Cats are more susceptible to oral diseases than dogs because they have weaker enamel and smaller teeth. If you are a cat owner, you have probably heard of the three major oral diseases. The three most common oral diseases in cats are periodontitis, intractable stomatitis, and tooth resorptive lesions. Common symptoms of these three diseases are severe bad breath and drooling due to mouth pain.
Periodontitis is a disease in which the periodontal tissue is damaged, and it occurs when bacteria caused by gingivitis deteriorate the tissues and bones that hold the teeth in place. Periodontitis is a common disease not only in cats but also in dogs. If there is simply gingivitis, scaling can prevent it, but if it leads to periodontitis, extraction is necessary depending on the degree. However, regular scaling and brushing will keep your pet from periodontitis.
Intractable stomatitis (LPGS (Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Gingivitis Stomatitis)) is a frightening disease that causes inflammation and ulceration of the cat’s mouth, gums, tongue, roof of the mouth and even throat. Although the exact cause has not yet been identified, it is expected to be a hypersensitivity reaction to bacterial plaque caused by eating food, stress, environmental influences, and immune-lowering diseases such as feline leukemia (FeLV) and AIDS (FIV). A cat suffering from stomatitis has difficulty eating dry food or snacks and shows a tongue sticking out for no reason.
Feline Odontoclastic Resorption Lesion (FORL) is a disease in which permanent teeth melt due to abnormal activation of dentin destroying cells that help permanent teeth grow by absorbing the roots of milk teeth. The exact cause of dental resorptive lesions is also unknown. However, it is expected to be due to lack of calcium, excessive tartar, or stimulation by viruses or bacteria. Dental resorptive lesions usually occur first on the sentinel teeth. The guard teeth are the premolars just behind the canines in the lower jaw. When you see it with the naked eye, if the gums are raised enough to cover the teeth or if the teeth look broken, you should suspect tooth resorptive lesions.
All three oral diseases are accompanied by severe pain, so tooth extraction is recommended rather than medication. First, all molars except incisors and canines are extracted, and all remaining teeth are extracted secondarily while monitoring the progress. It can feel strange to have all your teeth extracted. However, if you continue to neglect the tooth that causes pain, it will be difficult to eat and even grooming due to pain, which will deteriorate your overall health. I hope you think about which one is a better choice for your child’s condition and quality of life and decide.
The biggest concern for guardians is how to eat food without remaining teeth due to front teeth. However, cats can eat dry food even if they do not have teeth. If you are worried about eating dry food, you will be able to eat it more comfortably if you feed it mainly with wet food.
The best prevention method is regular brushing. Brushing the teeth of children who are not used to brushing can be difficult and painful. Children will be able to adapt if you give them time to get used to the toothbrush and toothpaste.
People feel uncomfortable even if they have small stomatitis or tongue stitches in their mouth. Cat mouth disease is twice as painful. Cats do not express their pain well even when they are sick. Observe the child’s usual condition carefully, and if the symptoms mentioned above are seen in the cat or tartar is accumulated, do not hesitate to visit the veterinary hospital and receive appropriate treatment.
(Writing: Junyoung Lee, Director of Yu & Mi Animal Hospital)