As with all medical conditions, it is always best to have a veterinarian care for your cat. If you suspect your cat may have dental disease, please discuss this with your veterinarian at your cat's next check-up. If you suspect the disease may be advancing (i.e. you notice changes in your cat's eating habits or bad breath) make a special appointment. The cost of caring for your cat's teeth is nominal when you consider the cost of veterinary care once the disease has spread to other vital organs of your cat. In this case, an ounce of prevention is worth the health, well-being and quite possibly the life of your cat.

Feline Dental Disease

Common Symptoms:

Many of the symptoms of periodontal disease are only obvious on close inspection. By the time that a cat has a problem in chewing, or in closing his mouth, the condition is likely to be very advanced. The following are all common symptoms:

• Bad Breath
• Yellow or brown deposits on the teeth at the edges of the gums (these will be rough looking crusts in an advanced case).
• Reddened gum edges
• Receding gums, revealing exposed tooth roots
• Drooling saliva (this may be tinged with blood)
• Lack of appetite
• Mouth pain (pawing at the mouth or rubbing the side of the mouth along the ground)
• Difficulty in chewing food
• Inability to close the mouth