What's involved in cat dental care?
Ideally, dental care would start at home. You might begin by trying to teach your new cat or kitten to accept toothbrushing. This may involve using a very soft toothbrush that they can chew the pet-only toothpaste off of, or perhaps one of the little finger toothbrushes available at certain pet stores. You simply put the toothpaste on the toothbrush and let them chew and lick it. This is the first step in getting them to accept oral health care at home. Once they have all their adult teeth, you might also want to add a water additive that acts like a mouthwash every time they drink. This water additive will help decrease the bacteria in their mouth, which forms the plaque and tartar buildup on their teeth. Ideally, toothbrushing should happen at least five days a week to make a good impact on preventing plaque and tartar buildup.
How does dental health impact the overall health and well-being of my cat?
Having plaque and tartar on the teeth can create a biofilm of bacteria in the mouth, which is what plaque and tartar actually are. As it builds up, it starts pressing up on the gums, causing them to recede. The gums provide a foundation for the bone and nutrients for the bone. When we lose our gums, we lose the bone in that area. So, the more plaque and tartar build up, the more bone loss occurs, eventually leading to tooth loss. A tooth root infection can also occur. Due to the healthy blood supply in the mouth, infections can enter the bloodstream and affect different organs, including the heart. This can lead to problems with the heart valves, such as vegetative endocarditis, which can cause severe heart disease.
What are some signs and symptoms of issues with oral health in my cat?
Sometimes, issues may be as simple as smelly breath, more so than normal cat breath or their cat food. An increase in foul odor can be a sign. Other signs include reluctance to eat, pawing at the mouth, or chittering when they're not looking at birds. If you notice your cat eating while turning their head to one side to keep the food on that side, it may indicate a problem on the other side. During exams, these signs are things we typically check for. As cats get older, having exams every six months can help catch these issues before they require extensive dental work.
What are some possible conditions caused by poor cat dental care and what are the treatments?
Poor dental care can lead to organ issues and a decline in organ health and function due to infection in the bloodstream. This could also result in vegetative endocarditis, where an infection builds up on the heart valves, leading to increased heart dysfunction, heart problems, and potentially heart failure or murmurs. Additionally, weight loss and gastrointestinal issues can occur if the cat is not eating well due to oral pain.
What should I do if I have questions about cat dental care?
If you have questions regarding cat dental care, please give us a call. We aim to ensure your furry friend is as healthy as possible, and proper dental care is a significant component of cat wellness. We prefer to see cats before they start experiencing dental problems to keep them happy and healthy for as long as possible. By maintaining their oral health, we can potentially extend their health span and lifespan by many years.
Is there anything I can do to help my cat prepare for a dental appointment?
Yes, we always offer pre-anesthetic visits so that we can make sure that your cat is as healthy as possible going into its anesthesia procedure. This often includes an ECG that is read by a board-certified cardiologist to help us make recommendations as far as tailoring the anesthesia particularly to your pet. We want to make sure that the anesthesia is as safe as possible. We also offer complete blood work to ensure that all of the organ function is at a level that is safe for anesthesia. If there are any abnormalities, we can tailor our anesthesia and treatment plan specifically for your individual cat. Other than this, the night before, we ask that you withhold food after midnight. If you free-feed, pick up that food before you go to sleep. Your cat can definitely have as much water to drink as they would like until they arrive at our clinic.
Why does my cat need anesthesia?
Just like some people who are terrified of the dentist and dental procedures, our furry friends definitely need anesthesia. There are a lot of things going on in the mouth, a lot of sounds, noise, and sometimes discomfort. To make the dental procedure as safe as possible for your cat, we require them to be fully sedated under anesthesia with a breathing tube to protect their airway. We've got a lot of water in there to rinse out the mouth, and we're doing intraoral x-rays. This means we take x-rays of every tooth in your cat's mouth, just like our dental hygienist does during our visits. We want to ensure that the part of the tooth under the gum is as healthy as the visible part. Sometimes, a tooth may look normal, but an x-ray reveals that a large part of it is diseased and needs to be extracted. We also check for reabsorptive lesions in cats, which are very painful, and we address these to prevent oral health pain in our cats.
Who monitors my cat while on anesthesia?
Our veterinary technicians, both licensed and those in training, monitor your cat. We also have doctors present during the anesthesia procedure to ensure your pet is as safe as possible. We hook them up to machines that monitor their heart rate, oxygen levels, and CO2 levels, just like in medical shows, to ensure their lungs are exchanging oxygen as needed. We do everything we absolutely can to make sure your cat is as healthy and safe as possible during anesthesia.
How long does a cat dental appointment take?
This depends on the cat. It can range from under an hour if the cat's oral health is very good, involving just plaque and tartar removal, full mouth x-rays, and a full mouth exam. For diseased teeth that need extraction, it takes longer. In cases of significant disease, like stomatitis, which might require all teeth to be extracted, the process takes longer and may be split into two appointments for anesthesia health and safety. Typically, we avoid keeping them under anesthesia for more than a few hours.
If my cat needs extractions, will pain medication be given?
Definitely, pain medication will be given. Just like in our dental procedures, we numb the area. Since they're under anesthesia, the numbing is not painful. We block off a portion of the jaw to extract teeth surgically. We don't just pull teeth—this is old veterinary medicine. We perform surgical extractions, creating a flap in the gum line, removing necessary bone parts, and sectioning the tooth to extract it safely. After extraction, we sew up the gum line for a smooth surface.
Will my cat be sent home with pain medications?
Yes, part of our pre-anesthetic includes an injection of anti-inflammatory medication, as long as it's not contraindicated for your pet. We also send home oral doses of this medication, which you can mix with food or apply to the gum. This continues the anti-inflammatory action for a few days after the dental procedure.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (618) 457-4133, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram