Inverness vet tells cat owners to watch for signs of tooth problems in their pet
ROCKY was a seven-year-old, long-haired tabby who really loved his food, so it was a surprise when his owners discovered he was not eating his usual quota of cat biscuits. He had also become quite grumpy, was hiding away from the family and drooling excessively.
Rocky had lost weight and I noticed that his mouth was painful to examine, and he had some bleeding gums and painful upper molars.
I recommended that a dental appointment was arranged to allow his teeth to be examined under general anaesthetic. It was found he had several painful, dental “neck” lesions on his molars which would need removed or burred down.
Cats are prone to painful dental lesions called feline odontoclastic resorption lesions: FORL lesions, or “neck lesions” of their teeth.
Tooth resorption starts in the root of the tooth, beneath the gum line. Over time the tooth root is dissolved and replaced by the surrounding jawbone. This resorption continues inside the tooth into the visible tooth crown, which then weakens the tooth. The hard enamel covering while being strong, is very thin and can easily be chipped off. This damage then exposes the sensitive nerves inside the tooth, which is very painful.
Very often cats will give no indication they are suffering any discomfort and can apparently eat normally, even with FORL apparent. However, cats can be very subtle in their response to any dental discomfort. For instance, some cats will eat their food extremely quickly, so they do not have to spend much time chewing. This can be mistaken as a good appetite. Sometimes cats will preferentially chew on one side of their mouths, which may not be spotted at home, but can be spotted in the consult room, because the side they prefer to chew food on generally has less plaque build-up.
Sometimes cats will prefer dry over wet food, as the wet food may “stick” to the sore tooth. Or they may prefer wet food to dry food, as they do not have to crunch or chew this. Occasionally, affected cats will stop eating altogether and they may show some obvious signs of pain in their mouth.
Certain teeth are affected more commonly than others, and where the tooth has become weakened, the gum may bleed easily or grow over the affected area and there may be secondary gum infection. If these problems or symptoms are spotted, it is important to follow your vet’s advice and make arrangements and an appointment for a dental examination. Dental X-rays will also be taken to look for further evidence of affected teeth and tooth resorption.
The recommended treatment of FORL lesions is extraction of the affected, painful damaged teeth. In some cases, where on dental X-rays the tooth root has nearly disappeared and been replaced by bone, it may be possible to remove and burr down the visible crown only, with the root continuing to be quietly reabsorbed.
If your cat suffers from tooth resorption lesions, then other teeth could be affected at in the future. So regular, ongoing dental checks are particularly important.
Rocky was much happier and much more comfortable after his dental procedure and back to eating voraciously again!
If you note any signs of discomfort or unusual eating habits with your cat, then do not hesitate to arrange for an appointment for an important dental check-up.
Contributor Alison Laurie-Chalmers is a senior consultant with Crown Vets in Inverness.
