Offer soft foods for several days after your cat’s tooth extraction surgery. These include moist food, semi-moist food, and even kibble that is soaked in water. Speak with your veterinarian about any special feeding instructions after surgery to help decrease your cat’s discomfort and pain and encourage healing.
Full Answer
What should I do if my cat has tooth resorption?
After an occurrence of tooth resorption, have your cat's dental health assessed at least twice a year. Cats who have suffered from tooth resorption often will develop the condition again in other teeth. *Wag! may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
Is it normal for a cat’s teeth to resorb?
Females and cats over five years of age are more prone to tooth resorption. A cat’s tooth has an upper portion (crown) and a lower portion (root). It also contains an inner canal filled with nerves, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels. The inner portion is surrounded by a hard, bone-like substance called dentin.
What happens if a cat has a lesion on its tooth?
Lesions that affect the tooth crown are very painful and require treatment. Cats with tooth resorption may show increased salivation, oral bleeding, or difficulty eating, as well as muscular spasms or trembling of the jaw whenever the lesion is touched. Treatment will be determined based on the type of tooth resorption your cat has.
Can a dental diet help with dental problems in cats?
Dental diets are not a replacement for dental examinations, but they can help decrease the risks associated with dental disease. Locally injected numbing agents may have been used in your cat’s mouth to control pain during the tooth extraction surgery.
How can I ease my cats tooth pain?
The only effective treatment for dental pain is to address the cat's underlying dental disease. While pain medication may help decrease pain levels for a short time, the pain will continue to recur until the underlying issue is addressed.
Does tooth resorption cause pain in cats?
Once the sensitive dentin is exposed, tooth resorption is painful and manifests as muscular spasms or trembling of the jaw whenever the lesion is touched. If your cat has tooth resorption, she may show increased salivation, oral bleeding, or difficulty eating.
What can I feed my cat with mouth pain?
If your cat is suffering from stomatitis, then either switch to a soft canned food or moisten your cat's dry food with water, so it forms a mash. Some cats may even find it difficult to eat canned food; in this case, you may have to puree canned food until their gums heal.
What should I do if my cat has a tooth resorption?
In most cases, it is best to simply extract the affected teeth before the pain gets any worse. In moderate to severe cases of feline tooth resorption, the teeth becomes quite fragile and tends to crack during extraction. So, your vet may refer you to a veterinary dental specialist for the extractions.
How long does tooth resorption take in cats?
In that case, the cat could be off its food for a significant amount of time—24 to 72 hours, say. But in general, the condition has to get to an extreme level before the cat stops eating.
Are resorptive lesions painful?
Resorptive lesions can actually be very painful. As you may or may not know, cats are masters at hiding, and some dogs are too. Animals aren't the best at telling us when they are in pain. In fact, showing pain is a sign of weakness for most animals.
How do I know if my cat's mouth hurts?
A cat with a painful mouth may be reluctant to eat until they are absolutely hungry, then vomit up the food. Some cats may simply go up to the food bowl and growl. They would like to eat, but it hurts to go through the physical process of chewing. Cats have a rough tongue with barbs called papillae on their tongue.
How do I get my sick cat to eat and drink?
Encourage your cat to eat small, frequent meals of a palatable, high energy, highly digestible food. Warming food to body temperature often makes it more appealing. Some sick cats can be encouraged to eat more by hand feeding. Your veterinarian will advise you if there are any foods that you should not offer.
Can I give my cat ibuprofen?
Ibuprofen and naproxen are common and effective medications used to treat inflammation and pain in humans, but they should not be given to pets. These drugs can be toxic (poisonous) to dogs and cats. A single 200 mg ibuprofen tablet can be toxic to a cat or a small dog.
Can I give my cat vitamin D?
Known as the “sunshine vitamin” because exposure to sunlight helps the body produce it naturally, vitamin D is an essential vitamin for cats, which means the cat's own body does not produce a sufficient amount and therefore vitamin D must be included in the animal's diet for the cat to maintain optimal health.
What happens if tooth resorption is left untreated?
Internal inflammatory root resorption (IIRR) is a rare condition of the root canal and if it is left untreated it may lead to destruction of the surrounding dental hard tissues. Odontoclasts are responsible for this situation which can potentially perforate the root.
Can cats eat without teeth?
Cats can eat and manage fairly well without teeth. Cat teeth are used more for the purpose of grasping and shearing food rather than chewing and grinding food like a human. Many cats already swallow their food with almost no chewing. Your cat's tongue will help it to propel food to the back of the oral cavity.
What is the resorption of a cat's tooth?
Tooth resorption in cats is divided into specific types based on the radiographic (X-ray) appearance of the root. Radiographs of a normal tooth show the root as having a characteristic density and there is a thin dark outline around the root separating it from the bone.
What is the process of resorption of a tooth?
Tooth resorption is a process by which the dentin (a hard tissue that lies beneath the enamel of the tooth) in a tooth (or teeth) erodes and eventually becomes irreparably destroyed. Over time, all areas of an affected tooth may become involved.
What is a type 2 tooth resorption?
With Type 2 tooth resorptions, radiographically the root appears to be disintegrating and not easily discernible from bone. This is referred to as replacement resorption. While the cause for tooth resorption remains unknown, Type 1 tooth resorption has been linked to periodontal disease.
What happens if a cat's dentin is exposed?
Once the sensitive dentin is exposed, tooth resorption is painful and manifests as muscular spasms or trembling of the jaw whenever the lesion is touched. If your cat has tooth resorption, she may show increased salivation, oral bleeding, or difficulty eating.
What is the most commonly affected tooth?
The most commonly affected teeth are the premolars of the lower jaws (specifically the third premolars). In one study, 53% of the cats in the study had an obvious tooth resorption lesion and almost 50% of the time where no obvious lesion was noted clinically, radiographs (X-rays) revealed one.
Can a cat's tooth resorption go undetected?
In many cases, without radiographic and clinical screening in an anesthetized cat, tooth resorption will go undetected and the cat will be in pain in silence. Annual thorough examinations with radiographs are recommended for maintenance of oral health and early detection of disease.
What stage of tooth resorption is the least painful?
Treatment ranges from extracting the entire tooth and roots to extracting part of the affected tooth. Tooth resorption ranges from stage 1 to stage 5, with stage 1 being the least amount of discomfort, to stage 3 and 4 being the most painful and having the most destruction of the tooth.
What happens to a cat's tooth in stage 5?
In stage 5, most of the tooth has been destroyed, leaving only a small bump covered by gum tissue. Cats diagnosed with stage 5 TR and without inflammation do not need treatment as they are not experiencing pain and discomfort and the affected area has essentially healed.
What is the term for a cat's tooth that wears down?
Tooth resorption (TR) occurs when the hard tissue under the tooth enamel (called dentin) wears down and is eventually destroyed. Over time, all parts of affected teeth become involved and worn down. More than 50% of cats over 3 years of age will be affected by TR.
How to diagnose TR in cats?
A thorough physical exam by your vet, along with sedation to further evaluate the mouth, gums, and teeth using dental x-rays is the best way to diagnose TR in cats. If your cat is showing any symptoms as described above, your vet may also recommend blood tests, urinalysis, sedation, and dental x-rays. If your vet diagnoses TR in your cat, they can ...
What to do if your vet finds a TR in your cat?
If your vet diagnoses TR in your cat, they can discuss a medical treatment plan which may include dental extractions and pain management. Please note that in 1 out of 2 cats with no obvious lesion seen by the vet during a thorough exam under sedation, dental x-rays showed evidence of TR.
Where is TR found in cats?
TR lesions can be found on the outer part of the tooth where the gum (pink fleshy part) meets the tooth surface. Typically seen in the lower jaw premolars, TR can affect any tooth. Keep reading to learn about the causes, treatment, and prevention options for cats.
What is a cat's tooth resorption?
What is Tooth Resorption? Tooth resorption, formally known as FORL's (Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions) is the most common dental problem in cats, especially those aged four and older, with studies worldwide showing that up to 75% of cats with dental disease also suffer from tooth resorption.
Why does my cat's tooth resorption go undiagnosed?
They start as small erosions in the dental enamel and progress both in size and depth. Eventually, the erosions are deep enough to expose nerves , making the lesions extremely painful . They often go undiagnosed for various reasons, including that cats are masters at hiding pain, ...
Why do you need a dental x-ray for tooth resorption?
X-rays are needed because they allow the veterinarian to see what's going on underneath the gum line which is needed to both diagnose and treat the tooth resorption.
What percentage of cats have dental problems?
Unfortunately, diseases of the teeth and gums are common in cats. It is thought that as many as 85 percent of cats aged three years and older have some degree of dental disease. Dental disease in cats can cause severe pain and discomfort, and if left untreated it can lead to bone infection, tooth loss, and oral bacteria entering ...
Why is my cat not showing symptoms?
Often the problem is not noticed until the cat is showing severe symptoms, meaning your cat may have been suffering for a while, and often will be more costly to treat. This is why regular exams and dental cleanings are so important as your veterinarian can identify and treat the issue sooner.
Why do cats brush their teeth?
What you can do is brush your cat’s teeth to help prevent dental disease! Periodontal disease results from the accumulation of plaque (bacteria) on and around the teeth, which causes inflammation involving the gums and tooth support structures, which may be a contributing factor.
What is the procedure to clean the gums under anesthesia?
A routine dental cleaning and dental radiographs (X-rays) should be performed under anesthesia to address any inflammatory dental disease, remove plaque and tartar, assess the mouth with dental tools, and clean the tissues beneath the gum line.
Oral Examination
If you suspect your pet has tooth resorption, your vet first checks it orally to see the signs. It is often very difficult to analyse the issue and damage without careful examination. So, the cat may have to be anaesthetised for a thorough examination. X-rays help in evaluating the degree of damage and other oral problems.
Filling lesions
In case if the condition is detected at an early stage, your vet may choose to fill the tooth lesions, as they are still small. This helps in controlling the pain of your cat, but the procedure does not fix or cure the actual problem.
Tooth Extraction
Most of the times, veterinary doctors suggest extraction of the tooth (or teeth) when the lesions are still small, because once the condition gets too severe, the pain becomes excruciating and the teeth become too fragile to operate upon. Extraction takes care of the problem and your cat will feel better in two weeks.
What is a resorptive lesion in a cat's tooth?
In layman’s terms, a resorptive lesion is like a cavity in human teeth. It’s a defect in the enamel and tissue of the tooth. The tooth enamel starts to dissolve. It opens up and exposes the inside of your cat’s tooth (where the nerves and blood supply are). Ouch!
Why does my cat make a clicking noise when he eats?
There are different reasons for changes in your cat’s eating habits, but if your cat appears to be in pain, a common culprit is a “resorptive lesion.”.
Can cats get resorptive lesions?
There are several theories on what causes resorptive lesions, but there’s no known cause yet. Even cats with fairly clean mouths can get resorptive lesions, so this is one way these lesions are different than human cavities. Some cats will get a resorptive lesion in one tooth and never have an issue again.
Can a cat's tooth be saved?
Any time your cat has a resorptive lesion, that tooth needs to be fully removed. There is no treatment to save that tooth. If your cat has multiple resorptive lesions, you may want to plan on more frequent dental cleanings. This way, we can catch the lesions before they become problematic and painful for your cat.
Do cats have multiple lesions?
Other cats will get multiple resorptive lesions over their lifetimes. Every cat is different. Resorptive lesions tend to be more common in middle-aged to older cats, but our cat veterinarians have seen them in younger cats too. Resorptive lesions are much more common in cats than dogs.
What To Feed Your Cat After Teeth Extraction Surgery
Offer soft foods for several days after your cat’s tooth extraction surgery. These include moist food, semi-moist food, and even kibble that is soaked in water.
How Long Does It Take for Cats To Recover From Tooth Extraction?
Most veterinarians will schedule a recheck 7-14 days after cat dental extractions to look in their mouth and assess healing. Sometimes sedation is necessary, but the examination is usually quick and simple.
How To Prevent Future Cat Tooth Extractions
To prevent future cat tooth extractions, your veterinarian may suggest certain products and activities to reduce plaque accumulation. These may include: