My cat probably has dental problems, any advice?

berbdcat

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Before I write anything else, I'll tell you that tomorrow morning at 10:40 am GMT I have an appointment  at the vet for my cat Berbol. Also, you should know that before 2012, my parents were the ones mostly taking care of him, I was 10/11years old and only fed him after school (my parents did the rest of feeding an stuff). After that, I learned more about animals and took the role of taking care of him. This post is mainly to get advice:

I have a cat called Berbol, who is about 7-8 years old. He hasnt been to the vet ever scince he got into loads of fights, got terrible scabs on his tail, had to get it shaved, and the scabs pulled off. That was...about 3 years ago. The reason, is that my mom is not very keen on paying for checkups when he is 'fine and healthy'. Last summer my family got a new kitten, Kiki, and ever since, I have been even more into caring for the cats. They are mostly on a diet of expensive, healthy dry food, with the occasional wet food and also raw meat. I change their water twice a day.

About two months ago, I noticed that Berbol was not chewing as much, but he was still coping with the dry food, (I always supervise them as theyre eating, Kiki likes to steal Berbols food), and was also leaving a couple kibbles in his food bowl. I dismissed the thought; maybe he chipped a tooth or something( oh and his teeth have never been brushed before, I'll probably have to start soon though). For the past month, this condition has been getting worse. Three weeks ago I mentioned it to my mom, but she just said the we could do our own checkup at home. That made me angry, because we dont know what to look out for and we could accidentally hurt Berbol (hes a skittish cat, and doesnt like being held). That same day, I mentioned it to my dad and he said that on one of the Saturdays that my mom was working on, we would get an appointment with the vet. It had to be a Saturday because my dad works 9:30am-6:30pm Monday-Friday, and my mom often works on Saturdays aswell as other days of the week.

Sadly, we got no chances because of this-or-that, and over those three weeks Berbol's condition has gotten much worse. By now(Easter Holidays), he is eating very slowly, mostly getting the food into his mouth by using his tongue, like the movement when cats drink water, just slower. He also chews very little and mostly swallows the kibbles whole. I know this because he sometimes throws up in the back garden :(   He is not meant to eat anything after 8pm because of the vet visit, so I gave him a special treat of room-temperature meat-jelly(Its sorta like the meat mushed into a paste, I dont know what to call it). Berbol must have an irritated throat and I hope he will be ok.

So I just wanted to ask; have your cats ever had any dental problems, and if so, what happened, how did you treat it and what did you feed your cat. I'll update as soon as I can

-BerbDCat
 
 

furmonster mom

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Research FORL (Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion).

They can be very obvious, or very subtle, and they can happen at any time in a cat's life.  Be sure to have the vet take x-rays/radiographs of the teeth, as some FORLs only show below the gumline.

With periodontal issues, there is a risk of infection getting into the bloodstream, because the blood vessels in the mouth are very close to the surface.  If infection enters the bloodstream, you will be looking at a whole 'nother set of issues, including possible heart problems.

Bad teeth are nothing to fool around with.

In the case of FORLs, extraction is the usual course of action.  There are a few exceptions where "crowning" might be a better option.  You'll want to talk about it with your vet.

FORLs are very painful for the cat.  So, until you can get the teeth removed, you might put kitty on pain meds and possibly antibiotics.  Soft foods with an extra tablespoon of water should work for feeding in the meantime.
 
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stephanie42

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i'm glad you are so interested in taking the best care you can of your cats.  it does sound like berbol may have a dental issue like FORL.  one of my cats was just diagnosed with it.  two of her premolars have already been resorbed and she had to have all four canines removed (crown amputation).  i didn't realize how poorly she had been feeling until we got the teeth taken out - she's practically like a kitten again!  i feel horrible that i didn't notice it sooner - it sounds like you're taking great care of your cats.

if berbol does have FORL, brushing may not help in the long run, but it's a great time to start kiki since she's still young.  i've used an enzymatic toothpaste.  i start by just putting some on my finger and smushing it on my cat's teeth - even the act of them licking it off can help a little.  the next step may be putting a piece of gauze on your finger with the toothpaste and 'brushing' their teeth.  finally, a small finger brush or teensy toothbrush can be used.  my cats are not doing well with this - i'm still on the 'smush some on their teeth and hope' phase. 

good luck :)
 
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berbdcat

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Thanks for the advice guys, right now Berbol is nagging at me to feed him. Its cute coz he has a high pitched voice, but I feel sorry for him at the same time. >.
 
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berbdcat

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The vet visit went very well. Turns out that Berbol has a bit of tartar and a small line of gum infalamation. My dad, the vet and I talked about the puking and digestion, and we're mainly focusing on that now. Berbol seems to puke more because of wet food, so he is now on a healthy, easily-digestible dry food diet. I also have to put a measured amount of liquid pain-relief on his food, so that he can chew. Berbol also got an injection for the gum inflamation. In two weeks we have another appointment, to see if this diet has improved the digestion. Also, I mentioned that Berbol might have FORL, and the vet showed us what it would and would'nt look like, and said that he had no way of checking if it was under the surface. Its only a small office you see, on a mountain in the corner of a cross-road, so its not that big. Anyway the main thing is the digestion. I have to take a video of Berbol puking if I can, so that the vet can see if its actual puking, or regurgitating. Thanks for all the advice you gave me


-BerbDCat :)
 
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