Cat teeth: care and prevention of diseases. Treatment and prevention of tartar in cats

Do cats have toothache? This doesn't happen very often, but it does happen.

Do cats have toothache?

Most often this is due to the unhealthy diet of the animal, a poor lifestyle, and there may also be a disease of the internal organs. In any case, if the cat has problems with the teeth, it is necessary to contact the veterinarian for a diagnosis and treatment.

Dental Problems in Cats: Symptoms

If a cat has a toothache, he will certainly let you know about it.
Dental disease in cats is manifested by the following symptoms:

the cat rubs its cheek with its paw or rubs against objects;
gums become inflamed, swell;
bad breath may appear;
partial or complete loss of appetite;
possible darkening of the teeth;
the cat is restless;
increased salivation.

Dental disease in cats

What diseases of the teeth in cats are: caries, osteomyelitis, pulpitis, periodontal disease, as well as stones on the teeth of cats. The correct diagnosis can only be made by a veterinarian.

Cat has plaque on teeth

Plaque on the teeth of a cat appears from the age of 1.5 years of the pet.

As a rule, when a cat does not cause inconvenience to an animal, and if, nevertheless, the cat shows concern, you just need to brush his teeth, it is enough to do this once a week.

cat has yellow teeth

If a cat has yellow teeth, first of all, this is evidence of insufficient dental care. Now there are many treats for cats, when eaten and chewed, mechanical teeth cleaning occurs. If a cat's teeth turn yellow with age, then, in principle, this is the norm. Yellow teeth in a cat become after 3-5 years.

Stones on the teeth of cats

Stones on the teeth of cats can appear both with age and with insufficiently good care for the pet. If we are talking about a minor manifestation, an excellent way to combat and prevent is brushing the teeth of cats. If this is already an advanced case, you need to contact the veterinary clinic and clean your teeth from the stone, especially if this causes inconvenience to the pet.

The cat's teeth are rotting

If the cat's teeth rot, then first of all you need to undergo an examination by a specialist. Remove very bad teeth, those that are still subject to treatment - put fillings, brush your teeth and try to prevent recurrences. It also often happens that if a cat has rotten teeth - this is evidence of some diseases, you should definitely contact a veterinarian, the cat may need additional treatment. If the cat has one tooth rotting - cure and provide prevention.

Cat has black teeth

Black teeth in a cat most often indicate the presence of caries or pulpitis, which are treated by simply installing a filling. If, in addition to the black tooth of the cat, there are additional symptoms, an accurate diagnosis will be made by a veterinary dentist.

Inflammation of the teeth in cats

Inflammation of the teeth in cats is quite common and, as a rule, is the cause of gingivitis and stomatitis. If inflammation of the gums in cats is left untreated, periodontal disease can develop. If your cat's teeth are bleeding badly enough and red swollen gums are visible, contact your veterinarian immediately.
To avoid complications and further inflammation, you need to brush your teeth and remove tartar.

How to treat a cat's teeth?

It is possible to treat a cat's teeth only in those cases when this is the very first stage, and the maximum that you can do is to brush the cat's teeth, rinse the gums with tincture of oak bark. Dental care in cats usually requires the skills of a specialist who will correctly diagnose, prescribe treatment, or perform a tooth extraction on a cat.
Cat teeth have to be treated under general anesthesia.

Anesthesia during ultrasonic cleaning of teeth is used due to the fact that the animal is frightened by the sound of the apparatus, the oral cavity will not be possible to open as much as necessary to clean the distant teeth of the painters. Under anesthesia, the animal relaxes and all teeth can be reached without problems. After all, you can’t explain to a cat that you need to be patient and your teeth will be healthy. Coming to the clinic is stressful, and then there is an unfamiliar procedure.

Before anesthesia, the animal will definitely take a blood test and do an ultrasound of the heart. This is especially important for the following breeds - British, Scottish Fold, Maine Coon and the like. If everything is fine with the tests and ultrasound, then the procedure can be carried out, if there are questions, the veterinarian is obliged to explain everything, cancel or reschedule the teeth cleaning. Cleaning lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. 12 hours before the procedure, you can not feed the animal, and 1 hour before the procedure, you can not give water.

The root cause of the appearance of many serious pathologies in animals are inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. In cats, dental diseases have a detrimental effect on the state of the body as a whole: digestion is disturbed, the immune system is weakened, and there is additional pressure on the heart. Therefore, each owner must know not only how many teeth his pet has, but also how to care for them to prevent unwanted problems.

Complete list of dental diseases in cats

Most dental pathologies in cats are similar to human ones, so the methods of treatment are not much different. To easily distinguish dental diseases in cats, you should carefully read the photos and symptoms of each of them.

Among the pathologies in the oral cavity, gum disease (periodontal disease) can be distinguished, which is manifested by inflammation of the tissues of the surrounding teeth. The cause of such ailments is poor oral hygiene, infections, a large accumulation of various bacteria in the form of plaque on the border of the tooth and gums. There are two periodontal diseases - periodontitis and gingivitis..

The endodontic category of dental diseases includes diseases that directly affect the tooth itself: tartar, caries, plaque, pulpitis, osteomyelitis, etc. The causes can be tooth decay, for example due to caries, as well as trauma to the face and jaws.

Among the problems with the growth and evolution of the teeth, it is worth noting malocclusion, abnormal development of teeth and defects in tooth enamel, which are often hereditary.

Tartar is a porous layer resulting from the untimely removal of plaque. The place of occurrence of the disease is the base of the tooth, after which the stone begins its journey to the root, penetrating deep into the gum, and upward, gradually enveloping the tooth from all sides.

The reason for the occurrence of tartar are:

feeding exclusively soft food or menu "from the table";
inadequate oral hygiene;
violation of metabolic processes, including salt;
increased roughness and abnormal arrangement of teeth.

Interesting. Cats have a breed predisposition to the formation of tartar. The most sensitive to this disease are the Persian and British breeds, as well as Scottishfolds.

Signs of the disease are the presence of hardened brownish-yellow growths on the tooth, halitosis, bleeding gums and itching.

Tartar treatment is based on its complete removal.. Based on the severity of the stone covering the teeth, the veterinarian selects the best method of cleaning. In mild situations, conventional dissolving gels can help, but often a special spatula or ultrasound is used to remove hard tartar. For animals with increased nervousness and those in which the stone has penetrated under the gum, the doctor makes anesthesia for 15-20 minutes.

To prevent the formation of a stone, you should carefully monitor your pet's oral hygiene and nutrition.

Plaque in cats

Plaque gradually appears on the surface of permanent teeth and has a clinical picture of a grayish or yellowish film that is formed by a mixture of saliva, food debris and an uncountable amount of bacteria. At first, the film is completely invisible and can only be detected using special techniques. As the layer increases, the film thickens, and you can see how a soft grayish coating covers the surface of the teeth.

The occurrence of plaque is associated with several factors:

heredity;
type of daily feeding;
features of the digestive system, etc.

It is extremely important to keep an eye on plaque on the teeth, because over time it can mineralize and turn into a hard build-up - tartar. Timely hygiene procedures in the form of brushing with a toothbrush will help eliminate plaque and maintain the health of your beloved pet's teeth and gums. To prevent plaque, you can use not only a brush and toothpaste, but also special chewing toys and cleaning biscuits.

Dental caries

Caries is a process of decay, the result of which is the destruction of tooth enamel and the resulting cavity. The reasons for the development of caries in cats can be a disorder of mineral metabolism, a deficiency of trace elements in the body (zinc, iron, fluorine, iodine, etc.), a lack of B vitamins, as well as mechanical damage to the tooth with further infection of the wound and the ingestion of pathogenic microflora inside .

The disease is characterized by the presence of four stages of different severity: spotted, superficial, medium and deep caries.

Common symptoms of cavities in cats include:

darkening of tooth enamel;
profuse salivation;
pain when chewing;
fetid odor from the mouth;
inflammatory process in the gum mucosa;
sooner or later a hole appears in a damaged tooth.

Attention. The advanced stage of caries is fraught with increased signs of the disease, and in some cases the progression of more serious pathologies - pulpitis, osteomyelitis, periodontitis.

Treatment for spotted and superficial caries consists in treating the tooth with a 4% solution of sodium fluoride or silver nitrate. Since it is extremely difficult for a cat to put a seal, in other cases, the doctor will most likely remove the diseased tooth with the help of painkillers. In order to prevent caries, the owner must constantly monitor the condition of the pet's oral cavity and visit the veterinarian on time.

Anomalies in the development of teeth and bite

The presence of anomalies in the development of teeth or bite can cause mechanical injury to the mucous membrane of the cheeks, lips, tongue and gums, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as complicated eating and chewing food.

In cats, there are often such anomalies as:

oligodontia - a reduced number of teeth in the mouth;
polyodontia - multi-toothedness;
retention - the location of the tooth is not in the jaw row;
convergence - a strong convergence of the roots of the molars;
divergence - excessive divergence of the crowns of the teeth;
progenia (pike bite) - shortening of the upper jaw, when the incisors of the lower jaw protrude forward and do not close with the incisors of the upper jaw;
prognathia (carp bite) - shortening of the lower jaw, when the upper jaw protrudes beyond the border of the lower;
skewed mouth - a severe case, which is characterized by uneven growth of one side of the jaw.

Such anomalies are associated with congenital disorders of the growth and development of the jaws, a delay in the change of milk teeth, the preservation of milk teeth, etc. The main symptom of unnatural development of teeth and occlusion is difficulty in taking food and chewing it.

In certain cases, extraction (removal) of the tooth may be required, and in order to prevent pathologies of tooth development and bite, it is necessary to carefully monitor the change of milk teeth, the erasure of incisors, and, if necessary, remove the saved milk teeth.

Osteomyelitis of the teeth in cats

Odontogenic osteomyelitis is an inflammatory disease of the tooth, gums, alveoli, bone marrow and bone wall, which is caused by complications of purulent pulpitis, caries and periodontitis.

With osteomyelitis, the following clinical picture is observed:

reddening of the gums in the affected area, painful sensation and difficulty in chewing;
then a painful swelling develops, sometimes facial asymmetry is observed;
with the progression of acute purulent inflammation, an abscess develops, and fistulas form, through which purulent fluid is released;
teeth become loose, and a strong pain reaction is felt: cats chew food heavily or refuse it altogether, losing body weight;
regional lymph nodes are enlarged and give pain.

Before a visit to the veterinarian, the oral cavity is irrigated with a solution of potassium permanganate, other methods of treatment are prescribed exclusively by the doctor. At the initial stage of the development of osteomyelitis, antibiotics, sulfa drugs and immunostimulating agents can be dispensed with. In other cases, extraction of the tooth is required with the opening of the fistula, removal of purulent fluid from its cavity and treatment with an antiseptic solution.

In order to prevent odontogenic osteomyelitis, you should regularly examine the pet's oral cavity to identify diseased teeth or pathogenic processes that can provoke the disease.

Periodontitis of the teeth

Periodontitis is a common disease in veterinary practice, consisting in inflammation at the top of the tooth root. The disease often occurs in cats after two years of age and can be chronic, acute, purulent and aseptic.

The causes of inflammation can be mechanical damage to the gums., tartar and plaque, removal of molars ignoring antiseptic and aseptic rules, blows to the dental crown, foreign objects and coarse food particles getting into the space between the tooth and gum, gum and jaw diseases, caries, pulpitis, etc.

Signs of periodontitis are:

difficulty eating, lack of appetite, weight loss;
pain when touching the tooth;
swelling of the gums in the form of a roller (with a purulent form of the disease);
mobility of the affected tooth.

In the case of periodontitis, the oral cavity is sprayed several times a day with disinfectant solutions of furacilin, potassium permanganate or a 2-5% solution of alum. The gum along the ring of the affected tooth is treated with iodine-glycerin.

Attention. If the disease has passed into a purulent-diffuse form, then the tooth must be extracted, and the oral cavity washed with potent antiseptics.

To prevent the occurrence of periodontitis, it is necessary to remove tartar in time, remove plaque from the pet's teeth, and also monitor the general condition of the mouth.

Gingivitis of the teeth

Gingivitis is a chronic inflammation of the gum mucosa. The initial phase of the disease is characterized by the appearance of yellow plaque on the teeth, which occurs due to food debris stuck between the teeth. The tissues around the tooth begin to redden and bleed, and sores and cracks form on the gums.

Gingivitis in cats can develop for many reasons: tartar (one of the main factors), insufficient oral hygiene, gum injuries, beriberi, infectious diseases, pathologies of internal organs, metabolic disorders, feeding soft foods, etc.

The clinical picture of the disease is manifested by the following signs:

foul smell from the mouth;
bleeding gums, especially when touched;
redness and swelling of the gums, especially along the gum line;
poor appetite.

Treatment of gingivitis depends on the severity of the disease.. At an early stage of the disease, treatment is carried out at home with regular brushing of the teeth and treatment of the gums with special ointments (for example, Metrogil Denta, Zubastic, Dentavidin). In severe cases, the veterinarian may prescribe antibiotic therapy and even hormone therapy.

To prevent the development of gingivitis, it is necessary to brush your pet's teeth daily with a special paste and brush, accustom the animal to solid food, prevent beriberi, treat diseases in time and regularly undergo examination by a veterinarian.

It so happens that cats suffer from about the same diseases as humans. Often they face the problem of tartar deposits. What is tartar? These are calcareous deposits with a fairly stable structure that grow rapidly and give the tooth a yellow or dark brown color.

These are lime deposits formed due to the presence of microorganisms, dark brown or yellow in color and hard to the touch. Tartar in cats begins to form in childhood. At the initial stage of the disease, plaque is formed due to plaque and harmful microorganisms accumulated on the surface of the teeth. As a rule, it is found on fangs and molars, over time it grows and gives a rather unattractive appearance.

Reasons for education

In veterinary medicine, several reasons are known that affect the formation of tartar:

Incorrectly balanced cat nutrition. The lack of natural food leads to the formation of microorganisms, which, when interacting with saliva, leads to the formation of deposits.
Ill-formed bite.
Metabolic disorders in the cat's body lead to improper salt metabolism, resulting in the growth of tartar.
Poor oral care.
The presence of inflammation of the gums.

Types of tartar

Tartar, as a rule, is formed in places of washing with saliva, incisors and molars are subject to it. Sometimes these formations cover not one, but several teeth in a row. Dental stones are divided according to their location. They are:

Supragingival. This type of deposits is located above the gum. It can be seen during the examination of the oral cavity of the animal.
Subgingival. These deposits are located on the root of the tooth, under the gum. During the inspection, it is impossible to notice. It contributes to the formation of such places in the gums of a cat where bacteria accumulate. As a result, loosening and loss of the tooth occurs.

Symptoms

Even the most inexperienced owner will understand that the cat has developed tartar. The most common symptoms:

Extremely unpleasant odor from the mouth.
Growths formed on the surface of the teeth.
Inflammatory processes of the gums.
The cat is extremely irritated during the meal, shakes its head, growls.
Profuse salivation.
Loosening and loss of teeth.
The cat regularly rubs its cheek against something.
Yellow or dark brown plaque at the base of the tooth.
Edema of the oral mucosa.
Swollen eyes.

Diagnostics

If any of these symptoms are found, it is urgent to contact a veterinarian in order to accurately diagnose and begin qualified treatment. Diagnosis of the disease includes only a visual examination by a veterinarian dentist. As a rule, after the examination, we are talking about urgent treatment of the pathological process.

How is the removal

Removal of tartar is a rather painful procedure that lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. As a rule, cleaning is carried out in three stages, only observance of all stages will help to qualitatively clean the formed growths on the teeth. If the procedure was performed poorly or without any item, then the stone will form again, and the animal will have to go through this unpleasant procedure again, which includes:

Mechanical removal of large stones with dental instruments.
Ultrasonic cleaning is performed to eliminate small stones.
Grinding and polishing of teeth are performed using special pastes.

If the animal is old or sick and cannot withstand general anesthesia, then the veterinarian develops a phased treatment of the growth, which is performed without the use of anesthesia, under the influence of painkillers. The stone in this case is removed gradually, over several visits to the clinic.

Is it possible to remove tartar at home

Tartar treatment can only be done in the clinic. Removal at home is impossible, as this is a rather complicated procedure, which is done mainly under anesthesia in a veterinary clinic.

Do not, under any circumstances, remove tartar at home, as this can cause severe pain to the cat and damage to health.

How to prepare your cat for surgery

If, after examination, the veterinarian prescribed surgery using general anesthesia, then the owner at home must prepare the pet for this unpleasant event:

The young animal should prepare by fasting for 12 to 24 hours.
Elderly cats, or those pets that have any health problems, should be prepared with laboratory tests and a close examination by a veterinarian before surgery.

Cat care after removal

After the treatment has been made, the cat will need careful care, which includes:

Painkillers that can be given at home.
Food should be semi-liquid, gentle and slightly warm.

Prevention

To prevent a cat from having a similar problem, it is necessary to prevent tartar at home, which includes simple rules:

Regular brushing of the cat's teeth will help to avoid these troubles. Moreover, you need to start accustoming a kitten to hygiene in the oral cavity, because they get used to it more easily than adult cats.
A balanced diet also prevents problems with stone formation. Dry foods have proven themselves very well, they contain dietary fibers that have a beneficial effect on the surface of the teeth and produce additional cleaning.
There are now commercially available foods that have added polyphosphate, which creates a protective film on the teeth that protects against plaque.
Taking vitamins that contribute to the complete preservation of the health of the pet, and the oral cavity is no exception.
Gastrointestinal diseases lead to a violation of the alkaline balance in the cat's mouth, so regular check-ups are necessary to monitor the health of the pet.
Regular examinations by a veterinarian dentist are recommended as a preventive measure for various oral diseases.

Dry food is not a panacea for the formation of tartar, they are good at preventing plaque formation only if oral hygiene is observed.

At-risk groups

Tartar in cats usually forms when it reaches the age of more than five years, especially if the animal's oral cavity has not been properly cared for. Recently, this problem has also begun to occur in young individuals, there is a relationship with an unbalanced animal feed.
In veterinary medicine, there is evidence that the most common breeds, such as Persian, Siamese, Scottish, are most predisposed to this disease. This is due to the fact that sometimes unskilled breeders weaken the gene pool of these sought-after cats.
Yard cats living in rural areas and eating natural food are less susceptible to this disease. They have stronger immunity than their elite relatives.

With careful care of the cat, problems such as the formation of tartar in the pet can be avoided. If such a nuisance has touched your pet, then you need the help of a qualified specialist.

Tartar in a cat.

What is tartar? There are dental pathologies in cats and cats. Teeth are covered with a thin film of saliva and the bacteria it contains. With improper care, the film thickens, turns into a formation, localized on the fangs and the back of the teeth.

When does tartar appear?

For the formation of tartar, the following conditions are sufficient:

lack of plaque cleaning;
eating directly with soft food;
violation of salt metabolism;
anomaly in the structure of the dental row;
enamel damage.

A neglected case of tartar.

Plaque hardens into stone. The danger of his presence lies in the gradual destruction of the teeth, which is fraught with the loss of the entire jaw. Mineralized neoplasms are located under the gum, thereby making it difficult to remove, and contribute to the reproduction of pathogens.

Features and risk groups

Cats with malocclusion are at risk.

There are some features that increase the risk of stony deposits.

Cats are at risk metabolic disorder . Pathology is congenital, which is not completely curable. Layering appears due to an excess of salts and trace elements contained in saliva.
Animals with a bad bite . The anomaly can be congenital or acquired. Does not allow layering to be removed by natural friction.
Increased enamel roughness in cats it is not considered a pathology - an individual feature. Promotes increased layering.

Symptoms

Recognizing the symptoms is easy enough.

When examining the oral cavity, inflammatory processes on the gums are observed, characterized by redness, swelling, soreness.

Yellow plaque on the tooth is a clear sign of tartar formation.

Yellow or brown plaque at the base of the fangs, the entire jaw - depends on the degree of damage.
Cat's anxiety during meals, his nervousness, cautious approach to food.
Possible complications in the form of growths, neoplasms, tumors of the mucous membrane.
Bleeding gums indicate the presence of periodontal disease.

Launched Form increases the risk of occurrence, subsequently - stomatitis. If the animal often shakes its head, this means that there are complications in the form of developing diseases of the ears, nasolacrimal canals.

Persistent pain syndrome point to pulpitis- inflammation of the dental nerve.

Removing tartar at home in a cat

Removal of mineralized stratification is a painful and complex procedure, which is almost impossible to carry out at home.

Operation

The operation is performed under general anesthesia . The duration of the operation is from forty minutes to an hour, depending on the degree of damage.

Preparing for the operation

The animal needs to be prepared before the operation.

Juveniles are kept on a starvation diet for twelve hours before surgery. Older animals that are five or more years old are prepared more thoroughly. They undergo a clinical examination: the collection and study of tests, a preliminary visual examination.

Removal of tartar

Surgery to remove tartar under general anesthesia.

The procedure for removing the stone is carried out in several stages. The cat is fixed in a supine position. The oral cavity is freed from saliva with cotton wool soaked in iodine solution.

If the deposits are large, the removal is carried out in two stages.

Mechanical chipping and ultrasonic cleaning. Education should be lubricated with lactic acid. After a while, the hard particles of the stone begin to chip off with a special dental tool, a spatula called a skeller. Small particles are removed with an ultrasonic skeller. With the help of ultrasound and water supply, the remaining fragments are removed.

Ultrasonic method good in that mechanical damage that occurs during manual chipping is practically excluded in this case. An antiseptic is added to the water with which the treated area is washed to prevent complications, inflammation,.

Chemical cleaning at home

There is another means for removing deposits - chemical cleaning through the use of a special gel.

To remove tartar at home, you can use Tropicline gel.

This method is laborious and long, but it relieves your pet of unnecessary stress. Gel Tropiklin contains a mixture of components of natural origin that create a healthy environment in the oral cavity: lead to the death of bacteria that cause bad breath, clear of plaque.

Causes tartar to soften, allowing you to remove deposits at home more easily for your pet, through regular brushing. Prevents the appearance of gingivitis.

Should apply two drops of gel directly to the teeth. Apply in the evening, after dinner cats. It is recommended not to feed or water the animal for thirty minutes before lubrication. Immediately after application follows. Apply for thirty days. After the end of the course, it is recommended to use it for preventive purposes about twice a week.

Tartar prevention

As you know, the best treatment is prevention. To this end, it is necessary to prevent the formation of deposits. To do this, periodically clean the oral cavity and remove the film at a frequency of approximately once every five days.

To avoid stress from such manipulations in the future, accustom the cat to this from childhood.

There are special toothpastes and brushes. Pasta is very popular. Hartz Denta Shield. Brushes distinguish between ordinary and massage. It is recommended to use both types, alternating.

Specialized dry food for cats

There are specialized dry food for the fight against tartar.

Regular examination of the oral cavity for the presence of tartar is necessary.

Among other things, do not forget to undergo a planned comprehensive examination in the clinic with the collection of all the necessary tests. Diversify the pet's diet by including mineral supplements, vitamins, calcium.

Bad ecology, improper nutrition, unbalanced in terms of micro and macro elements and nutrients, sometimes leads to a serious undermining of a healthy balance inside the cat's body. One of the troubles associated with the violation of the inner harmony of the pet is dental disease.

But bad teeth are the root cause for the development of more dangerous pathologies in the animal's body. The fact is that an unhealthy oral cavity is the gateway of infection for a huge number of pathogens. Therefore, every owner who does not take care of his cat's teeth runs the risk of facing many health problems.

First of all, the digestive organs (stomach, intestines, liver) will come into an illiquid form.
Following them, other internal systems of the body will be violated, immunity will wear out.

A good and loving owner of a “fluffy”, “smooth-haired”, or maybe completely “hairless” one should clearly understand for himself that the beautiful, white teeth of a cat are the key to her overall health.

But all this is a prelude, and the most interesting will be ahead.

What kind of dental diseases can disturb a cat?

After examining the oral cavity, the specialist will identify any problems with the teeth of the cat.

The first problem and, of course, the most common is plaque, which over time, in the absence of any therapeutic measures, leads to the appearance of tartar.
The second problem with teeth is caries. In advanced cases, caries can turn into other more serious diseases of the oral cavity, such as pulpitis, periodontitis, osteomyelitis.
And, finally, the third problem is anomalies in the development of teeth and dental occlusion.

Now let's try briefly, but succinctly, to dwell on each problem separately.

Tartar

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