Representatives of the cat family often experience dental problems, as does a person. Sometimes it happens that they completely lose them. Why does a cat lose teeth? What to do? Who to contact? How to treat?
There are two main causes of tooth loss in cats. Firstly, this is the standard change of primary teeth for permanent. This is a natural physiological norm for most animals. Secondly, these are problems with the health of the oral cavity. They can develop due to various factors. Most often, tooth problems appear in pedigree cats with a flat muzzle. This is due to the structure of the skull. Today we’ll try to figure out whether a tooth loss is always a sign of illness in cats.
When is tooth loss the norm?
Of course, the prolapse process is quite painful, so each owner will immediately notice that the pet is restless and irritable. Physiological changes in the animal’s body can explain why a cat has teeth lost at 5 months. As a rule, milk teeth in cats change at the age of 4-6 months. Kids at this time can bite their masters and brothers. The process of changing teeth lasts long enough. Some cats "suffer" for about three months. For others, the replacement process ends at the age of about a year.
Many owners, knowing why a cat has teeth lost, can not always determine the moment of the beginning of an ailment in an animal. There are several symptoms that will accurately tell you that your furry baby’s teeth are changing.
Symptoms of tooth changes
The owner can find out about the beginning of the process by the following signs:
- The animal has increased salivation.
- On visual inspection, bleeding from the gums is observed.
- Touching your teeth with your finger, you can understand that they decently decay.
- Complete or partial refusal of your favorite food.
- All objects around the kitten tries on the tooth.
If you observe these symptoms, then do not worry, they are temporary. No treatment is required. And you don’t need to run to the veterinarian, because you know why the young cat has his teeth lost at this stage.
Of course, sometimes there are failures in the change of teeth. For example, a small kitten does not have four fangs, as expected, but 2 or 4 more. Do not worry, it only seems at first glance that there are a lot of teeth. In fact, the root canine grows in the same follicle as the milk tooth. Aboriginal milk shifts, displacing it. Visually, it seems that two teeth are sitting in one place. Milk will fall out soon, and the indigenous will take its place. At the moment, the baby will be annoyed, it will be bad to eat and meow plaintively.
Have you changed?
So, we know why the cat has teeth falling out under the age of one year. But how to understand that the teeth have changed? Temporary teeth are very easy to distinguish from permanent ones. They will be much sharper, curved. At the point of contact with the gum, they are very thin. If you saw not four, but eight teeth, then the first time you should not worry. Watch the animal. If an independent tooth change does not occur, then the kitten will have to help. This should be done by a specialist. At home, you cannot remove an old tooth. In addition, an experienced and qualified doctor can determine the pathology, can explain why the cat has teeth lost at 2 years or at 3. Also, the veterinarian will help correct the wrong bite in the kitten.
Pet care during tooth loss
The health of new teeth in a kitten directly depends on the intake of phosphorus, potassium and calcium in his body. It is during the period of loss and change of teeth that the owner should especially take care of the correct diet of the animal. The composition of the food should include foods rich in calcium. This can be kefir or cottage cheese, as well as specially developed feed from a veterinary pharmacy. In addition, it is recommended to add vitamin-mineral complexes to food.
A loving owner who knows why a cat has teeth missing will never scold an animal for eating poorly or chewing on furniture. On the contrary, he will try to help him in every possible way to overcome "toothy" difficulties.
At the time of the teeth change, the owners even brush their teeth with special pastes. Pasta tastes like fish or meat. The animal easily allows you to rub it into the tooth enamel with a special brush. By the way, thanks to such pastes, cats, even in adulthood, will not lose their teeth. With proper care after a couple of years there will not be a question about why the cat has his front teeth, even though he is still young.
If there is no way to find a special toothpaste, then try to find dental tablets for cats that contain a disinfectant. Thanks to such tablets, microbes do not develop in the oral cavity and various dental diseases are prevented in every possible way.
Internal diseases
Only a doctor can explain why a cat has teeth lost at 5 years old and at an older age. At this age, all problems with teeth in cats are pathological. There are many reasons that can cause tooth loss:
- violation of microflora in the oral cavity;
- caries (yes, in cats it also happens very often);
- tartar formation;
- pulpitis;
- periodontitis and others.
Microflora
Due to the general weakness of the body or trauma, pathogenic microorganisms may develop in the pet's mouth. The first sign of this is bad breath. The cat’s bad breath will be accompanied by swelling of the gums, their redness, bleeding and even the appearance of pus in the saliva. The behavior of the cat will also change. The pet will become irritable and nervous. This disease will explain why the cat's teeth fall out, he refuses food, constantly scratches the skin near his mouth.
Tartar
This is usually a very rare disease for most cats. Even at the age of 12-15 years, the animal will have only a slight brown coating on the teeth. Only in some individuals tartar is really a problem. Over time, deposits accumulate, move the neck of the tooth away from the gums, and it falls out. To avoid this problem in cats, you should contact your veterinarian-dentist in time. By removing deposits, the doctor will not only save your cat from tooth loss, but also prevent the development of gum disease and stomatitis.
Periodontitis
If we talk about a person, then this disease shows the presence of inflammation of the root of the tooth. In cats, this will mean inflammation of the ligaments that hold the tooth in the jaw. If the ligament comes off, the tooth will fall out. It is possible to notice that a pet has periodontitis due to several symptoms: unpleasant smell from its mouth, unhealthy red gums, increased salivation. In addition, the animal will refuse food and lose weight very quickly.
Pulpitis
Caries in cats is a very, very rare phenomenon. Representatives of the cat family are not particularly fond of sweets. Since acidic environment and sugar are the main cause of carious germs, inflammation of the inside of the teeth (pulpitis) is extremely rare in cats.
Lack of teeth. Is it harmful to cats?
Not all owners properly care for their pets. It happens that veterinarians have to remove their teeth, since the treatment is simply useless. Of course, a complete lack of teeth can scare the owner of a cat. It seems that the pet will be very difficult to eat, and starvation is already close. In fact, the situation is not as hopeless as it might seem at first glance.
In nature, feline teeth are needed in order to experience strangulation and death on their prey. They do not use them for chewing food. They need teeth in order to tear prey to shreds, and then simply swallow the whole piece. The cat's digestive system is designed in such a way that it perfectly digests food and so on.
Modern ready-made feed for cats is soft, so even without teeth, the pet is easily satisfied. Domestic cats do not need to hunt. Food is delivered "to your home." But, despite the fact that I am threatened with starvation by toothless cats, I should not launch the situation to such an extent.
Treatment
If you notice that the cat’s teeth are falling out, and there are no natural reasons for this, then it is urgent to consult a veterinarian. The specialist will determine the cause, make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment. As a rule, dentistry in cats consists of two parts. Firstly, these are procedures performed by a doctor in a veterinary clinic. Secondly, further care lying on the shoulders of the owner of the animal.
The clinic can make an intramuscular injection of antibiotics, give special pills for inflammation, and rinse the oral cavity with special solutions. In more complex cases, surgical operations are performed.
Tooth loss in old cats
You can always determine the age of the cat by the erased teeth. The cutters located on the lower jaw on the side are fastened most quickly. After a few years, all other teeth become oval. Lastly, the cat grinds fangs. However, tooth loss even in adulthood is an unnatural situation for the feline family. Loss of teeth in old cats occurs only due to improper care or injury.