November pet of the month - Sooty

A few less teeth but much more comfort!

Sooty the cat was seen at the practice recently because his owners had seen him drooling and he had had difficulty eating. When examined, he had very inflamed gums, tongue and mouth as well as bad breath (halitosis).

Dental disease and gum disease in cats are common. Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) is present to some degree in most cats and can make the gums bleed more easily and cause pain and discomfort in more severe cases. Gingivostomatitis (inflammation of the gums and other tissues of the mouth) is also seen in cats from time to time and can cause severe pain, leading to drooling and a poor appetite. This condition was a concern for Sooty. The cause of these processes is unknown- there may be a hereditary component to the condition, and diet is thought to play a part (feral cats that hunt and eat their prey have been shown to have less dental and gum disease than domestic cats, and there has been suggestions that drier food can help to prevent these problems because of the abrasive action this food has on the teeth). Cats with a cat flu virus called calicivirus are also more likely to develop gingivitis. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can help to alleviate the symptoms but will often not cure the problem. Extraction (removal) of the molar teeth under a general anaesthetic can help to reduce inflammation in the mouth - it is not known exactly how this helps but this procedure is successful in many cases and cats can cope remarkably well with very few teeth, crunching biscuits with their gums after they have healed. Sooty had his molar teeth removed under anaesthetic and some biopsies of the sore areas were taken. He there was some improvement after removal of the teeth, but there was still inflammation present. Sooty’s biopsies revealed an inflammatory disorder called eosinophilic granuloma complex (a rarer cause of mouth lesions) which was treated with steroid therapy and he has been doing very well since- in fact he has been eating so well that his owners may have to restrict his food so he doesn’t put on too much weight! It is hoped that the steroid therapy can be tapered and stopped in the near future to avoid the side effects of this medication, as long as Sooty continues to do well.

To arrange a veterinary dental check for your pet, please contact us at the practice. Animals can mask the signs of one or two painful teeth or sores in the mouth very well (just as we can cope by eating on one side of the mouth when we have a sore tooth), and it is much better to remove the offending teeth than the pet being in any level of discomfort. It can also be a good idea to start some preventative dental care for your pet so that dental procedures are less likely to be required in the future. This could include tooth brushing with meat flavoured toothpastes (easier in dogs than in cats as they tend to be more amenable and can often be trained to allow tooth brushing). There are also a range of dental treats and diets, as well as antibacterial products that can be added to food or drinking water than can prevent plaque and tartar, which often lead to gingivitis. You could contact us at the practice to discuss these options further or arrange consultation with one of our nurses to help you to select the best dental care strategy for your pet.