic dental machine, to offer scaling polishing and extractions.
l Full supportive therapy, before during and after procedures.
l Advice and products to help you maintain the dental health of your cat.
l 24 hour emergency service